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Normally the IDX feed is from the MLS to which you have a membership. You might be able to get such a thing from a web service, but I've never heard of such a thing.
Can I build a site and add an IDX-MLS search from that state (or area), even though I'm not a Realtor there? How do I go about doing this?
One way around not being licensed in every state is to work a deal out with agents/brokers there. You can always offer them leads that come in from the website (obviously for a small referral fee). All you have to do is team up with them and set up an arrangement...they contact their MLS and get what's called an IDX feed. Each MLS does it differently - mine gives you a name and PW to log into an ftp site where you download an ascii file of all the listings and photos.
There are strict guidelines when displaying the info - but my MLS only costs 99/yr for that service. They offer other packages such as framing and links - but I don't think that would be the way you would want to go as it would be too choppy.
My first question would be, why would you want to do this? What are you trying to accomplish? That information would be necessary to give a good answer about how to do it (or even if it's even possible/legal to do it for your purposes).
You would have to pay for the service, of course. How that's done would vary according to the rules of the particular MLS you have in mind.
One way around not being licensed in every state is to work a deal out with agents/brokers there. You can always offer them leads that come in from the website (obviously for a small referral fee). All you have to do is team up with them and set up an arrangement...they contact their MLS and get what's called an IDX feed. Each MLS does it differently - mine gives you a name and PW to log into an ftp site where you download an ascii file of all the listings and photos.
There are strict guidelines when displaying the info - but my MLS only costs 99/yr for that service. They offer other packages such as framing and links - but I don't think that would be the way you would want to go as it would be too choppy.
Good Luck and let me know if this helped!
~Joey
This is what I would be doing. I have friends in a couple other states that are Realtors and I was going to build a site for their area and add some type of search for people. As I receive the leads, refer them out. There are other people that do this, so I know it can be done, I just don't know how. The lead generator I use here allows me to view when people are on my site, how many times they are there and when and what properties they saved. I would also like to have those options. I've never worked with IDX because my company gives us a web site and lead generator. I do know how to build a web site, so I thought IDX might be the answer for the other locations. I just didn't know if it's permitted w/o a license in those states.
The only time I've used IDX on my website I got a prepackaged deal from my MLS. But if you're building a site from scratch and are not a member of an MLS, then you might want to check out this website from the manufacturer of IDX
Of course, you may have already been there. But they do have a listing of all the MLS systems in the US that use IDX. (believe it or not, some still do not). They may be able to assist you with other questions. Good Luck!
I'm bring this thread bcak because I have another related question. I can use the IDX feature through my MLS or there are companies that offer this. Which would be better to use and why? If you have IDX on your site and do not use the one offered through your local MLS, which one do you use and why? Thanks for the help!
Location: Danbury CT covering all of Fairfield County
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I get my feed through the MLS. I'm thrifty, so why pay for something that I can get for 'free'. Others might be more powerful, but I know how to tinker with it so I have several set up for certain subdivisions,towns, price ranges and property types.
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