IDX Feed Approval Explained: Broker, Vendor, and MLS Steps

Most agents who want listings on their own website hit the same question early: why can't the listings just show up? The answer is IDX feed approval. Before any website can display live MLS listings, three parties each have to say yes. Once you know who they are and what each one checks, the process is much easier to follow.

What an IDX feed actually is

IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It is the arrangement that lets brokers show each other's listings on their websites. The listings come through an MLS data feed, a steady stream of property records, photos, and status changes sent from the MLS to an approved website. In Central and West Florida that MLS is usually Stellar MLS. The feed is licensed, not public, so access is granted only to approved participants.

Step one: broker authorization

IDX access runs through your brokerage, not through you alone. The MLS treats your broker as the participant responsible for how listing data is used, so your broker has to authorize the website before anything else happens. In practice that usually means your broker signs off on the request and confirms you are an active agent under their license.

Plan for this step ahead of time. Some brokerages have a designated person who handles IDX paperwork, and others have the managing broker sign each request themselves. A quick heads-up to your office before you start helps the request move along.

Step two: the vendor agreement

The company that builds and hosts your site is the vendor. The vendor signs its own agreement with the MLS, agreeing to handle the data properly, keep it secure, refresh it on schedule, and remove listings that go off market. The MLS needs to know exactly who is receiving the feed and where it will be displayed.

If you work with a vendor that already has an MLS relationship, this step tends to be smoother, because much of the vendor paperwork is already done.

Step three: MLS review and IDX compliance

Last, the MLS reviews the site itself for IDX compliance. Reviewers generally look at things like:

• Clear credit to the listing brokerage on every listing
• The required disclaimer and data-source notices
• Which fields are shown or held back, since some private data may never be displayed
• How often the data refreshes and how quickly off-market listings drop off
• Your own name and brokerage shown clearly on the site

The exact rules vary by MLS and change from time to time. Your MLS's current IDX policy is always the final word.

How long the whole thing takes

Each step depends on a different party, so timing adds up. A managed build like ours usually takes about two to three weeks from start to launch, and the approval chain accounts for much of that time. The biggest thing you control is speed: answer the broker form quickly and send any requested details promptly.

After approval

Approval is not a one-time event. Compliance continues for as long as the site is live, which means correct disclaimers, accurate attribution, and fresh data. A feed that refreshes about every 15 minutes, for example, helps keep sold and pending homes from showing as available.

Once you know the broker, vendor, and MLS steps, IDX feed approval stops looking like a black box and turns into a short checklist. A managed IDX website is one way a Florida agent can get approved live listings on their own site without handling each step alone.

Sources and further reading: Stellar MLS.