My MLS board doesn't allow IDX

[RealtorKenneth]

I hate my MLS board, they are the only board I have ever heard of that doesn't allow agent IDX Solutions, and I'm more than willing to buy one.

Do you know anyone with like internet capabilities of hacking into the system or something and creating an IDX for a board?

I am so pissed off because my buyers are going to other realty company websites to find all the homes.

I only have Point2 which doesn't have many listings available.

Are there independent companies out there that just have all the listings updated by county and don't need permission from the MLS board to get an IDX?

I'm stuck and I don't know what else to do. I thought about a petition but I'm not sure how serious they would take that.

[mrlb]

I understand your frustration and hope you are just blowing off steam when you mention the "capabilities of hacking into the system" but that could possibly lead you into having to find a different line of work.

[webmaster]

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing when I read this - what you are proposing is criminal and if any attempts were detected to take such an action, REW would provide this post (Whether you try to edit it or not we have a copy) to the appropriate authorities.

Not saying that you were serious, I can tell that you are frustrated and likely just looking to vent to the community, but what you just did is like mentioning the word bomb in an airport.

I understand your frustration and hope you are just blowing off steam when you mention the "capabilities of hacking into the system" but that could possibly lead you into having to find a different line of work.

[RealtorKenneth]

Well hacking wasn't really what I was meaning to say. I was just wondering if somone could custom make an IDX based on listings in a specified area and take them off a realtor.com or something like that.

Hacking and taking data from an MLS board isn't like a bomb threat in an airport, are you for real?

[webmaster]

Mentioning "Hacking" on the "internet" is like mentioning "bomb" in an a "airport" , yes I am serious.

I did not say bomb threat, I said mentioning the word bomb, big difference - the point being is it will illicit an immediate and serious response.

What you are referring to is "scraping" real estate listings, once again - it is illegal, if you do not have permission to access, store and display someone else's listings then by proposing to "Scrape" them, is proposing to "steal" them.

Is it do-able, of course, any accomplished programmer could do it - will it provide the desired result? Definitely not - at a minimum you would have your license taken away, or you could land yourself in jail.

[RealtorKenneth]

Well I wouldn't do anything that rash.

It is just lousy though. I take it from the way you're talking that you have your own IDX. I just don't know how to tell my buyers that they can get access to all listings, but the other realtor will appear on the listing as the person to contact.

Not trying to bash customers, but some buyer just are not smart.

I get calls from people about listings who say they already have another realtor, and when I ask why they just didn't have their realtor call me? They are like "well I was just wanting info... blah blah blah, just callin to ask, blah blah blah...."

you know how it goes.

[docmuller]

By other Realtor companies websites do you mean Remax dot com and such, or do you mean portals like realtor dot com.

Do the Remax and Keller and etc agents in your area have IDX through their company site?

I don't know how much a petition would do, but I can't believe the tech savy brokers in your area aren't screaming bloody murder. I would start by contacting brokers and your local Realtor association.

[RealtorKenneth]

Brokers are allowed to have an IDX, but I want one of my own, I don't wanna use our brokers, then the broker gets the lead, how does that help me?

[docmuller]

even if a broker has his own IDX, they should be fighting daily to get the ability for their agents. I know mine would. Without IDX your site is basically an online businesscard. Get your broker behind you and rally the troops! If your broker is not fighting for you maybe you should be looking into this a little deeper, over here in my neck of the woods, it is the brokers who decide if an agent can have their own IDX or not....

In the meantime, when I needed a second IDX feed for a neighborhood website I run, my broker opened a second MLS account for me. see if that is an option

Or, What if you did a half page frame on your site with your brokers IDX search on the top half and a contact form on the bottom half, you may not capture every lead but it is better than nothing

[RealtorKenneth]

The problem is, on my websites I list information on my blog about information with neighborhoods, etc. I cannot provide the listings other than what is in point2. I did research and I found that just about every MLS systems allows agent IDX or at least allows the broker to choose. I don't understand why I pay for the service for our MLS but my access of it is limited.

I can start a petition, have my broker sign it and have it sent to the MLS, but do you think it would make them change their mind?

I e-mailed them back and the only response I got back was that the listings belong to the brokers and they decided that their policy was that only brokers should have an IDX, and it wasn't that the policy would change.

which I think is the worst policy I've ever heard of in my life.