Broker won't allow IDX

[FredLight]

Am working with an agent in the Quad Cities (Iowa/ Illinois). Her broker (Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors) will NOT allow the agents to have their own IDX on their websites. The only option is for the agent to 'frame' the Ruhl and Ruhl IDX page or Realtor.com.

The broker farms out their internet leads to their agents (selectively, of course), for a 30% referral fee. Their local Quad City Realtor Association MLS DOES allow agent IDX sites, but the broker must sign off and she refuses.

Clearly it's a control issue - probably afraid that agents will compete with the broker for leads if they are allowed to have a website with an IDX feed that bypasses the broker.

This is a new agent, so she has absolutely no clout with the broker. She could go to a competing firm, likes this company and has just started to get her business off the ground and isn't really wanting to make a big switch so early in her career.


Any suggestions on how to get around this? I'm assuming this is all legal?

[kyle422]

Any suggestions on how to get around this? I'm assuming this is all legal?

Yes it is legal. The broker owns the right, the agents do not, unless the broker allows them to use it. The agent may be able to buy the IDX from a 3rd party but I'm not sure about that.
Find a new broker to work with.

[judyo]

I think even with a 3rd party the broker still has to sign off. Mine did although I offer VOW, not IDX. This is definitely a control & money issue at a 30% referral fee. I'd be out of there so fast, brand new or not! And then I'd work really hard to get my website above the broker's in the serps.

[webmaster]

Yeah that is BS - its one thing to not allow IDX to agents, but to deny them any kind of listings on their site at all unless they get to charge a 30% referral fee to sell them back to them. Pah! I'd be out of there.

However if they dont want to leave - take the brokers feed, but implement forced registration (Pre MLS viewing) - at least this way you get the lead as well. I know it's not perfect, but kind of forces the agents hand.

[kensmith]

Any office that restricts their agents like this should loose agents. I would be gone really quick if our office tried to do something like that.

[Fort Lauderdale]

Any office that restricts their agents like this should loose agents. I would be gone really quick if our office tried to do something like that

I agree 100%.
Get out of there. That's a broker who doesn't quite understand the concept that the agents are the backbone - not the broker. If the broker is that selfish on this issue - wait until you have a commission dispute.

[AaronSOLD]

My broker requires you to use their IDX solution but it is branded with all of my contact information on the search pages. There's still numbers for my broker's 1-800 number, but my contact information is the easiest to see. I have started requiring forced registration to track new users but they still have the opportunity to opt-out of assosciating with me as their agent, which precludes me from see the data they enter.

It's a half-measure, but for me working for the biggest broker in the city has lead to appointments I would not have received otherwise.

[webmaster]

Aaron, you are with Edina right? They allow IDX datafeeds as far as I know. I'm building the minneapolis MLS right now for an edina agent, so they would have had to sign for it right?

[AaronSOLD]

See PM

[webmaster]

oops my bad, for some reason I thought they were edina, turns out they are with lakes area