What is IDX in real estate, and do you need it?
IDX (Internet Data Exchange) is how an MLS participant shows other brokers' listings on their own site. Want buyers searching every home there? You need it. Only your own listings? Skip it.
By the IDX Bloom team, from Ciao Bella Marketing (since 2010). Updated October 14, 2026.
7-day free trial, no card. Then $49 USD per month.
What IDX is
It comes from NAR's IDX policy, a model rule many MLSs adopt. Participants can let other participants show their listings on sites and apps they control. Your MLS can be stricter, so read yours.
IDX, the MLS and the feed
| What it is | Who runs it | |
|---|---|---|
| The MLS | The shared listing database | Your local MLS |
| IDX | The permission and rules to show it on your site | NAR's model policy and your MLS |
| The data feed | Sends listings to your site, usually the RESO Web API | Your MLS or its data partner |
| The display | The search and listing pages visitors see | A plugin or website |
Who can use it
MLS participants, or agents under a participating brokerage. A sales associate? Ask your broker first. Check your MLS.
What the rules ask of your site
- Fresh data. NAR's policy says refresh at least every 12 hours.
- Withheld listings stay off. If a seller says no internet display, it cannot show.
- Credit. Name the listing firm on each listing, plus your own brokerage and your MLS's notices.
Do you need IDX?
- Buyers searching all homes on your site? Yes.
- Only your own listings? No.
- A sales associate? Probably, with your broker's okay.
- No site yet? Pick one with IDX built in.
One honest limit: IDX alone brings no leads and no rankings. Everyone shows the same listings. What you add is what brings people. More in does IDX help SEO.
What it costs
Your MLS may charge for data access. That is the MLS's call. IDX Bloom is $49 USD a month, month to month, 7-day free trial, no card, WordPress only. Press one button and search and listings land on the right pages. New sites start with sample listings, private to you. Live listings are not automatic yet: they need approval first. Live listings cover South Florida for now. Outside South Florida a site shows sample listings only, so please wait before you install. Contact-form leads work in the trial; the rest switch on with the paid plan. See how it works and pricing.
Questions agents ask
What does IDX stand for?
Internet Data Exchange.
Is IDX the same as the MLS?
No. The MLS is the database. IDX is the permission and the rules for showing it on your own site.
Can a sales associate put IDX on a personal website?
Often yes, with the broker's approval, because participation runs through the brokerage. Rules differ by MLS, so ask your broker and read your MLS's IDX rules.
Will IDX get me more leads or better rankings?
It gives visitors a reason to stay and a way to reach you. It does not promise leads or rankings, and nobody honest can.
Can I use IDX without WordPress?
Yes, IDX exists on other platforms. IDX Bloom is a WordPress plugin and works only there.
Sources: NAR IDX policy (35th ed., 2024) · RESO Web API.
Keep reading: Add MLS listings to WordPress · Does IDX help SEO? · IDX for Florida realtors
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