IDX (Internet Data Exchange) — NAR-governed reciprocity policy (not a feed), active listings + pending/sold per local option, public display no login

reference · Scope: business · Status: current

Created 2026-06-21

Summary

Claim. IDX is a NAR-governed reciprocity policy (not a single feed) letting participants display each other's active listings (plus pending/sold per local option) publicly, no login required.

Source. NAR; multiple board IDX FAQs; industry-consensus, accessed 2026-06-21.

Confidence. Verified / industry-consensus.

Caveats. "Local option" is doing significant work here — what an IDX site can show varies by board policy. The control test (IDX control test — if a third-party aggregation site controls the overall display, the listing fails the test and IDX's built-in consent disappears) is the gating logic.

Implication / use. IDX = the public-display tier. Everything stronger requires VOW or higher.

Related entries

Depends on

research-notes Research notes (capture-layer): inside the MLS box — what an Ontario member agent's account exposes, what goes unused, and what they're licensed to do with it (June 2026)

reference IDX control test — if a third-party aggregation site controls the overall display, the listing fails the test and IDX's built-in consent disappears

Referenced by (1)

research-notes Research notes (capture-layer): inside the MLS box — what an Ontario member agent's account exposes, what goes unused, and what they're licensed to do with it (June 2026) · relates-to