Michael Wurzer In my last post on the public MLS site panel discussion, the panelists seemed to agree that IDX programs don’t conflict with a public MLS site. The more I think about this issue, though, the more I think they do conflict or involve a “fork in the road” that needs to be illuminated before choosing one or other or to build a new road that combines the two. Put simply:
- Most public facing MLS sites direct the consumer back to the listing broker.
- With IDX, the site owner (who gets the leads) most often is not the listing broker.
As Brian Larson says during the video, there is a fork in the road here. Perhaps new roads will be built that create the best of both worlds, but, today, the difference between IDX and public facing sites remains distinct and choosing both creates the potential for conflicting policies. I think the difference between these policies is highlighted well by Duane Sauke’s refusal to weep for buy-side brokers who get to use his listings on IDX sites.