All IDX Broker clients will need to be approved by the MLS or MLSs they are need on their account. Each MLS requires this approval before any MLS data can be used with an IDX Broker account.

Client Signup

If you are signing up the client, you will always go through your developer link, which will flag the account under your dev code.

• What if the client signs up him or herself?  No problem, just be sure to have the client use your developer link.
  • What if the client doesn’t?  If the client uses the retail link from our website, a couple of things can happen.  If the client goes through the whole process, and is approved before the mistake is caught, we do not refund the $100 set-up fee, but will add the developer code post-approval.  If it is caught prior to approval, we will verify that the client is indeed working with the requested dev partner. We be happy to add the developer code, and remove the set-up fee if caught before the account is processed.

The name on the account must reflect the agent/broker requesting access to the data.

• Does the person need to be a member of an MLS to gain data access?  Yes.
• What if it’s an office account?  Use the broker’s name if the account is for the office.
• What if different people in an office have different MLS memberships and they want access to all of those MLS boards?  No problem, in an office account, we can use multiple agents to access data.  The account simply needs to reflect the number of agents needed to gain data access.

If you have a staging URL and a permanent domain, please note those in the special instructions.

• Why would I need to do that?  We prefer to request approval for both at the same time, as some MLS boards will require new paperwork for ANY domain change.

Know your client’s MLS.

• What if the client doesn’t know what it is?  If the client doesn’t know, it is the client’s responsibility to call their local association and ask what MLS serves that board’s data.
• What if you still don’t have that MLS?  No problem, we add boards anytime a client requests it.  If you know prior to signup, please include contact information, so our MLS Coordinators can establish a relationship and begin the process of adding a new MLS to our system.  (That could link to an explanation of how that works.)

Our signups are processed by humans, but the accounts are auto-populated by what is in the signup form.  Sometimes we catch typos, like if “realty” ends up “reatly” or if an email address has “gmail” spelled “gmial”, but not always, so please double-check the information you enter.  Any changes once you’ve submitted a signup form can be emailed to mlsinfo@idxbroker.com.

Instructions and Paperwork

Once the client’s signup is processed, our MLS Coordinators send out an email with instructions, and often, attached paperwork.  Reading the email thoroughly is the first rule of thumb, to ensure a smooth approval process.  If you or your client have questions once you’ve read the email and perused the agreement, feel free to call or reply to that instruction email, and our MLS Coordinators are happy to assist.

• Who do you send the instructions to?  We send them to the client, if provided.  We always copy the designer on these emails, to keep everyone in the loop.
• Will there be paperwork?  Most of the time there will be an agreement for completion.  We have hundreds of MLS agreements on-file, and we pre-edit them with our information, so the client knows where we complete and sign.
• Do you always send the paperwork?  No, some boards prefer to send out their own agreements, in which case our instruction email will include contact information for the client.
• Do I sign the agreement?   In most cases no, but there are always a couple of exceptions.  This information will be noted in the approval instruction email, as well as noted on the pre-edited agreement.

Common Paperwork Issues

• What if the consultant section looks strange, or like I should sign it as the web designer?  Just send it to mlsinfo@idxbroker.com and one of our MLS Coordinators will look it over and answer any questions you have.
• What if the client only sends back the signature page?  Our instruction email will let you know if we only want the signature page back.  In most cases, we need the full agreement.
• What if the client’s broker won’t sign until IDX Broker signs?  Our company policy states that we cannot sign an agreement until the client obtains all necessary signatures, including the broker.
• What if the client sends the agreement straight to the MLS?  We’ll need a copy for the client file, and most times, we need to sign before the MLS can approve data access.  Additionally, we want to verify everything on the agreement matches the information in the client’s account.  For example, sometimes the URL changes between signup and paperwork submission.
• What if you send us instructions for an online agreement or strikingly different process from a basic PDF agreement?  We send email templates that include contact information for the MLS, as those online processes leave IDX Broker out of the bulk of that process.  The client will need to contact the MLS directly for assistance.
• What if the client doesn’t complete the agreement correctly?  No problem, upon receiving it, we look over the agreement, reconcile it with the information in the account, and if there is anything missing or incorrect, and will reply to the client and designer with specific instructions and/or questions.

Once the agreement is ready to submit, the MLS Coordinators save the agreement to the client’s file, fill in any company information, sign, and send to our MLS contact for approval requests.  Most boards take 3-7 days to issue approval.  There are a few that take longer, and a few that turn it around very quickly, sometimes within minutes.  You are always welcome to ask about any MLS for a particular client.

• What if the MLS takes more than a week to approve?  We follow up with an MLS once a week.  When we follow up, we copy the client so s/he can use that thread to follow up him or herself.
• Can we speed up the approval?  YES!  This is the one place the client can assist.  If a client is on a tight time line and needs or wants the approval quickly, once we confirm that we’ve submitted the client’s agreement, the client may call the MLS directly and nudge the MLS to approve the request more quickly.  As the dues-paying member, the client has more sway than anyone else.  It’s as simple as calling and asking the MLS contact if s/he has received the email from mlsinfo@idxbroker.com with the agreement.  Should the client need that specific contact information, our MLS Coordinators are happy to pass that information along.

When the MLS sends approval, we approve the data, and send the client’s account to our tech support set-up queue.  At that point, tech support activates the account and sends log-in information.  It can take up to 24 hours to receive the log-in information from our team.

• What if the client’s approval was held up for some reason and we need the log-in quickly?  Please let our MLS Coordinators know, though if the process took extra-long, chances are they are aware, and will bump that client ahead anyway.
• What if the client has more than one data feed in the account but we only have one approval?  We activate the account with the first approval.  Once we receive subsequent approvals, those feeds will be activated, and you will be notified.
• What if we want all the data activated at the same time?  We do not hold approvals.

Company and Domain Changes

On the Account Info page, there is a blue box under the heading “Primary Account Info”.  This box notes that all company and domain changes should come through the MLS department.

• Will the client need to complete new paperwork for a company change?  Yes.  All MLS boards require an updated agreement for a company change.  By emailing that information, the MLS Coordinators can easily reply with the proper instructions.
• Will the client need to complete new paperwork for a domain change?  Not always, often the MLS Coordinators only need to confirm with the MLS via email.
• Why do I need to email these changes?  For a domain change, we want the correct spelling, which is easiest when written.  And if an agreement is necessary, the instructions can be sent with our reply.
• How long will processing and approval take?  It takes about as long as it took to get approved initially if there is paperwork involved, so sending the MLS Coordinators an email as early as possible, or calling in to discuss the time line will ensure a smoother process.
• Are all the MLS boards the same?  No. They all do things their own way, which is why we encourage questions and prior-planning.

Once the client completes paperwork, or the MLS Coordinators email for confirmation, we await approval for any company or domain changes.

• What if the client has multiple data feeds in the account?  We need to receive approval from ALL boards before we can make the change.
• Can the client help get approval faster?  Yes, we can copy the client on any email request, and if paperwork is required, the client can use our paperwork submission confirmation email to follow up with the MLS him/herself, using that membership clout to nudge the MLS to approve more quickly.  This helps A LOT when there are multiple data feeds involved.

When we receive approval, we make the change on our end, and notify you.

Key Points:

• Always follow the MLS team instructions for each MLS as closely as possible
• Always follow the MLS team instructions for each MLS as closely as possible 🙂