What is an IDX website? A plain-English guide for realtors

IDX lets your website show live MLS listings. Here's what IDX means, how it works, what it costs, and how agents use an IDX website to generate buyer and seller leads.

IDX in one sentence

IDX — Internet Data Exchange — is the agreement and technology that lets your website display participating MLS listings, not just your own. It's why a visitor can search homes for sale on your site instead of leaving for Zillow. (IDX shows listings from participating MLS brokers, subject to seller and broker display opt-outs.)

How it works

Your MLS provides a data feed of active listings. An IDX-enabled website ingests that feed and renders it as searchable, map-based results under your brand, refreshed continuously. Compliance rules — attribution to the listing brokerage, required disclaimers, and update frequency — are handled by the platform.

The important part for you: because visitors search on your site, their activity (searches, saved homes, valuation requests) becomes your lead data instead of the portal's.

Why agents want one

An IDX website turns your marketing into a lead engine. Buyers search and save homes; sellers request valuations; both become named contacts in your CRM. Paired with SEO landing pages, the site also earns organic traffic for searches like "pool homes in [city]" that you'd otherwise pay a portal for.

What it costs

Standalone IDX plugins run roughly $50–$100/mo on top of a website you build and maintain separately. All-in-one platforms fold IDX, hosting, SEO, and a CRM into one subscription. The Whole Agent starts at $59/mo with IDX, your domain, SEO pages, and CRM included — no separate plugins to stitch together.

Frequently asked questions