BIC TIP #1295: IDX Is Not Social Media
Found a gorgeous listing and want to post it on your Instagram? Pump the brakes. Stephen Long, your Notorious BIC, reminds brokers that IDX is not the same thing as social media. Your IDX agreement covers your website, not your feed. If you want to market someone else’s listing on social, ask permission first.
What IDX Actually Covers
IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It is an arrangement where brokerages allow other brokerages to display their listings on brokerage websites. If you have an agent website or a firm website showing MLS listings, you probably have an IDX agreement that makes that possible.
That permission is specific. It allows listings to appear on your website through the IDX feed under the rules of that agreement.
Social Media Is a Different Animal
Those IDX agreements do not extend to social media platforms. Posting another firm’s listing on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, or anywhere else is a separate act of marketing, and it requires separate permission.
Just because you can see the listing on your website does not mean you can repost it wherever you like. The listing belongs to the listing firm and its seller, and they get to decide how it is marketed.
Ask First, Credit Always
The fix is easy. Reach out to the listing agent and their firm and ask for permission before you post. Most will appreciate the courtesy, and many will be happy for the extra exposure.
When you do post, give credit where credit is due. Identify the listing broker and firm. Asking first goes a long way, and it keeps you out of awkward phone calls with other brokers, or with your broker-in-charge.
The Practical Takeaway
Your IDX agreement is for your website, period. Before you share someone else’s listing on social media, get permission from the listing agent and firm and give them proper credit. Do not just throw it up and hope it is okay. Ask first and you should be good to go.
This BIC Tip is general real estate education for licensees and consumers, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Rules and forms change, so verify current NCREC rules, MLS rules, and standard forms, and consult a North Carolina attorney or qualified professional about your specific situation. See Disclaimers & Disclosures.
