What is an IDX website?
An IDX website is a real estate agent's website that shows live MLS listings, including other brokers' listings, through Internet Data Exchange (IDX). IDX is the policy, set by the National Association of REALTORS® and adopted by MLSs, that lets MLS participants display each other's listings on websites they control. An IDX provider pulls the MLS feed and turns it into search pages, listing pages and saved-search alerts on your site.
Without IDX, your site only shows the listings you post by hand. With IDX, a buyer can search every active home in your market, save favorites and ask about a showing without ever leaving your site. That inquiry comes to you, not to a portal that sells it to other agents.
Do you need IDX on your website?
Most buyer-side agents and teams benefit from IDX, because it gives buyers a reason to stay on your site and gives you their contact details when they save a search or ask about a home. Agents who work mostly with sellers, in luxury niches or by referral can often skip it at first and lead with their own listings, neighborhood guides and reviews.
- Get IDX if you work with buyers, run ads or social posts that send people to your site, or want saved-search alerts to keep leads coming back.
- Wait on IDX if you list a few homes a year, most business is referral, or your MLS's data fee makes the monthly cost hard to justify yet. You can add it later without rebuilding the site.
How much does IDX cost?
A standalone IDX feed for a solo agent typically costs about $60 to $150 a month in 2026. That's the provider's plan plus, in many markets, a monthly data fee your MLS charges for the feed. Setup fees run from nothing to a few hundred dollars. All-in-one platforms that include a website, IDX and a CRM cost more because you're buying the CRM and lead tools too.
| Option | Typical monthly cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone IDX provider | About $60 to $150, plus any MLS data fee | Listing search, listing pages and saved searches added to a website you already have |
| MLS data fee | About $0 to $35 in many markets, set by your MLS | Access to the MLS feed for IDX. Some MLSs also charge a one-time application fee |
| All-in-one real estate platform | Often $300 to $600 or more | Website, IDX, CRM and lead tools in one subscription, usually on a shared template |
| Custom website + IDX | The IDX plan above, plus your site's care plan | A site designed around you, with IDX connected to it |
Remember the website itself. An IDX plan gives you a feed and search pages; you still need a site to put them on. Template platforms bundle both. A custom site costs more upfront and less every month.
IDX providers compared
These are published prices from three widely used IDX providers, checked in October 2026. Prices change, so confirm on the provider's site before you sign.
| Provider | Published plans | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| IDX Broker | Core $60/mo · Engage $99/mo · Elite $149/mo | All plans include a one-time setup fee |
| Showcase IDX | Essentials $94.95/mo · Premium $124.95/mo | No setup fee. MLS pass-through fee of $0 to $33 a month depending on the MLS. Annual billing saves two months |
| iHomefinder | Quoted by plan (Lead Essentials, Lead Maximizer, Growth Pro) | Website add-on listed at $50/mo + $500 setup; additional MLS $50/mo on Lead Maximizer |
The right provider depends on your MLS first. Not every provider serves every MLS, and some MLSs have their own approved vendor list. Check that before comparing features.
Which IDX setups help SEO?
IDX helps SEO most when listing and search pages live on your own domain as real pages, and least when they're loaded in an iframe. Here's how the three common setups compare.
| Setup | Example address | SEO value |
|---|---|---|
| On your domain | yoursite.com/listings/123-main-st | Best. Pages are indexed as part of your site |
| Subdomain | listings.yoursite.com | Middle. Indexed, but often hosted and controlled by the provider |
| Iframe | Search window embedded in your page | Little to none. The content belongs to the provider's server |
One honest caveat: even on your own domain, IDX listing pages are the same listings shown on thousands of other agent sites and on Zillow, so they rarely rank on their own. What ranks for agents is content nobody else has: neighborhood pages with your take on each area, market updates, your own listings and recent sales, and reviews. Use IDX to convert visitors. Use original local pages to attract them.
Speed matters too. In our study of 100 Houston realtor websites, 91 of the 99 sites Google tested were slowed down by unused JavaScript, which IDX widgets and page builders often add.
MLS rules your IDX site must follow
IDX displays follow your MLS's rules, which are based on NAR's IDX policy. The details vary by MLS, but most require the same basics.
- Your brokerage name must be clearly shown on the site, in a readable color and size.
- The listing brokerage must be identified on every listing, and many MLSs now also require the listing broker's phone number or email next to "Listing provided by."
- Listing brokers can opt out. A broker can tell the MLS not to show their listings on IDX sites, so some active homes may be missing from your search.
- Don't edit listing data. IDX listings are shown as provided by the MLS; your own commentary belongs on your own pages.
- Your state's advertising rules still apply to the rest of the site, such as the TREC notices for Texas agents. Your broker approves the final wording.
What to ask before you buy an IDX website
- Does this provider serve my MLS, and what is my MLS's monthly data fee?
- Do listing and search pages live on my domain, a subdomain or an iframe?
- Who owns my website, my domain and my lead list if I cancel?
- Where do leads go when someone saves a search or asks about a home, and how fast?
- Can I add my own neighborhood pages, market updates and reviews, or only the template's pages?
- What's the total monthly cost after setup: IDX plan, MLS fee, hosting and any CRM?
- Is there a contract term or a cancellation fee?
What does AtEase charge for an IDX website?
AtEase is a Houston-based studio that builds real estate agent websites for agents anywhere in the US. IDX setup is included on every site we build: we pick a provider that serves your MLS, style the search to match your site, and connect saved searches and inquiries to your lead alerts. The IDX provider bills you directly for the feed, so you see exactly what you pay for it.
- Starter website: $995 + $99/month care plan, or $0 down at $149/month for 12 months
- Custom website: $3,000, care plan optional at $150/month, with neighborhood pages and a clickable area map
- IDX setup: included. Provider and MLS fees billed to you directly, typically about $60 to $150 a month
- Speed-to-lead AI for listing inquiries and portal leads: $1,500 setup + $150/month
Custom sites pair IDX with the original neighborhood pages that actually bring in search traffic, plus instant lead alerts and an optional AI reply in your voice. See it on a live agent site in the Gamble Realty Group case study, or compare packages on our real estate agent websites page.
Frequently asked questions
What does IDX stand for in real estate?
IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It's the MLS policy that lets participating brokers and agents show each other's listings on their own websites, and the technology that pulls those listings from the MLS onto the site.
How much does an IDX website cost per month?
The IDX feed usually costs about $60 to $150 a month, including any MLS data fee, on top of the website. All-in-one platforms that include a site, IDX and a CRM often cost $300 to $600 or more a month.
Can any agent get IDX on their website?
You need to be a participant or subscriber in the MLS whose listings you want to show, and your broker usually has to approve the IDX agreement. Your MLS decides which IDX vendors are allowed.
Is IDX the same as an MLS?
No. The MLS is the database of listings shared among brokers. IDX is the permission and the feed that lets you display MLS listings publicly on your website.
Does IDX help my website rank on Google?
A little, if listing pages are on your own domain. IDX listings appear on many sites, so they rarely rank on their own. Original neighborhood pages, market updates and your own listings are what rank. IDX turns that traffic into leads.
What's the difference between IDX and a VOW?
A VOW (virtual office website) is a separate MLS policy that lets registered users see more data, such as sold prices in some markets, after they sign up and agree to terms. IDX is the public listing display. Many agent sites only need IDX.
Can I keep my IDX if I switch brokerages?
Usually yes, after updating the brokerage name on the site and your IDX agreement. If you own your domain and website, the move is an update, not a rebuild.
Want an IDX website built for you?
IDX setup is included on every AtEase real estate site, styled to match and connected to your lead alerts.
- Live MLS search on your own domain
- Neighborhood pages that bring in search traffic
- Instant lead alerts and an optional AI reply
- Your state's advertising rules built in
Starter $995 · Custom $3,000 · IDX setup included
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS®, Internet Data Exchange (IDX) Policy, Policy Statement 7.58
- REALMLS, "Listing Broker Contact Information Required on IDX Display"
- IDX Broker, plans and pricing (checked October 2026)
- Showcase IDX, pricing (checked October 2026)
- iHomefinder, pricing (checked October 2026)
- Curbside, "How much does IDX cost in 2026?" (MLS fee and all-in-one platform ranges)