What is Broker Reciprocity?
Broker Reciprocity is a system in which brokers give each other permission to display their listings on each other's web sites. Brokers who participate in the program (called Broker Reciprocity Subscribers or BRSs) can display all of each others active listings. If you choose not to participate, no other broker will be permitted to display your listings. You may include your listings in the Broker Reciprocity database without having your own web site.
Broker reciprocity is a two-step process:
- each broker decides whether to participate in the program;
- each broker who opts in decides whether to display on his or her website the listings of all brokers who have opted in.
Participation in the program (i.e. opting in) is free. The selection is made company by company. If an office or real estate company is participating in the program, all the "Active" listings of that office become part of the BR database.
Brokers who want to display the reciprocal data on their websites will follow certain steps:
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They will contract with Regional MLS to obtain access to the BR Data. If the data is pulled from the FTP directory, this access is free. Other forms of access may carry a fee.
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They will pay their own website designers to build a website and incorporate the reciprocal data.
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They will pay their own Internet Service Provider to host their website.
There are a number of MLS rules that govern Broker Reciprocity Web sites. A broker's website must indicate the listing broker's name on each listing displayed, give credit to Regional MLS as the source of any listing not owned by the broker, and include the usual disclaimer regarding the accuracy of the data. Brokers will be able to update their websites with fresh MLS data and pictures at least daily, depending on the type of data access selected.
If you have any questions, email the MLS help center at help@northstarmls.com.
