Exhibit 4: Data Feed Policies (IDX & VOW)

Exhibit 4: Data Feed Policies (IDX & VOW)

INTERNET DATA EXCHANGE (IDX)

Section 1 IDX Defined:

IDX affords MLS participants the ability to authorize limited electronic display and delivery of their listings by other participants via the following authorized mediums under the participant’s control: websites, mobile apps, and audio devices. As used throughout these rules, “display” includes “delivery” of such listing. (M)

Section 1.1 Authorization:

Participation in IDX is available to all MLS participants who are Realtors® who are engaged in real estate brokerage and who consent to display of their listings by other Participants(MO4)


Section 1.2.1 

Participants must notify the MLS of their intention to display IDX information and must give the MLS direct access for purposes of monitoring/ensuring compliance with applicable rules and policies. (M)


Section 1.2.2 

MLS participants may not use IDX-provided listings for any purpose other than display as provided for in these rules. This does not require participants to prevent indexing of IDX listings by recognized search engines. (Amended 05/12) M


Section 1.2.3 

Listings, including property addresses, can be included in IDX displays except where a seller has directed their listing broker to withhold their listing or the listing’s property address from all display on the Internet (including, but not limited to, publicly-accessible websites or VOWs) or other electronic forms of display or distribution. (Amended 05/17) M


Section 1.2.4 

Participants may select the listings they choose to display through IDX based only on objective criteria including, but not limited to, factors such as geography or location (“uptown,” “downtown,” etc.), list price, type of property (e.g., condominiums, cooperatives, single-family detached, multi-family), or type of listing (e.g., exclusive right-to-sell or exclusive agency. Selection of listings displayed through IDX must be independently made by each participant. M


Section 1.2.5 

Participants must refresh all MLS downloads and IDX displays automatically fed by those downloads at least once every twelve (12) hours M


Section 1.2.6 

Except as provided in the IDX policy and these rules, an IDX site or a participant or user operating an IDX site or displaying IDX information as otherwise permitted may not distribute, provide, or make any portion of the MLS database available to any person or entity. M


Section 1.2.7 

Any IDX display controlled by a participant must clearly identify the name of the brokerage firm under which they operate in a readily visible color and typeface. For purposes of the IDX policy and these rules, “control” means the ability to add, delete, modify and update information as required by the IDX policy and MLS rules. (Amended 05/12) M


Section 1.2.8 

Participants shall maintain a means (e.g., e-mail address, telephone number) to receive comments about the accuracy of any data or information that is added by or on behalf of the participant beyond that supplied by the MLS and that relates to a specific property. Participants shall correct or remove any false data or information relating to a specific property upon receipt of a communication from the listing broker or listing agent for the property explaining why the data or information is false. However, participants shall not be obligated to remove or correct any data or information that simply reflects good faith opinion, advice, or professional judgmentM


Section 1.2.10 

An MLS participant (or where permitted locally, an MLS subscriber) may co-mingle the listings of other brokers received in an IDX feed with listings available from other MLS IDX feeds, provided all such displays are consistent with the IDX rules, and the MLS participant (or MLS subscriber) holds participatory rights in those MLSs. As used in this policy, “co-mingling” means that consumers are able to execute a single property search of multiple IDX data feeds resulting in the display of IDX information from each of the MLSs on a single search results page; and that participants may display listings from each IDX feed on a single webpage or display. (Adopted 11/14) M


Section 1.2.11  

Participants shall not modify or manipulate information relating to other participants listings. MLS participants may augment their IDX display of MLS data with applicable property information from other sources to appear on the same webpage or display, clearly separated by the data supplied by the MLS. The source(s) of the information must be clearly identified in the immediate proximity to such data. This requirement does not restrict the format of MLS data display or display of fewer than all of the available listings or fewer authorized fields. (Adopted 05/15) M


Section 1.2.12 

All listings displayed pursuant to IDX shall identify the listing firm, and the email or phone number provided by the listing participant in a reasonably prominent location and in a readily visible color and typeface not smaller than the median used in the display of listing data.*


Section 1.3 Disclaimer of Liability;

Listings displayed pursuant to IDX shall contain only those fields of data designated by the MLS. Display of all other fields (as determined by the MLS) is prohibited.  Confidential fields intended only for other MLS participants and users (e.g., showing instructions and property security information) may not be displayed. (O)


Section 1.3.12 

Display of expired, and withdrawn listings is prohibited (Amended 11/15) (O)

 

Section 1.4 Identification of Listing Firm and Subscriber. (NAR Section 19.18)

In any display or disclosure of MLS Listing Information (as that terms is defined in Section 16.1(d) of these Rules), including oral disclosure and display on a VOW, a Participant shall cause any listing that is displayed to identify the name of the listing firm and the listing broker or agent in a readily visible color, in a reasonably prominent location, and in typeface not smaller than the median typeface used in the display of listing data.


Section 1.5 Limit on Number of Listings Displayed. (NAR Section 19.19)

A Participant shall limit the number of listings that a customer, client, or consumer may view, retrieve, or download to not more than 500 current listings or fifty percent (50%) and not more than 500 sold listings in response to any inquiry, regardless of the medium by which the Participant responds to the inquiry, including oral disclosure and display on a VOW.


Section 1.6 Confidential Data Fields: 

A Participant shall not disclose to any consumer, whether orally, on a VOW or IDX web site, or via any other means, any of the following data fields, which the service has classified as confidential. The preceding sentence notwithstanding, a Participant may disclose the contents of any of these fields only to the extent, and only at the time, that the Code of Ethics or state or federal law gives rise to an obligation to do so. The following fields are confidential: Agent Remarks, Showing Instructions, Alarm, Appointment information.


Section 1.7 Limitations On Use Of Service Information:

Use of information from MLS compilation of current listing information, from Services’ statistical report, or from any sold or comparable report of the Service for public mass-media advertising by a Service Participant or in other public representations, may not be prohibited. (M)


However, any print or non-print forms of advertising or other forms of public representations based in whole or in part on information supplied by the Service must clearly demonstrate the period of time over which such claims are based and must include the following, or substantially similar, notice: (M)

Based on information from the North Carolina Regional MLS LLC, for the period ______(date) through _______(date). (M)

*The term “M.L.S. compilation” as used in Sections 11 and 12 herein, shall be construed to include any format in which property listing data is collected and disseminated to the Participants, including but not limited to bound book, loose-lease binder, computer database, card file, or any other format whatever.

 
 

Virtual Office websites (vow)

Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the request of a seller, the participant shall disable or discontinue either or both of those features described in Subsection a. as to any listing of the seller. The listing broker or agent shall communicate to the MLS that the seller has elected to have one or both of these features disabled or discontinued on all participants websites. Subject to the foregoing and to Section 19.8, a participant’s VOW may communicate the participant’s professional judgment concerning any listing. A participant’s VOW may notify its customers that a particular feature has been disabled at the request of the seller.

Section 2.8  A participant’s VOW shall maintain a means (e.g., e-mail address, telephone number) to receive comments from the listing broker about the accuracy of any information that is added by or on behalf of the participant beyond that supplied by the MLS and that relates to a specific property displayed on the VOW. The participant shall correct or remove any false information relating to a specific property within forty-eight (48) hours following receipt of a communication from the listing broker explaining why the data or information is false. The participant shall not, however, be obligated to correct or remove any data or information that simply reflects good faith opinion, advice, or professional judgment.

Section 2.9  A participant shall cause the MLS listing information available on its VOW to be refreshed at least once every three (3) days.

Section 2.10  Except as provided in these rules, in the National Association of Realtors®’ VOW policy, or in any other applicable MLS rules or policies, no participant shall distribute, provide, or make accessible any portion of the MLS listing information to any person or entity.

Section 2.11  A participant’s VOW must display the participant’s privacy policy informing Registrants of all of the ways in which information that they provide may be used. M

Section 2.12  A participant’s VOW may exclude listings from display based only on objective criteria, including, but not limited to, factors such as geography, list price, or type of property. (M)

Section 2.13  A participant who intends to operate a VOW to display MLS listing information must notify the MLS of its intention to establish a VOW and must make the VOW readily accessible to the MLS and to all MLS participants for purposes of verifying compliance with these rules, the VOW policy, and any other applicable MLS rules or policies.

Section 2.14  A participant may operate more than one VOW himself or herself or through an AVP. A participant who operates his or her own VOW may contract with an AVP to have the AVP operate other VOWs on his or her behalf. However, any VOW operated on behalf of a participant by an AVP is subject to the supervision and accountability of the participant

Section 2.15  A participant shall cause any listing that is displayed on his or her VOW to identify the name of the listing firm, the listing broker or agent, and the email or phone number provided by the listing participant in a readily visible color, in a reasonably prominent location, and in typeface not smaller than the median typeface used in the display of the listing data. (O)



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