IDX vs. VOW
What is IDX and VOW?
IDX
IDX is a technology term for Internet data exchange with allows a real estate website to have MLS data on it which makes the website searchable by the public.
IDX is built on the concept of Broker Reciprocity which is the idea that any broker that opts into IDX grants the right to all other participants to display his listings and receives the right to display theirs.
IDX exists to help real estate agents market listings, attract leads, and close more sales. By displaying listings online, agents can reach a larger audience and better match available homes with prospective buyers.
MOREMLS offers an IDX feed for brokers and agents to use on their websites so the site can be searchable by the public.
VOW
VOW, or Virtual Office Website, is a real estate data product offered by most MLS. Like IDX, VOW allows agents to connect to an MLS data and import listings into their website. However, VOW provides more sales history and off-market data than IDX. The idea is to help agents looking to go completely online without having to have a physical office.
VOW feeds can include sold listings, expired listings, a sales history for each property, original list price, price changes, days on market, and more.
Because of the potentially sensitive nature of this off-market data, VOW listings are not open to the general public. Instead it is a requirement that a client-agent relationship be established before a user gains access to the VOW. This can take the form of forced registration pop-up or a login gateway on the VOW site.
VOW is more business oriented as opposed to IDX, which is more marketing oriented.
MOREMLS offers a VOW feed for brokers and agents to use on their websites so the site can be searchable by potential clients.