IDX is the abbreviation for Internet Data Exchange and has also been referred to as "Broker Reciprocity" which allows real estate professionals to access to information about real estate listings (for sale, for rent, sold and pending) so that they may more effectively represent their clients. In order to access the IDX, one must be a member of a Multiple Listing Service. Multiple Listing Services are regional and require membership fees. Once paid, those membership fees authorize brokers and realtors the ability to list properties on the exchange and the consent to share and display the information on their own websites.

It is important to note that the National Association of Realtors (NAR) requires that all listings be clearly marked as belonging to the listing broker and are considered the listing brokers' "creative product." Recently, a dispute has arisen between NAR and some property information websites that are not authorized by NAR for access to this multiple listing information and which, nevertheless, obtain IDX feeds and repackage them. This has been considered by NAR to be the theft of creative product of brokers and agents and the matter is currently in legal dispute.

One of the issues related to the "repackage" of the original broker or agent's listing is that these websites often redirect their users to different agents and brokers than the ones who originally listed the property. This is frequently done by charging that broker or agent to whom the lead is redirected a membership fee on that third-party website and then directing "leads" to the member. Unfortunately, this often reduces the inquiries made to the original listing broker and agent. Some of these websites are so bold as to even suggest that the listing broker is their member.

We at rentUSAnow.com consider this practice to be unethical and patently unfair to the original listing broker. We also believe that the redirecting of leads to paid members on third-party websites rather than to the original listing broker/agent interferes with the contractual relationship between the brokers/agents and their clients or potential clients. For this reason, rentUSAnow.com will not participate in what it believes is the pirating of IDX feeds for personal gain. rentUSAnow.com will not contract with any third-party website to provide any type of IDX exchange through it. rentUSAnow.com enables brokers and agents, as well as landlords, to upload their own listings on our website. In addition, we watermark all images to prevent them from being used on other sites without the listing owner's express permission. This protects the listing owner's rights and creative content. We also provide a means and, in fact encourage, our members to add a link to their own website on their public profile page. In this way, rentUSAnow.com promotes and preserves its member's rights to their own creative product and they can list with us with confidence.