What is Broker Reciprocity

Broker Reciprocity is a system where 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: Putting real estate professionals in control of listings on the Internet

The Broker Reciprocity service allows participating brokers to display each others’ listings on their own websites. This approach provides several advantages:

• Brokerage web sites can become the best source of listing data. When most brokers participate, the number of listings in the reciprocal database can easily reach and even exceed the number on other popular sites.
• When consumers visit the web sites of reciprocal brokers, they may stay longer because the brokers have more listing data to offer. The broker sites may also offer easier interfaces for consumers, since many other sites are “cluttered” with non-listing content. As brokers become more innovative in offering on-line services, this will be a critical factor in their success.

Broker reciprocity is a two-step process: 1) each broker decides whether to participate in the program; 2) 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 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:

• They will contract with NorthstarMLS to obtain access to the BR Data or work with a website provider who already has access to the NorthstarMLS data (click here for a list of available providers).
• They will pay their own website designers to build a website and incorporate the reciprocal data.
• 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 our help center at help@northstarmls.com.

The Broker Reciprocity trademark and logo are service marks of NorthstarMLS and may not be used without their permission.