Update: NWMLS restores IDX feed to Compass
Washington
state-based
Northwest
MLS
(NWMLS)
has
restored
its
internet
data
exchange
(IDX)
feed
to
Compass.
An
MLS
spokesperson
informed
HousingWire
of
the
restoration
via
email
on
Thursday
afternoon.
Compass’s
IDX
feed
from
NWMLS
was
shut
off
at
8:30
a.m.
ET
on
Tuesday.
Any
non-Compass
property
listed
after
that
time
could
not
be
found
on
Compass.com,
as
the
ongoing
war
between
the
two
real
estate
industry
players
escalated.
The
NWMLS
spokesperson
wrote
that
the
suspension
was
the
“result
of
Compass’
failure
to
input
numerous
of
its
own
listings
and
share
those
listings
with
other
member
real
estate
firms
and
their
clients
in
accordance
with
Northwest
MLS’s
rules.”
“Northwest
MLS
offered
Compass
a
data
license
for
its
own
listings,
but
Compass
did
not
respond
to
that
offer. Compass’
brokers
access
to
all
other
Northwest
MLS
systems
remained
uninterrupted,”
the
spokesperson
wrote.
“Northwest
MLS
worked
with
Compass
on
April
15th
and
16th
to
facilitate
Compass’
compliance
with
Northwest
MLS’s
rules.
With
Compass’
commitment
that
it
would
comply
with
Northwest
MLS’s
rules
going
forward,
Northwest
MLS
reinstated
the
data
license
to
Compass
on
April
17th.”
The
news
of
the
suspension
was
first
reported
by
Inman
News
and
confirmed
to
HousingWire
by
sources
who
wished
to
remain
anonymous.
“Despite
following
NWMLS’s
published
rules,
Compass’
IDX
feed
was
suspended
without
warning
—
impacting
our
clients
and
agents
alike,”
Cris
Nelson,
a
regional
vice
president
for
Compass,
told
Inman.
“NWMLS
is
a
broker-owned
MLS
and
is
the
only
MLS
in
the
country
that
prohibits
agents
from
marketing
a
property
on
the
internet
—
privately
or
publicly
—
unless
it’s
listed
in
the
MLS.”
This
move
by
NWMLS
is
just
the
latest
battle
in
the
ongoing
war
between
the
MLS
and
Compass.
The
tiff
began
in
late
March
when
Compass
CEO
Robert
Reffkin
called
out
NWMLS
and
its
CEO
Justin
Haag
for
the
firm’s
Clear
Cooperation
Policy
(CCP)
in
a
social
media
post.
NWMLS
is
privately
owned
and
therefore
not
subject
to
the
MLS
rules
promulgated
by
the
National
Association
of
Realtors
(NAR).
Unlike
NAR’s
CCP,
NWMLS
does
not
allow
agents
to
withhold
listings
from
the
MLS
as
privately
marketed
office
exclusives.
NAR’s
policy
allows
listing
agents
to
privately
market
an
office
exclusive
listing
to
other
agents
within
its
firm
or
to
agents
and
brokers
at
other
firms
provided
that
the
listing
is
shared
one-to-one.
Compass
has
also
backed
a
website,
called
Washington
Homeowner
Rights,
which
is
soliciting
NWMLS
home
sellers
for
a
potential
class
action
lawsuit.
The
site
is
looking
for
homesellers
who
have
been
“harmed”
by
NWMLS’
policies
and
who
have
experienced
a
price
drop
or
significant
days
on
market.
Last
Wednesday,
Reffkin
shared
a
quote
from
law
firm
Crowell
&
Moring
LLP,
which
lists
antitrust
law
as
one
of
its
specialties,
on
his
social
media
accounts.
“Washington
State
Law
requires
a
seller’s
agent
‘to
be
loyal
to
the
seller
by
taking
no
action
that
is
adverse
or
detrimental
to
the
seller’s
interest
in
a
transaction.’
By
not
allowing
agents
to
market
off
the
MLS
when
their
client
wants
them
to,
Northwest
MLS
is
in
effect
asking
agents
to
break
the
law.
State
law
supersedes
MLS
rules.
NWMLS
is
forcing
agents
to
choose
between
NWMLS’s
rules
and
their
clients’
wishes,”
the
statement,
which
is
attributed
to
Crowell
&
Moring,
reads.
