NAR's Virtual Office Web Site Policy Dropped

The National Association of REALTORS® announced Sept. 8, 2005, it has adopted a new policy that ensures that all members of Realtor® multiple listing services will receive exactly the same MLS property listings for display on their Web sites as their competitors.

Known as Internet Listing Display (ILD), the new policy consolidates and replaces both the VOW policy and NAR’s Internet Data Exchange (IDX) policy to create a single, unified policy governing the Internet display of all property information originating from the more than 800 multiple listing services owned and operated by REALTOR® organizations.

However, in light of the lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on Sept. 9, 2005, MLSs should wait to adopt the ILD policy until advised by NAR to do so.

Further, MLSs that have adopted VOW rules should suspend application and enforcement of the three provisions of the policy at issue in the litigation. These three provisions are commonly known as "opt out" (both blanket and selective); the referral restriction; and the "clean page" rule. (To view these provisions, access the VOW policy.)

Read more at the ILD main page >

Policy Background:

Virtual office Web sites. What are they, and why must the National Association of REALTORS® establish a policy for MLSs to regulate them? These are among the key questions NAR answers in the material below, prepared by the national association's Legal Affairs and Board Policy and Programs divisions.

This VOW education center contains an introduction to the VOW concept, the VOW policy, answers to frequently asked questions on the policy, and two implementation guides prepared by NAR's Center for REALTOR® Technology. Read NAR's Introduction to VOWs from 2003>>

• VOW Policy

• VOW Model Rules

Development of NAR's VOW Policy

Subsequent to publication of the proposal developed by the Virtual Office Web site ("VOW") Work Group in mid-March, 2003, REALTORS®, MLS administrators, association executives and others voiced a number of comments, questions and concerns about that proposal. On April 16 the Work Group met to discuss the issues raised. The final policy differs from earlier proposals in that it incorporates a selective and a blanket opt-out right that permits listing brokers to make independent business decisions whether they will consent to display of their listings on others' VOWs; establishes that, as a matter of local MLS discretion, certain restrictions may be imposed on VOWs if equivalent restrictions are imposed on display/distribution of listings in other contexts (e.g. in participants' offices, by mail, by fax, or by e-mail); and included other modifications/refinements intended primarily to clarify or otherwise improve the initial policy proposal as it has been introduced and discussed across the country.

VOW Frequently Asked Questions

Follow this link below to updated VOW FAQs that describe the policy in more detail and the difference between IDX and VOWs.

• New FAQs on VOWs -- Updated 6-16-03

• Access both guides at: VOW Architecture & Security White Papers