What a real estate agent website needs
An agent website does things other small business sites do not: it shows other brokers' listings, it advertises housing, and in many states it must carry notices the licensing commission requires. This guide covers those parts, plus neighborhood pages and lead forms. It is not legal advice: your MLS, your broker and your state commission have the final word.
The facts here come from primary sources: the IDX policy in NAR's Handbook on Multiple Listing Policy (2025 edition), the federal fair housing rule on advertising, 24 CFR 100.75, HUD's Fair Housing Act overview, the Texas Real Estate Commission rules as the state example, and Google's spam policies. Where we give our own view, we say so.
The short answer
A real estate agent website needs a listing search fed by your MLS's IDX data and shown the way the IDX rules say, copy and photos that describe the property and never the buyer you have in mind, your broker's name and any notices your state requires, a few neighborhood pages with real local knowledge, and short lead forms that you answer quickly.
Listings through IDX
IDX (Internet Data Exchange) is the MLS policy that lets you show other brokers' listings on your own site. NAR's policy says it "gives MLS Participants the ability to authorize limited electronic display and delivery of their listings by other Participants via the following authorized mediums under the Participant's control: websites, mobile apps, and audio devices." You sign up with your MLS, usually through an IDX vendor whose search pages sit on your site. The rules that shape the website:
- Your brokerage is named. The display "must clearly identify the name of the brokerage firm under which they operate in a readily visible color and typeface."
- So is the listing firm. The display "must identify the listing firm, and the email or phone number provided by the listing Participant in a reasonably prominent location".
- Data stays fresh. Participants "must refresh all MLS downloads and displays automatically fed by those downloads not less frequently than every twelve (12) hours."
- Other brokers' listings are not edited. "Participants shall not modify or manipulate information relating to other Participants' listings." Extra property data from other sources must be "clearly separated from the data supplied by the MLS", with the source named.
- Seller choices count. Listings whose sellers asked to stay off the internet "shall not be accessible via IDX display", and a seller can have comments or an automated value estimate next to their listing turned off.
Each MLS may add its own rules, such as a notice that the data is "deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS". Search engines are not shut out: the policy "does not require Participants to prevent indexing of IDX listings by recognized search engines." NAR updates the handbook every year, so read your MLS's current IDX rules before launch; they are what your site is checked against.
Fair housing in copy and photos
A site that promotes homes for sale or rent is housing advertising. The federal rule makes it unlawful to publish "any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling which indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin". It covers more than words: "Using words, phrases, photographs, illustrations, symbols or forms which convey that dwellings are available or not available to a particular group of persons". HUD's overview lists the protected groups as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability, and state rules can add more (TREC's rule on discriminatory practices also lists ancestry).
In practice, describe the property and what is near it, not the people you picture living there: three bedrooms, a fenced yard and the walk to the school, not "perfect for a young family". Choose photos of the home and the area, and if the site shows people, show a range of people. Ads add platform rules on top; our guides to Google Ads for real estate and Facebook ads for real estate cover that side.
Broker name and state notices
Each state sets its own advertising rules for licensees. Texas shows how specific they can be. TREC's definition of an advertisement includes "all electronic media including email, text messages, social media, the Internet", and each one must show "the name of the license holder or team placing the advertisement" and "the broker's name in at least half the size of the largest contact information for any sales agent, associated broker, or team name contained in the advertisement."
Texas also requires two links "in a readily noticeable place on the homepage of each business website": one to a completed Information About Brokerage Services notice, labeled "Texas Real Estate Commission Information About Brokerage Services" in at least 10 point font, and one labeled "Texas Real Estate Commission Consumer Protection Notice", also in at least 10 point font (shorter "TREC ..." labels need 12 point). It also counts as misleading a "title, such as owner, president, CEO, COO, or other similar title, email or website address that implies a sales agent is responsible for the operations of a brokerage", which matters when a sales agent picks a domain.
Our view for the bio page: a real photo, your name as licensed, your brokerage, the areas you work, the languages you speak and how to reach you. Add your license number where your state asks for it.
Neighborhood pages
Google's spam policies list doorway abuse, with examples that include "Having multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page" and "Creating substantially similar pages that are closer to search results than a clearly defined, browseable hierarchy". Fifty town pages with the same text and a swapped place name fit that description.
Our view: write pages only for areas you actually work and know, and make each one useful on its own (the housing, what is changing, what you have seen there lately) with the matching IDX search below. Our guide to service area pages covers how many to build and how to make each one different, and Google's spam policies and helpful content for business websites cover the wider rules.
Lead forms
Most agent sites have three forms: a question about a listing, a home value request for sellers, and general contact. Keep each short, say what happens next, and send the listing address with the inquiry. Many IDX tools can make visitors register to see more listings; our view is to ask late, after a few homes, and to explain in your privacy policy how you use the details. Our guides to form design and form spam cover the rest.
Value tools need care too. Texas counts as misleading an advertisement "about the value of a property, unless it is based on an appraisal that is disclosed and readily available upon request by a party or it is given in compliance with ยง535.17", so ask your broker how your state treats automated estimates first.
A short checklist (our view)
- IDX search on your own domain, naming your brokerage and the listing firm as your MLS requires.
- Listing data refreshed at least every 12 hours and never edited.
- Copy and photos that describe the home and the area, never the buyer.
- Your broker's name at the size your state requires, and any required homepage links.
- Neighborhood pages only for areas you know, each with its own content.
- Short lead forms with the listing attached, and a quick reply.
Lawyers, contractors, salons and gyms have matching guides in what a law firm website needs, what a contractor website needs, what a salon website needs and what a gym website needs. If you would rather have it built for you, our website development service builds custom WordPress and static websites made to load fast, rank well and be easy for your team to edit.
Frequently asked questions
What is IDX on a real estate website?
IDX (Internet Data Exchange) is the MLS policy and data feed that lets an agent's website show other brokers' listings. Your MLS approves it, and the display must follow its IDX rules, such as naming the listing firm and refreshing data at least every 12 hours.
Can Google index my IDX listings?
NAR's IDX policy does not require you to block indexing. The same listings appear on many sites, though, so your own listings and neighborhood pages are where your site can stand out.
Can I write "great for families" in a listing?
Avoid it. Familial status is protected under the Fair Housing Act, and the rule covers words and photos that suggest a home is or is not available to a group. Describe the features instead.
Does my website need to show my license number?
It depends on the state. Texas, for example, requires the broker's name in advertisements and two TREC notice links on the homepage. Check your commission's advertising rules and ask your broker.