Key Facts
- Membership Size: Bright MLS is one of the largest MLS systems in the Mid-Atlantic U.S, with a membership of approximately 95000 real estate professionals. This massive number speaks for its extensive coverage within its region.
- Major Counties and Cities Covered:
- Montgomery County, PA and MD: Montgomery offers a distinct market for the real estate professionals and a happening location for BrightMLS
- Fairfax County, VA: Fairfax is known for its high standard of living and its booming real estate market. Bright MLS has a sweeping coverage and applies a strategic approach in serving this area.
- Philadelphia, PA: Philadelphia, being one of the largest cities in the region represents a vital portion of the market. The wide-ranging network of Bright MLS allows them to cover this huge range of residential and commercial real estate opportunities in this area.
- Baltimore, MD: Baltimore and its surrounding counties, known for its long history and diverse urban and suburban population, serves as an integral area for Bright MLS’s.
- Historical Mergers: In 2017, two major MLS systems in the Mid-Atlantic region — the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) and the Trend MLS merged together to form Bright MLS. This significant merger was aimed at facilitating the real estate professionals of this region by offering them access to a wider range of property listings, sharing property information and introducing them to much advanced tools and technology.
- Associations Served: Bright MLS serves numerous local Realtor® associations as such:
- Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors®
- Baltimore Metropolitan Council
- Northern Virginia Association of Realtors®
- Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors®
Integrating Bright MLS IDX data
Building IDX websites for Bright MLS can be really easy or extremely difficult depending (1) how you choose to access the data and (2) whether or not you choose to work with an approved vendor.
Before we jump into the details, let’s start with the basics:
What is an IDX feed?
An IDX feed, also called Internet Data Exchange, is a set of technology tools that allows agents and brokers to display latest property listings on their websites by fetching it from the local Multiple Listing Service or MLS.
The purpose of an IDX feed is to populate the agent’s website with the latest properties to attract potential buyers and sellers directly on their website and stop them from going to Zillow, Trulia or Redfin. IDX websites are SEO optimized builds your brand name by attracting high value organic traffic and generating leads at the same time.
Why do I need an IDX feed for Bright MLS?
If you want to display active or sold listings within Bright MLS on your website, you need to be able to access the Bright MLS IDX feed.
An IDX feed for Bright MLS can you help you enhance your online experience, showcase local expertise, drive lead generation, and give you a competitive advantage in your local market.
How do I get Bright MLS listings on my website?
There are two ways to integrate Bright MLS IDX data with your website:
There are two ways to integrate Arizona Regional MLS IDX data with your website:
(1) Get a direct IDX feed from the MLS.
Getting a direct IDX feed from the MLS needs filing some paperwork. The MLS requires you to understand and sign their policies on sharing and using MLS data. However, what’s most challenging with direct IDX feeds is the responsibility of downloading, maintaining and managing the data yourself which can cost you up to $2000/month. Do not forget the one-time set up fee and month on month payment to access the MLS data feed.
(2) Work with an approved IDX vendor.
Vendors such as Web4Realty have direct access to Bright MLS IDX data and can provide correct IDX data to approved members of Bright MLS. You won’t have to worry about compliance issues, data vendor migrations, hosting fees, or uptime. Some providers, such as Web4Realty, even offer plugins for popular website platforms such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy, allowing you to launch your website in minutes.
Bright MLS Background
Bright MLS is a real estate multiple listing service (MLS) of the Mid-Atlantic U.S that was formed in 2017 through a merger of two of the major MLS systems of the region – MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information Systems) and TREND. It primarily focuses on counties and cities like Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Bright MLS offers a wide range of services and tools designed to facilitate the buying and selling process, including listing information, market data and analytics. This conception was a response to the demand of the booming real estate market, aimed to streamline operations, reduce costs and enhance the flow of information within the industry, thereby supporting the large community of real estate professionals and consumers of this region.
What are the top cities served by Bright MLS?
Bright MLS covers a range of cities including Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Alexandria, Arlington, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Wilmington, Frederick, Annapolis, Dover, Charlottesville, Richmond, Hagerstown, Winchester, Reading, York, Ocean City, Bethesda, and Rockville.
What are the top counties served by Bright MLS?
As of my last update in 2023, counties covered by Bright MLS include Montgomery County, Fairfax County, Prince George’s County, Lancaster County, Chester County, Baltimore County, Arlington County, Loudoun County, Frederick County, Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Harford County, York County, Cumberland County, Dauphin County, Carroll County, Charles County, Stafford County, Berks County, and Sussex County.
Which associations are part of Bright MLS?
Bright MLS is served by numerous real estate associations and boards, including the Anne Arundel County Association of Realtors, Bay Area Association of Realtors, Blue Ridge Association of Realtors, Cecil County Board of Realtors, Coastal Association of Realtors, Delaware Association of Realtors, Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors, Frederick County Association of Realtors, Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors, Harford County Association of Realtors, Howard County Association of Realtors, Lancaster County Association of Realtors, Lebanon County Association of Realtors, New Castle County Board of Realtors, Pen-Mar Regional Association of Realtors, Realtor Association of York & Adams Counties, Sussex County Association of Realtors, and the Warren County Board of Realtors.
