How much does an MLS data feed cost?
The BrokerFold Team — Product + Engineering
Last reviewed
Reviewed against primary sources (Published technology-provider documentation on TRREB/PropTx data access (no board fees to members for the DLA, IDX, or VOW datafeeds), accessed 2026-07-27 / Published technology-provider documentation on ITSO feed access (VOW datafeed ~$1,500/yr, billed to the brokerage), accessed 2026-07-27 / Published survey of Canadian MLS data-access fees (no separate TRREB VOW fee listed), accessed 2026-07-27 / First-hand operation of TRREB/PropTx AMPRE datafeeds as a registered technology provider, current 2026-07 / CREA DDF policy: feeds free to members; technology-provider access fees since 2021-04) — last reviewed July 27, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.
An MLS data feed has two cost layers, and conflating them is how agents get surprised: board/feed fees — what the board itself charges, which for TRREB is no separate fee for either the IDX or the VOW datafeed (membership plus the signed agreements is the whole board-side cost), though some Ontario boards do charge — ITSO’s VOW datafeed runs roughly $1,500/year, billed to the brokerage, per technology-provider documentation surveyed 2026-07 — and vendor/platform fees, the cost of turning raw feed access into a working website, which is almost always the larger number. The honest question is not “what does the feed cost?” but “what does the working site cost per month, all-in?”
Layer 1: what boards charge
| Feed | Board-side cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TRREB IDX datafeed | No separate feed fee | Signed via the PropTx online agreement system; membership required |
| TRREB VOW datafeed | No separate feed fee | Same agreement system; stricter operating rules — registration, expiring passwords |
| ITSO VOW datafeed | ~$1,500/year (surveyed 2026-07) | Billed to the brokerage — an example of an Ontario board that does charge for VOW |
| CREA DDF | Feed free to members | Since April 2021, technology providers pay CREA access fees — costs reach you via plugin/service pricing |
| Other boards | Varies | Some charge nothing beyond membership, some charge setup or monthly fees — ask your board directly |
Three agreements exist on the TRREB/PropTx side (data licence, IDX, VOW), each signed online with broker-of-record approval — the process is walked through in how to get TRREB listings on your website. Fee schedules are the board’s to change, which is why this page carries a sourcing date rather than a promise.
Layer 2: what vendors charge — the real cost
Raw feed access without software is just JSON. The vendor layer is where the monthly money goes, and it comes in three shapes:
- Platform subscription — the feed, sync, compliance mechanics, and the website arrive as one product with one price. This is BrokerFold’s model; the honest CAD numbers for the category are in what a realtor website costs in Canada.
- Standalone IDX service on top of your own site — published rates surveyed 2026-07 commonly run USD $50–150/month before you pay for the website itself, its hosting, or its maintenance.
- DIY stack — a plugin licence plus hosting plus your time. The full cost table nobody publishes is in what a WordPress IDX website really costs.
The framing that keeps you honest: total monthly cost
Compare stacks on one number: site + feed handling + CRM + email, per month, in CAD. A “free feed” inside an expensive stack is not free, and a feed fee inside a consolidated platform price can be the cheapest configuration on the table. Two questions expose most quotes: which of the three agreements does this price assume I have signed? and what happens to my monthly cost when I add VOW? A vendor who cannot answer both crisply is quoting you a brochure, not a data pipeline — the difference is spelled out in what an IDX website is.
Frequently asked questions
Is the TRREB IDX feed free?
TRREB does not charge a separate board fee for the IDX datafeed — it comes with membership, signed through the PropTx online agreement system. What you pay for is everything around the feed: the platform or developer that turns it into a working website. Confirm the current schedule when you sign; fee structures are the board's to change.
Why do some boards charge for VOW?
Because VOW carries more: sold and off-market data, more statuses, and more fields, licensed under stricter operating conditions — and some boards price that access. Technology-provider documentation surveyed in 2026-07 reports ITSO's VOW datafeed at about $1,500 per year, billed to the brokerage, while TRREB charges no separate fee for either datafeed. Where a VOW fee exists, most operators consider it the cheapest line in the stack for what gated sold data does for registrations.
Do I pay the feed fee or does my website vendor?
Board-side fees are typically billed to the brokerage that signs the agreement, and vendor-side costs come to you through the platform subscription or the plugin licence. When a platform quote 'includes feed handling', it means the second layer — board-side fees, where they exist, are still the brokerage's.
Keep reading
- Realtor website cost (Canada) Website-focused plans run about $70 to $350 a month in Canada; semi-custom builds $3,000 to $10,000 up front; custom sites five figures. Sourced CAD numbers.
- WordPress IDX website cost The full-stack table nobody publishes: hosting, theme, plugin and feed fees, build time, maintenance, and security — CAD, sourced and dated 2026.
- What is an IDX website? IDX (Internet Data Exchange) lets a Canadian agent show their MLS board's active listings on their own website. How it works, what it shows, and what to check.