GBRAR members get their listings through ROAM MLS. MLS Import brings IDX listings from the MLSs on its list into your own WordPress site. Each one is a real page on your own domain. ROAM MLS is not on that list yet.
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Is ROAM MLS the same as the Greater Baton Rouge MLS? In practice, yes. GBRAR's MLS is part of ROAM. You list in ROAM MLS. You search ROAM MLS. GBRAR is one of the five groups that own it.
The Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS (GBRAR) was "formed on January 13th, 1921" (GBRAR About page). It serves nine parishes. A 3-Way Agreement gives each member a seat in Louisiana REALTORS and NAR too. GBRAR is part owner of the Louisiana Commercial Database (LACDB), and it runs it (GBRAR). It also handles Professional Standards for three other groups.
ROAM MLS, LLC was formed in 2021. It joined MLSs that already existed. The first ones were NOMAR's GSREIN, GBRAR, GCLRA and the Bayou Board (ROAM, April 2021). Today ROAM is "jointly owned by 5 Local REALTOR Associations." They are NOMAR, GBRAR, GCLRA, the Bayou Board and the REALTOR Association of Acadiana (ROAM FAQ).
ROAM is for pros only. You join it through one of the five owners (ROAM). ROAM's 2021 FAQ says joining through any one owner shows listings from all areas. Ask GBRAR if this still applies. ROAM has "13,000 subscribers," says its platform vendor FBS (FBS, Feb 24, 2026).
Your membership. Your MLS bills. MLS training and help. The data license paperwork goes through its MLS Department.
The rule book, the platform and the data feed. ROAM bills the five groups, not you. Each group sets its own prices for members (ROAM Flex FAQ).
January 2026, ROAM
ROAM announced the move in January 2026. All ROAM users will move to "a single, new statewide instance of the Flex MLS platform." ROAM gives a "targeted launch in Q4 2026" (ROAM Flex page). ROAM will retire Matrix, Paragon and legacy Flex. The Clareity dashboard goes too. Members move over with their listings, contacts and saved searches. Local support stays local. ROAM also hired more help from FBS, the maker of Flexmls.
ROAM says there are "no wholesale fee changes" tied to this news (Flex FAQ). That is what ROAM bills the groups. GBRAR sets its own member prices.
NOMAR is one of the five owners. It gave its own members three dates (NOMAR, Sep 28, 2026). Parallel access and training start October 12. New listings stop in Matrix after October 23. Go-live is October 26. NOMAR also lists four new fields: PropertySubType, StructureType, PropertyAttachedYN and CommonInterest. Those are NOMAR's dates. ROAM itself states only Q4 2026.
GBRAR members are on Paragon today. GBRAR has not posted its own dates. Ask GBRAR when your switch happens.
ROAM
ROAM's "FOR CTO's" page says ROAM will move "off data feeds from our current delivery channels to the SPARK API." It also says: "At this point, there is nothing you need to do." ROAM asks each brokerage to sign up its tech contact on a form. That person then gets the feed notices (ROAM CTO page).
RESO lists two Web API reports for ROAM today. One is from Trestle, updated January 15, 2025. One is from Spark, updated January 24, 2026 (RESO certificates). Spark is run by FBS, the same firm behind Flexmls.
ROAM has not published a date when the old channel stops. ROAM has not said if your current feed login carries over to Spark. Does your site use a ROAM feed now? Have your tech contact sign up on that form.
May 2026, ROAM
ROAM posted a new rule book in May 2026. It is version 2.2.2, "revised 5/11/26" (ROAM rules). GBRAR hosts the same PDF at gbrar.com/mlsrules/.
A fines guide came out with it (ROAM fines overview). Misuse or sharing of MLS data or logins counts as severe.
Section 18 is the IDX part, and Section 19 covers VOW sites. Rule 18.2.2 lets search engines index your IDX pages. Section 18 holds the IDX display rules in this version: how often to refresh, what to show and what to hide. Read Section 18 before you go live.
Get a Louisiana license. You must be 18 or older. Take 90 hours of LREC-approved classes. Pass the exam. A broker must sponsor you. That broker must be a GBRAR member with E&O insurance.
Take the online Orientation class first. Then call Tracy Fletcher at 225-761-2000 ext 5. You can also email [email protected]. GBRAR has online forms too (How to join).
Ask your sponsoring broker for the MLS form. You and your broker both sign it. Send it to GBRAR. In GBRAR's words: "Once fees are paid, access will be granted." Just passed the exam? A member broker can sponsor you.
Licensed assistants can now be set up in the MLS (GBRAR, April 24, 2026). Send the form to [email protected]. ROAM rules let unlicensed assistants in too, "unless precluded by law."
ROAM's 2021 FAQ says you must hold REALTOR membership somewhere. But you pick where you get your association services. The same FAQ says an MLS-only option exists (ROAM FAQ). It says joining through any one of the five owners shows listings from all areas. Ask GBRAR if this still applies. Each owner sets its own prices. GBRAR has not posted an MLS-only fee. Appraisers count as Participants under ROAM rules. Out of state? Ask GBRAR.
Each role has its own form on gbrar.com. Agents use the Agent Application. Brokers use the Broker Application. A second office uses the Additional Office Form. Unlicensed staff use the Unlicensed Staff/Assistant Application. Affiliates have their own form too.
GBRAR sets the fees, and you pay them to GBRAR. ROAM bills the groups, not you. These fees are apart from MLS Import. We bill MLS Import: $49 a month or $504 a year, after a 30-day free trial.
It runs July to June. The yearly MLS fee is due July 1. Or pay each quarter. Your card is charged in January, April, July and October.
Agents pay a one-time $99 deposit. Then it's "$109.40 (tax included) per quarter." Brokers pay $180 a quarter, with no deposit (agent form, broker form, Rev 07/25).
MLS fees carry a 10.5% sales tax since January 1, 2025. Paid yearly, that's $396.00 plus $41.58, so $437.58 (GBRAR tax notice).
Your first year is prorated to the month you got your license. Yearly dues are due in December. AutoPay now covers MLS fees, paid yearly or each quarter. It does not cover dues bills (AutoPay notice).
Make the change at the LREC first. Then send GBRAR the Member Transfer / Check Out form at [email protected]. Do you pay for another MLS where your main broker takes part? ROAM rules give a no-cost route. Ask GBRAR if it fits you.
ROAM's rules list a "Primary Service Area" of 41 parishes (ROAM rules v2.2.2):
GBRAR members work in Paragon today. GBRAR's FAQ says its MLS "is hosted by Paragon MLS" and is part of ROAM (GBRAR FAQ). You log in through a Clareity link on gbrar.com. Two other owners, NOMAR and GCLRA, use Matrix. So ROAM runs more than one system on one data set for now. All of that changes with the Flexmls move. ROAM says the Clareity dashboard will be retired too.
RESO lists ROAM MLS as "Certified Current" (RESO). It holds Data Dictionary 2.0 and Web API Core 2.0.0. Two gateways have Web API reports for ROAM. One is Trestle by Cotality. The other is Spark by FBS. Why does that matter to you? MLS Import uses the RESO Web API. ROAM's Spark report lists 552 Property fields. Of those, 301 are RESO fields and 251 are local.
ROAM does not run its own developer portal. The docs live with the gateways. Spark has its own developer docs. Trestle has its own documentation site. ROAM runs one thing for tech folks: the CTO sign-up form. Trestle's FAQ says an MLS often needs a broker or agent to sign the data contract. GBRAR also has a public home search site for buyers. That is a consumer site. It is not a data feed for your website.
Who it is for: REALTOR participants only
What it can show: Listings shown to the public. No expired, canceled, hold or withdrawn listings (18.3.12).
Refresh: At least every 12 hours
Agreement: A license signed by the MLS, the participant and any vendor who hosts or downloads the data. GBRAR calls its IDX program Broker Exchange (BX). Call the MLS Department at 225-761-2000.
Who it is for: Users who sign up: a broker and client tie, an email, their own login, and terms
What it can show: Sold listings may show. Each search shows up to 500 current and 500 sold listings. If 50% of the MLS is less, that is the cap (19.19).
Refresh: At least every 3 days
Agreement: A license for the participant and any partner who runs the VOW
Who it is for: The broker's own team
What it can show: Data for in-house tools, such as back office, CRM and reports. Participants can't opt their listings out (20.4).
Refresh: See Section 20
Agreement: None named in Section 20. Use is for the participant and its own agents. A participant can name a designee.
Trestle and Spark: these are the two gateways RESO lists for ROAM. ROAM says feeds are moving to Spark. Bridge Interactive: RESO lists no Bridge report for ROAM. Paragon, Matrix and Clareity: ROAM is retiring all three with the Flexmls move. You may still see these names on old forms and in old emails. Ask the MLS Department which name applies to your feed today.
Greater Baton Rouge Association of REALTORS members get the IDX feed through ROAM. ROAM is certified on Trestle and Spark. It says feeds are moving to the Spark API. MLS Import uses the RESO Web API.
Hold paid ROAM access through GBRAR. You need an active MLS account. Your MLS fees must be paid. Your broker signs a form to add your MLS access.
Ask the MLS Department for the IDX data license. Call 225-761-2000 or email [email protected]. The MLS, the participant and the vendor who downloads the data sign it. Name your vendor on it.
Ask ROAM which gateway to use. Today ROAM is certified on Trestle and Spark. The move is toward Spark. In Spark's general process, you need an API key. The MLS approves you by "an email approval chain."
Have your broker's tech contact sign up on ROAM's CTO page. ROAM asks for this so that person gets feed notices (ROAM CTO page).
Open an MLS Import support ticket. Ask us to activate ROAM MLS for your account. Send the feed credentials ROAM gave you. ROAM MLS is not on our list yet.
Spark's FAQ asks "Do I have to get permission from each MLS" and answers "Yes." (Spark FAQ)
ROAM publishes the CTO form, the move to Spark and the rules. ROAM has not published the date the old feed stops. It has not published vendor steps. It has not published the fee for the data license.
Your IDX display must refresh at least once every 12 hours (Rule 18.2.5). MLS Import checks for changes every hour.
Show your brokerage name in a color and type that's easy to see (Rule 18.2.7).
Show the listing firm and the email or phone the listing participant gave. Use type no smaller than the middle size of the listing data (18.2.12). Displays of 200 characters or less are exempt if linked to a full display.
Show the listing agent (Rule 18.3.4). Show the MLS as the source (Rule 18.3.7).
Your notice must say data is for buyers' personal, non-business use. It may not be used for anything else. It is "deemed reliable but is not guaranteed" (Rule 18.3.8). ROAM gives no set wording. It may ask for more.
No expired, canceled, hold or withdrawn listings (Rule 18.3.12). No seller or occupant names, phones or emails (18.3.13). No showing or security notes (18.3.1). No listing agreement type (18.3.1.1).
A seller can hide the address or the whole listing (Rule 18.2.3). Turn off comments, reviews and value tools when a seller asks (Rule 18.2.8).
Photos come with no branding (Rule 1.2 C). Show only fields the MLS allows (18.3.1). Mixing in other MLS feeds needs rights in those MLSs (18.2.10). Never change another firm's listing (18.2.11).
A moderate violation starts at $100. It doubles every 2 business days until fixed. A severe one starts at $500. Misuse or sharing of MLS data or logins is severe. A hearing request costs $300, paid back if you win. Fix a flag the day you see it. Pay, schedule or contest a fine within 30 days (ROAM fines overview). Using the data to run a site for buyer-broker pay offers ends your data access (Section 5).
When does the old feed channel stop and Spark take over? ROAM has not published a date. Your site needs a live feed on the day it switches.
Who to ask: ROAM: [email protected], (225) 570-6833
Do my current feed credentials carry over to Spark? ROAM has not said. If not, you need new ones before the switch.
Who to ask: ROAM
Does ROAM offer a Spark data plan for vendors? What does the data license cost? No price is posted. Ask before you sign.
Who to ask: GBRAR MLS Department first, then ROAM
Is my vendor approved under ROAM's license terms? ROAM's pages do not name MLS Import. Name it on your data license.
Who to ask: GBRAR MLS Department
When is my own Flexmls date? Only NOMAR has posted dates. GBRAR members are on Paragon, not Matrix.
Who to ask: GBRAR
In practice, yes. GBRAR's MLS is part of ROAM. GBRAR members list and search in ROAM MLS. Five associations own ROAM, and GBRAR is one of them. You join through GBRAR. ROAM sets the rules and runs the platform. It also sends the data feed.
ROAM is a word, not letters. ROAM's 2021 FAQ says the name stands for freedom. It means freedom from the old borders between MLSs. That FAQ says joining through one owner shows listings from all ROAM areas. Ask GBRAR if this still applies.
Yes. RESO lists ROAM MLS as Certified Current. It holds Data Dictionary 2.0 and Web API Core 2.0.0. There are Web API reports from two gateways, Trestle and Spark.
Both are certified for ROAM today. ROAM says its feeds are moving to the Spark API with the new Flexmls. ROAM has not published a date for that change. Ask ROAM which gateway to use for a new feed.
Not yet. Open a support ticket. Ask us to activate ROAM MLS for your account. Send the feed credentials ROAM gave you.
The agent MLS fee is $396 a year plus tax. Brokers pay $720 plus tax. Agents who pay each quarter pay $109.40 a quarter, tax included, plus a one-time $99 deposit. Confirm at gbrar.com. These fees are apart from MLS Import.
ROAM's 2021 FAQ says an MLS-only option exists. You must still hold REALTOR membership somewhere. It says joining through any of the five owners shows all areas. GBRAR has not posted an MLS-only fee. Ask GBRAR if this still applies.
ROAM rules let a VOW show sold listings to users who sign up. Each search can show up to 500 sold listings, or 50% of the MLS if less (Rule 19.19). An IDX display may not show expired, canceled, hold or withdrawn listings (Rule 18.3.12). Ask the MLS which feed fits your plan.
$49 a month or $504 a year. You get a 30-day free trial. It works with any WordPress theme. It checks for changes every hour (features). Since version 7.2 it connects more than one MLS.
Join GBRAR and get MLS access first. Then connect your listings with MLS Import.
Building for more than one market? Every MLS we have written up is listed in the MLS guides index.
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