As an individual realtor or a smaller brokerage, it can feel impossible to direct customers and traffic to your site and away from MLS listing syndicates such as Zillow. If you haven’t already been properly introduced, allow us to welcome you to the world of IDX Integration! IDX is an acronym for Internet Data Exchange and refers to the ability to search all ACTIVE MLS (Multiple Listing Service) using parameters such as keywords, maps, prices, locations, etc. while keeping traffic on your specific site.
You already know how frustrating it can be to have your customers pull up a list of their dream houses…off of Trulia. As a realtor you are aware that most of those homes have already been sold and that there are active MLS that haven’t yet been added. Here’s why: on those sites, the HOME-BUYER is the product. Ad-generated revenue is how those sites stay in business! It’s also been proven that those sites often sell home-buyer information as “leads” to third party companies. You don’t want to scare your clients, but maybe you can steer them away from the syndicates to both of your benefits. IDX protects your client’s info!
Why is adding IDX Integration to your website different than letting a large syndicate share all the MLS? First, the accuracy. Unlike on Zillow, homes that are listed as “sold” are removed immediately. Homes that are getting listed are added right away. This ensures that your clients are seeing what’s available in real time. Additionally, by letting big companies list the MLS, you can’t control which brokerage or realtor the client is going to ultimately use. When you add IDX Integration to your site, you can ensure that your potential customer stays on your site with your listings.
Since Metro Nova Creative is a one-stop shop for marketing, let us extend some advice! IDX integration works best as a part of an overall marketing strategy. When paired with a strong in-person and online presence, printable items such as business cards, brochures, and lawn signs, and good, old-fashioned word of mouth, you can guarantee success for your business. Also, when you have IDX on your website, people are sometimes inclined to share homes in which they are interested on their social media. Can you say organic growth?
Needless to say, if you don’t have a website to host IDX Integration, we can help with that. We can print your printables, create your content, and encourage growth across all social media platforms. You can obviously do all that yourself and the discovery resources are out there! However, that would cut deeply into your doing what you do best: engaging with your clients and helping them land their dream homes. We can even recommend businesses that would cross-promote seamlessly with you due to our extensive network. Need wine or popcorn as move-in gifts for your clients? We know just the right people.
As an example, here is some of our current work relating to realtors/brokerages! Here is the site that we built for Next Move Nation’s Capital. Also, here is the “identity package” we created for Mosaic Residential for Melinda Schnur.
If you have a common website/landing page that lets people know you’re in business, that’s the bare minimum for a realtor. It does add legitimacy to your brand! However, to succeed in a competitive market, you need IDX integration to protect your clients, keep potential buyers on your site, encourage shares and organic growth, and to fully flesh out your real estate marketing strategy. Contact us for more information and current specials!
