8 Website Features You Need To Maximize Your Real Estate IDX
The real estate industry has no shortage of jargon and IDX may very well be one of the most misunderstood.
For one, it’s often mistaken for an MLS or multiple listing service. In some way that’s understandable — both an IDX and an MLS collate listings in one location. But they do differ in fundamental ways.
An MLS is formed when multiple real estate agents agree to pool together their listings in one database. The idea is that by sharing listings with one another, it’s easier to match buyers with sellers, which in turn translates to more commissions for everyone involved.
An IDX, on the other hand, acts as a bridge that allows you to display MLS data right on your website. Why is this important?
Before, people had to rely on agents to access listings in a given area. Now, they can view homes for sale directly from your websites. Not only is this more convenient, but it provides prospects more reasons to return to your site, ultimately boosting your organic traffic.
If you think that’s all an IDX is good for, however, you’d best think again.
What else can IDX do?
It’s clear that IDX can give you an advantage by allowing you to show the latest listings on your website. However, IDX providers also package many lead-generating features into their services. To get the most bang for your buck, you can have these features added to your site as well.
Interactive maps
A list of homes for sale is functional, but wouldn’t you rather have a more visual approach to presenting your listings? IDX systems can render said listings in an interactive map so prospects can have a clearer idea of a home’s geographic location — including whether it’s close to beaches, parks, and other local attractions.
Comparative market analysis
Buying a house can be an emotional experience, but at the end of the day, it’s a financial transaction. That means that both buyers and sellers want to get the best deal possible before signing on the dotted line. Luckily, you don’t have to manually crunch numbers to produce a comparative market analysis (CMA) — your IDX already has the data and can create the report for you! Even better, prospects can sign up to receive monthly market reports, making them easier to nurture as clients down the line.
Neighborhood and community pages
But why stop with market reports? Using your IDX’s trove of data, you can also create pages for individual neighborhoods you specialize in. For instance, you can filter listings in a certain zip code, create a landing page for it, and write copy highlighting the local lifestyle, and voila — you have a community guide!
Lifestyle hubs
In a similar vein, you can also create pages that showcase listings that cater to a certain lifestyle. As an example, you can create hubs that feature listings near the lively downtown area or serene oceanfront locales. Not only does this show the different facets of your local market, but it also streamlines the home search process for buyers.
Custom search filters
Each person has a different idea of what their dream home is like. Fortunately, a powerful IDX lets you add custom filters to further hone in on properties that best match a buyer’s preferences. These might include school districts, for instance, which is a major consideration for families looking to relocate.
CRM & marketing automation
Did you know that today’s IDX suites also come with built-in CRM features? For instance, if a prospect saves a certain listing, you’ll receive a notification of it. Since it’s clear that this potential buyer is very motivated, your IDX suite can then automatically send properties similar to the one they saved.
Lead forms
Ultimately, every listing’s goal is to convince prospects to schedule a viewing. Luckily, top-rated IDX suites enable people to do so directly from the listing, creating a seamless experience. But that’s not all! You can also set up your website to include pop-up signup forms for listing alerts, newsletters, and the like.
Promoted listings
While an IDX pulls an assortment of listings from local MLS databases, that doesn’t mean you can’t prioritize which ones your site visitors see. In fact, you can pin your own listings so it’s the first thing people notice when they browse. What’s more, if your listing matches the search criteria that prospects input, it will be the top result, too.
IDX features in action
Of course, the best way to appreciate these IDX features is to see them implemented on websites. Luckily, Agent Image has deep expertise in IDX integrations as you can see in the sites below.
Liz Leeds
Liz Leed’s advanced property search page enjoys the best of both worlds, all thanks to smart IDX integration. As you’ll see, it features both an interactive map and a column of featured listings that users can filter as needed.
Ovais Husain
This agent understands that people want to compare different homes before requesting a viewing. That’s why his listings have an “Add to Favorites” option so prospects can keep tabs on their shortlisted properties.
GrayWall Real Estate
Every real estate website has one job: to generate leads. Luckily, Graywall Real Estate’s website is equipped to do just that. Notice how its listings have both an open house notification and a “Schedule Showing” option, making it easier to attract and nurture leads.
Robert Slack
Buyers are hungry for information. Robert Slack’s website has a pop-up form that invites people to register so they can get exclusive details on a given listing.
Jorge Martinez De Castro
The interactive map doesn’t just show visitors available listings in a given neighborhood, but they can also search for properties by entering a zip code.
Level your IDX game!
Over the last 20 years, Agent Image has helped realtors like you generate more leads with effective IDX integration. There is no shortage of agents and teams looking to improve their real estate business with the help of powerful IDX features — just look at our 20 Best IDX websites that put these tips and insights into action. Like them, we’d love to help you take your business to the next level with different IDX plans that will suit whatever budget you may have.
For a FREE consultation, call 1.800.979.5799 or send a message here.
