agent redefined

A former agent who became a videographer

Do you need the IDX on your Real Estate Website?

—- THIS ARTICLE HAS NEW UPDATES (see below)—-

Hola amigos, this is an older article but it’s still as relevant today as it was 2 years ago when I first wrote it.

CLICK HERE to check out a new video and podcast covering this topic.

Thanks for reading the article and watching the video… El Guapo

I don’t believe you need the IDX on your real estate agent website anymore.

For some real estate agents this may seem crazy, but let me tell you why.

The First Showing is Taking Place Online…

Today, the first showing is taking place online.

Buyers and Sellers have overwhelmingly chosen to use websites like Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, and even Realtor.com because of the better User Experience they get from using them.

Compare the User Experience to any of the options available today from several of the top real estate website and IDX providers like Placester, Real Geeks, Agent Evolution, Point2, and there is simply no comparison.

They may come close.

They may have more accurate data.

But buyers and sellers will not use the IDX searches on your own website.

I know there’s going to be one or two Realtors out there who will say they get their clients to use the IDX on their websites, but these are typically only going to be exceptions to the rule.

You can tell your clients and prospects that you have an accurate and even mobile friendly app to search for properties using your website, but they sill will not use it.

Why?

Simple, it’s about Trust and the User Experience.

Why is User Experience so Important

Think about how you perform your own searches for things other than real estate.

Where do you go to buy airfare, hotels, rent cars, buy groceries, download music, etc….

Most people go to several of the top websites within that category. When it comes to travel, you are likely going to be on a site like Travelocity or Hotels.com instead of Bills Travel Service of Springfield.

The User Experience on a website like Zillow dominates an agents IDX because companies like these place an extreme amount of resources into developing, tweaking, and improving their User Experience on a daily basis.

Simply look at all of the changes Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and Redfin have made to their own websites over the past 6 months. They are always tweaking and making improvements to improve the User Experience.

We see this happen on Social Media as well.

For example, Facebook is constantly making changes to it’s website to continuously improve it’s User Experience.

So What Should be in a Real Estate Website?

Listings searches is not the only important thing a Real Estate Agent has to showcase on their own website.

Your website should do the following…

1. Current Listings and Previous Listings Portfolio

Your real estate website should be the central hub for your own Listings. Route traffic from your listing on Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com back to the listing page on your website.

Also, your website should serve as a portfolio for all of your previous closings.

Let’s say you had an awesome listing last year and you had professional photos and a virtual tour created for it.

How would any future prospects/clients know you closed this property.

How would they see the awesome visuals you had created for it?

Do you see where I’m getting at here.

2. Buyer and Seller Listing Presentation

Your real estate website should also serve as an online version of your Listing Presentation for Homeowners and a Buyers Presentation for Home Buyers.

One of the best examples of a Buyer Page is from Realtor.com. They created a video series with Elizabeth Banks called “The Home Buying Process in Plain English”. It’s an awesome piece of content they produced.

CLICK HERE to check it out. I’m using this as a model for creating Buyer and Seller pages on new real estate agent websites I create for Realtors.

3. Your About Me Page

Your clients and prospects want to find out more about you.

The About Me page is the very best place for this information. Most real estate agents have some of the most boring About Me pages on the planet.

Your About Me page should be an exciting place where you get to share yourself professionally and also show off a little bit of your personality in it.

For more info about your About Me page I wrote another article about this very subject. CLICK HERE to check it out.

No IDX

You don’t need the IDX. Save your money and apply it towards other marketing projects or to buy more beer and bacon.

So what do you think? I would love to hear your own opinions about this subject in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out our new website at www.ElGuapoVideoMarketing.com

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. I agree that the visual presentation is important. As far as a website builder, I use RealtorMint CRM because it allowed me to build my real estate website with IDX Broker integration. But they gave me the option, so I can remove it at any time if the integration is not useful to me. While WordPress is good, it is too advanced for my needs at this time.

    What factors do you think are most important in creating videos for a new real estate business?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Sam, and thanks for the comment. So when it comes to video the first thing you want to do is start looking at how your business delivers value to your current customers and prospects, then look at what is it that your current and past customers love about your and the service you deliver. Finally, did into creative self and think about how you want to present yourself online.

      This is going to be wildly different for every agent because no two agents business is alike, which is exactly what makes this business so unique.

      Video marketing is a long-term game for a real estate agent, because you’re not selling t-shirts or iPhone cases online, you’re selling a service that people will only use 2 to 7 times in their lifetime.

      So how do you bring value? What kind of info do you believe your clients don’t know and will be very helpful to them to know?

      Some examples: Joshua Inglis, eXp Realty Chicago: Josh is a successful agent and entrepreneur who is also a super creative individual. For him, he enjoys making short funny real estate films, and he has built a local audience that loves them.

      Check out the interview with Josh: https://www.elguapovideomarketing.com/how-a-real-estate-agent-became-a-top-producer-in-just-3-years-with-hard-work-facebook-and-a-few-marketing-videos/

      Jorge Guerra, RESF Coral Springs FL: Jorge has built Miami’s 3rd largest independent brokerage using social media, creative branding and video. He does virtual tours, and short video ads.

      https://agentredefined.com/real-estate-marketing-social-media-and-video-with-jorge-l-guerra-jr-of-resf/

      Peter Lorimer, PLG Estates, Beverly Hills CA: Peter has built his business with video. His interview on video marketing is fascinating: https://agentredefined.com/interview-with-peter-lorimer-of-plg-estates/

      Reply

  3. This is a massive topic for our industry. I have to disagree that our industry “gave our data away” in any shape or form.
    1) Zillow was not a corporation that came in and talked our MLS’s into “giving” them data. Zillow was born because two guys were frustrated with an industry that hoarded, not gave away, their data. The real estate industry withheld days on market from the public all the way until a few years ago (give or take). Since conception they have ALWAYS tried to “force” the public into contacting a Realtor, even for the most basic information. Zillow was born (and successful) because our industry refused to give the public what they wanted…access to information without being hounded by a salesperson.
    2) IDX websites were invented as an attempt to “win back our data and put the agent in front again.” That’s why forced registration exists on them. This is where I agree that sites like that are not going to win consumers over. Most people who register are using a fake email. It might get you some business, but it’s not the home search answer.

    What we need is a meet-in-the-middle concept. I used to think Zillow has won and nobody should dare take them on. I’ve changed my mind on that. We need a search system where real estate information is laid out in full transparency for the public., and where the public can easily connect with the listing agent (Zillow and Realtor.com failed at this miserably) and connect with other Realtors. There’s nothing to “take back” in terms of our data. It’s gone because we refused to share it, and now two guys became multi billionaires because of it. The opportunity is for us to build a balanced home search portal that acts and feels like a Zillow, uses social intelligence, user behavior and AI and gives the user even more information to help their search, and it connects users to professionals. Someone will do this one day. Homesnap came close, but they’re also putting Realtors too high up, and the public won’t choose Homesnap because of that.

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comment, it’s very clearly laid out and you make some good points.

      This point you made “because our industry refused to give the public what they wanted…access to information without being hounded by a salesperson”

      It’s the pivotal point that the industry needs to contend with if it does not ultimately want to be taken over by tech companies/3rd party portal companies.

      If things continue moving in the direction they are and the Realtors don’t join together with a set plan against the NAR and local MLS’s and Boards to fix this issue, then this industry will be disrupted to the point to where independent real estate agents won’t exist and everyone will be working for a Redfin/Zillow type of quasi-brokerage.

      Reply

  4. Hi George. First of all, I find all your articles informative and well researched. Thanks for being an awesome & authentic source of information.

    I really like the idea of displaying current and previous listings portfolio on the agent website because it helps you in local SEO and building trust with your target audience.

    But when we say an agent must Publish/Update listings on their website, what are the options available?

    Considering a WordPress website (which is the best option for agents and Realtors to utilize)

    1. Use a plugin to display listings
    2. Get IDX (hosted on the main domain, not on subdomain)

    So, which option should the agent use?

    My answer would be, get IDX straight away!

    Here’s why,

    Since you put the argument that one should not spend on IDX services and rather use that budget for marketing/generating leads. The counter-argument that I’d put is that the average IDX services provider charges you USD 50 per month. As you know how much budget is required for Facebook/Google Ads (it’s definitely higher than 50 bucks)

    Here are all the good reasons for getting an IDX Package (spending $50 a month),
    1. It provides you all your current and previous listings. Good for local SEO and building trust with your audience.
    2. It keeps updating every 24 hours.
    3. It provides lead capture forms and automation (so you don’t have to look for separate forms integration and install more plugins for CRM).
    4. Your IDX Dashboard lists all the leads generated and puts them in the inbuilt CRM. most IDX providers have lead management tools inbuilt that come with the IDX package. Only a few IDX providers charge separately for CRM.
    5. There’s a huge difference between IDX Property Listing Pages and WordPress plugins for Property Listings. In IDX Listings there’s tons of data displayed along with add-ons like Walkthrough, Neighborhood Guides, Market Reports, etc. Plugins don’t provide such data.

    Although there are more reasons too for getting an IDX package but let’s limit to these.

    Now, here are the reasons why you should not go with WordPress plugins for Property Listings.

    1. You need to install and configure according to your needs.
    2. You need to put the information about each listing MANUALLY, from no. of baths to everything. It can be very very hectic. And if you think you can hire a WordPress developer for this task, then you are going to spend at least USD 20 per hour on a WordPress developer (and of course the hassle of collecting and providing them the data to update is a separate hassle)
    3. Plugins update frequently so does the WordPress framework, and you have to keep your website updated in order to block any hack attempts and shut the backdoors that outdated plugins offer. So you need to update the plugin and HOPE that their next update will be comfortable working with your theme and other plugins on your website.

    So finally,

    The cost of uploading the listings manually is much much higher than getting IDX services that work on an automation and you don’t have to worry about anything.

    I really appreciate your insights and respect your opinion. But, I don’t agree with not getting IDX for your agent website.

    My name is Sarmad Sandeelo, cofounder of Oley.IO, a digital agency for Real Estate Agents, Realtors, and Brokers.

    Reply

  5. I’ve always wondered why local boards do not simply deny access to these larger companies like Zillow, Trulia, ect. It seems to me that these types of companies are a bleed in the real estate community and they in some regards devalue the need for an agent. They provide a service that could easily be met by larger brokerages and often provide inaccurate data to the user. It used to be where you could build a site using an IDX and compete, but those days many behind us. Yet we collectively still provide them with access and for what so they can sell us leads.

    Reply

    • JOSH, YOUR ARE CORRECT! You are asking the question that every single real estate agent should be asking in 2020! When you dig deeper into this you’ll find that NAR, the Local Realtor Boards, and each and every MLS across the country are only concerned with preserving the status quo of keeping their jobs secure and are not concerned with the future of the individual agents that they are supposed to be serving.

      Reply

  6. I have no idea what this is about or why. I can totally disprove the theory that people do not use an agents IDX!

    I have had mine for over 5 years and have about 5ooo leads on it. 1000’s are active. Once they get off zillow etc, they will not leave their own account on my site as it is a much better experience.
    How are we supposed to capture and work with leads without an IDX and backend management system.
    I understand that you build wordpress sites and there is no such thing as a native program on wordpress, meaning that you would have to pay for an IDX like Diverse solutions which is average at best.
    What you pay in upkeep for a good wordpress theme like X is going to way outstrip what you would pay a company like Real Geeks, placester, Boomtown etc. 1 closing will cover that.

    Please explain how we function as far as incoming leads if we cannot capture them with a property search? 95% of my traffic, new and returning is on the IDX.
    Looking forward to your explanation. I hope that you are not suggesting that we pay for zillow leads!! I get 10 times more leads through adwords and facebook

    Reply

    • Easy now Gavin. I’m very happy that your Real Geeks website is working awesome for you. But unfortunately the numbers you are experiencing is not the norm with many of these IDX sites. And no where in here do I suggest buying Zillow leads. If you follow me or ever read any of my stuff you would know that.

      You can read my response here to a similar question in the update: https://agentredefined.com/does-your-real-estate-website-need-the-idx-in-2019/

      This article is talking about real estate searches and how consumers use them.

      Unfortunately for rank and file agents, the leadership of the real estate industry has opted to give away agent’s data to third party portals websites, like, the Zillows and Redfins.

      The Zillow and Redfins have spend huge sums of money to no only perfect searches, but also establish a basic expectation that consumers expect to have when searching for real estate online.

      You’ll see this play out in popular culture in movies and TV shows when a character says “Did you Zillow it”, https://youtu.be/1t1gk5KYN4g

      So, In my opinion (because this is a blog) the IDX websites cannot provide the same level of experience in the search as a Zillow or Redfin platform can.

      When I still owned our brokerage we went through the experience first hand to come to this conclusion.

      And finally, AdWords and Facebook.

      Absolutely Fuck Yes. These are platforms agents can and should absolutely use because they work, it’s relatively cheap, and they work!

      Now, you may be using Google and Social Media to connect your IDX to, and that strategy is working for you, that’s awesome and maybe something to revisit for us in 2020, but it doesn’t have to only involve listings data.

      Hope that clarifies some of the position I hold on this subject and thanks for sending in your question, I really appreciate it.

      Reply

      • I believe the problem you currently have is the way IDX solutions are showing up listings in your website. No, we cannot compete with user experience against Zillow nor Redfin but that is not what we’re trying to do here. What we want is to capture qualified leads.

        The problem with these websites is that they are so big that they loose “reality” in terms of proximity with the consumer. You as a broker or realtor have the chance to engage your community infrastructure in terms of “you know which buildings and communities you’d like to sell”. You could easily collect geolocation, geoJson data, pictures of these specific buildings and with this granulated information, we can FILTER Listings from the MLS so we know what we’re selling. This is very different to having an IDX search that shows every single listings out there, because naturally people would go to zillow for this purpose.

        This technique allows you to have custom pages on specific properties you’re interested into selling due proximity or property value, it would also increase your website SEO over your competition + the virtue of having “squeeze” pages that can be advertised on social media.

        These two techniques combined (Custom pages with granulated listings + social media ads) are the golden egg of real estate websites for 2020.

        Let us know if you need more information about this subject, we would be more than happy to help.

        Reply

        • Thanks for your comments Wolfgang. I guess we just have to agree to disagree. If we cannot provide at least a similar experience to a “Zillow or Redfin” search I don’t believe that you will be able to get to the lead capture part.

          Just having a lead capture form tied to a listing page is just not enough. First we have to capture their interest by delivering the experience of the search.

          You are correct that you can increase your SEO by creating additional listing pages but it’s a drop in the bucket if you are going to try to compete on Page 1 of a Google search for the keywords….

          Homes for Sale
          Luxury Homes for Sale
          Condos for Sale
          ETC….

          You can drive traffic from social to one of these listing pages and that can work. So that is a strategy that I do agree with, but we are talking more about a lead gen funnel than just the IDX. If the idea and the strategy is to use listings data as the value prop to generate a lead from a social platform.

          Reply

          • Well the whole idea is to have the information of properties that owns the listings. Let say a gated community for example. If you go to Zillo or these big companies that are showing Listings, then you as the realtor are selling all listings near to that community, but again this is bring a lot more listings that probably what you would like as a Realtor.

            What I proposed is to find out the geolocation of the gated community, we can create a custom page for that specific gated community and within that page then filter listings that only belongs to that community, making the search granulated instead of showing of thousands of listings.

  7. I think there is an overlooked benefit to the IDX agent website that is not being talked about and that is pay per click advertising.

    If you don’t have an exclusive but want to co-broke on an investment property that just hit the market running traffic to that listing is not going to do you any favors. However, if you have that listing on your own website via an IDX and run Facebook and Google ppc ads to it then potential buyers will contact YOU. It won’t matter if you’re not a top name or not, they’re looking at the property, not the URL.

    Sure, if you’re just doing co-brokes you may just be getting 3.5% commissions but with an IDX you’ll have an entire city’s worth of listings at your disposal, as opposed to just your exclusives (if you have any).

    Reply

    • I 100% agree with this post. That’s what’s not being talked about on this article. While I agree with the premise of this article about user experience, to admit defeat that you can’t compete with providing a quality user experience isn’t the mind set of a top agent.

      Most importantly, we all know or should know that more than 60% of users will go online to do a property search. Google is and continues to be the 1# source for real estate leads. Investing in SEO and Google Adwords has HUGE Payoffs for agencies and agents that begin to drive traffic to their pages, to their brand.

      And once you have users on your site in addition to listing you can have video walks, presentations, and other content to brand yourself in the hearts and minds of our clients.

      I use to think the same way about the need for websites and how you can use digital advertising and a landing page to drive business but short term thinking leads to short term results.

      Reply

  9. HI George,
    Thanks for the article. I am currently working with my second brokerage after starting at the beginning of this year. My first office provided leads and took a standard split. In exchange there was a lot of pressure and accountability. No problem with that but the direction of the teams strategy changed every week. There wasn’t the old, “pick one or two methods and give it time to play out, then reevaluate.’ I also have no trouble calling leads from the landing site and working the ‘plan’ calls/emails/texts etc. So of course the real challenge is getting LEADS. At my new office our broker is fantastic, very supportive etc. In order to get my own leads I have been working on my Facebook business page with the intent of focused ads on FB and Instagram. I was planning on having a wordpress site with a GoDaddy obtained site name. I have some questions.

    1) Do I utilized the brand name of my brokerage which carries way more weight than my own? I know I can be a brand but isn’t name recognition important?

    2) When they click on my ad, it takes them to my landing page, I have only worked with buyers and haven’t done a lot of business. What can I offer or do to get their information and actually turn them into a lead, especially without an IDX? My MLS has an IDX plug in available for a one time fee. Is that worth it?

    3) THIS IS THE BIG QUESTION. I haven’t seen this asked yet, but if Zillow, Red Fin etc are the Death Star and they get most of the online searches then ( I totally agree BTW), what do I do? What advise can you give me to work with those sites, not against them? I have seen agents pay to be listed at the bottom of Zillow listings. I am assuming it isn’t there listing, that they are paying for the spot. What can I do to hop on with these search engine giants? If everyone is using them to search for homes then how to I get any traction or notice?

    Thanks again for a great article and the information.

    Reply

  10. Great article! — Do you have a suggestion for how to automate or simplify publishing my own listings on a website without an IDX platform? I’m building a new website, so I’m open to any new way of going about it.

    Reply

    • Thanks Andrew, there are a few options. They are not 100% perfect, but they work well.

      OPTION 1: Use the WordPress Plugin from IMPress Listings, it’s created by a company called AgentEvolution. Here’s the link in the WP depository: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-listings/

      I use this on our Non Branded Virtual Tour Pages for the MLS: http://redefinedagent.com/

      OPTION 2: Use the WordPress Plugin from StudioPress, https://wordpress.org/plugins/agentpress-listings/ it’s not as pretty but works well.

      Are you using WordPress now?

      Reply

      • Thank you very much! I’m probably going the way of WordPress. I’ve made a couple in the past for other people and I like the level of control and value.

        Reply

        • It’s a tough choice to make. And there’s even a debate on whether we will need a website 5 years from now. But I feel like you have to have a “home base” or a “store front” for your business online. I use both of my sites to help me close more sales and further develop relationships that I’m trying to build online. And for that it helps tremendously. You can always just go the “template” route and basically just have a placeholder online. It takes some work to have your own WordPress site but it’s easier than it used to be. Good luck and if you have any questions feel free to ask.

          Reply

      • Hi George,
        I’m looking at adding the plugin from IMPress, however right in the description of the plugin it says an IDX Broker subscription is required to import from our MLS. I had thought you were saying there are ways to automate a RE Agents listings to appear on his own site without the need for an IDX? Can you please clear this up for me?

        Reply

        • Hi Doug and thanks for your comment. So if you want to have your listings automatically pulled from the MLS, you would need a connection to something like IDX Broker. The only reason why I would say to NOT do this is because after you sell the listing, what happens then? No one will know what you sold… I think you would have your sold listings on your website, at least some of them, so that you can show off how you marketed the home, show the photos, even consider making a 30 to 60 second video breaking down how you sold it.

          Reply

          • Thanks for the quick reply George. Much appreciated! I understand putting the Sold homes on our site to show how it was marketed and sold. That makes sense. If I do want to display current listings though without using an IDX, I can use one of these plugins you mention, but would have to manually enter all the info for each listing, correct?

  11. Thank you for sharing so much. I read almost all the comments and all your replies to them! I wonder how you manage to do all this. I am in awe. Wanted to specially thank you for such amazing resources! I took the Fascination Advantage quiz and I am looking forward to finding out my archetype. I have so much to learn and so much to do! So overwhelmed…

    Reply

    • Thanks for the comment, i really appreciate it. It’s a fun journey to learn how to use these tools to connect with new people and start building new relationships with. That’s really all that it’s about. There is nothing technical about digital marketing. All you have to do is what Zig Ziglar taught “You can have everything in life that you want, if you just help enough other people get what they want”.

      Reply

  12. I strongly disagree. First of all, you don’t have to pay companies like Placester. You can buy a well designed theme for $40-60 from Themeforest, such as the one below and just pay one fee to an IDX broker for the membership fee. I’m a web developer, and I use IDX compatible themes for clients all the time. They aren’t limited to IDX listing, it’s an added benefit. I can modify the theme in ANY way they want. I can make a spectacular About page and a featured listings page with 360 tours etc to give them a great “first tour” experience on the site. For $40 IDX fee monthly, that is worth having listing automatically show up without them spending more of their valuable time. Of course,

    Reply

  13. Hello George.
    Great article with awesome questions and responses.

    I am cosniseding my own site vs what is offer by my Broker.

    I see that you do align yourself with WP.

    What are your thoughts about Wix?

    Reply

    • thanks for the comment Mark, sorry for the delay, we are getting ready to move out to California and the last few months have been crazy. To answer your questions.

      1. Broker Websites: They are ok if you just need a placeholder or a basic online business card. I would not expect to develop many leads with one no matter how much a brokerage tells you that it can.

      2. WordPress: I believe owning your own website online is like owning your own house. It’s a piece of real estate that has the possibility of growing in value if you maintain it and put work, improvements into it. A website can be such a powerful tool for any business owner, and as a real estate agent I believe you are a business owner way more than just a salesman.

      3. Wix is cool, easy, and affordable. But it’s just a step above what a brokerage website will be. If you have to choose between a brokerage website and a Wix website, I would choose Wix.

      Hope that helps. Thanks

      Reply

  14. IDX is frustrating and expensive especially when you think about it over a time. I just wish there was decent inexpensive solution to provide:

    1. A decent basic search
    2. Let me to display some listings by subdivision.
    3. Set up a email update for new listing that meet a certain criteria.

    Any ideas?

    Reply

    • There are plenty of IDX based website options, including WordPress, that provide all of this functionality for a very reasonable investment. Anyone that thinks IDX is dead is merely selling an alternative agenda. IDX is alive and well and reports of it’s death have been exaggerated for many years now.

      Reply

  15. The link to the story Home Buying in plain english is dead. Thanks for the schooling I am using it to convince my bosses to remove our idx old and outdated seach page from our wp site

    Reply

  17. Thank you for the great insight George. I’m just started to build out my real estate website and have been contemplating how to best integrate IDX/MLS or if I even should as I am just entering the industry. I think I’ll put that on hold for a little while and worry about creating excellent local content for the Parksville and Qualicum area I plan to work in.

    Reply

    • Thanks Carl. Focus on creating some great content, for adding your own listings to your website and if you’re using WordPress, try using a plugin like AgentPress. or IMPress Listings. Good Luck…

      Reply

      • Hi George…when one goes to IMPress Listings site and their other site http://mustsee.turnkeysites.co/ there is ZERO info on how to add the plugin, where to add the feed or how to download their pages. Can you enlighten moi? 3:30 hours to cocktail hour! Best Toby

        Reply

  18. Great article George. You hit a nerve in the real estate community. I agree with you and have thought IDX was not what it used to be for a while. I use to pay a lot of money for an IDX provider but I wised up and dropped the large monthly cost just to try to compete with the big boys. I still have IDX but at the lowest affordable cost ( I write it off on my taxes for marketing). I am eventually going to wean myself off of using IDX. I usually blog about a property just before I list it. I try to get G to pick it up by using the fetch tool in G webmasters portal before the big companies vacuum it up from our sell-out Real Estate Associations who send them feeds to aggregate into their system.

    Since our local associations did not invest enough in technology it left a void and ZRTR filled the void and now people are not happy with the outcome. Z has already begun listing houses for free in a few markets. Now we all have to adjust to the new normal and get hyper-local in our marketing efforts to survive.

    Great blog and I am sure this particular article will see more comments and perhaps you have changed the thought process for people in the industry. Awaken the Giant George.

    Reply

  19. Great blog!

    So, if I’m creating a Real Estate website in WordPress all I need to add a plugin to get all other listings in the surrounding areas?
    Do I need to obtain a number from MLS broker or agent to show properties on site?

    Reply

  20. George, thank you for all of the information in this post. I am building a website for a friend, my first realtor site. My friend wanted her website to look like another that was using IDX, but then she balked at the monthly price. You’ve given me hope with the WordPress theme and plugin.

    Any suggestions on capturing leads without IDX and getting the leads into her Referal Maker CRM by Brian Buffini?

    Reply

    • Thanks Vincent. I would keep it simple. Place a simple email form and make sure the phone number is prominent. Buyers and sellers won’t use the IDX on a majority of agent websites that ore out there, mainly because the user experiance will never compare to the what Zillow, Trulia, RedFin, and Realtor.com offers.

      An agents website should be a portfolio of thier current and previous sales.

      Reply

  21. Hi George. Thanks for the article. Nice read. Is there a WordPress plugin that will let you post real estate listings in available spaces on a conventional (non-real estate focused) blog…for example, in a sidebar or above the footer of a page? Could IMpress do that?

    Reply

  23. Gracias por un gran artículo que estimula el nuevo pensamiento. I am a marketing and brand strategist turned real estate agent, four years with KW, and making a good living in Louisville, KY. It’s funny that I have not heeded the advice that I have given to clients over the years. The old adage “politics are local” is so applicable to real estate. I don’t like Zillow but Zillow can’t deliver what I can, human contact, connection and a personal relationship. I’ve quit spending on digital leads, about to jettison one of my websites, and get much more granular in my marketing. I believe narrowing my focus will broaden my opportunities. Can you recommend a webmaster to help me combine several websites into an easy to manage word press site that will likely be hosted by Go Daddy/

    Reply

    • Hi Chris, and thanks for your comment I really appreciate it. So here’s what I have.

      1. The Zillow Thing: Basically it doesnt matter what any agent thinks, they are not only the number 1 website in traffic, but they far surpass everyone else. It’s like they are Uber, and everyone else is Lyft. So competing with them directly for real estate search, or buying leads from them is a WIN-LOSE situation for an agent, and the agent loses big.

      You are correct in leading first relationship and the human factor, that is all that works. It’s your ability to build a network and strong relationships within it that counts.

      Listen to this interview with Jorge Guerra, it’s all laid out there: https://agentredefined.com/podcast/margaritas-and-marketing-podcast/real-estate-marketing-social-media-video-jorge-l-guerra-jr-resf/

      2. One website is all you should need. Is sounds like you have a background in marketing and branding, so that’s awesome. You probably know more than your competition does in marketing. Use that!

      One website, and start building your own brand with it. GoDaddy hosting works well and it’s very affordable, WIN-WIN.

      3. Webmasters: I run all of my own websites and never used a Webmaster. All of my websites run on WordPress and I don’t believe you need a Webmaster to run a basic WordPress website.

      Hope that helps and good luck.

      Reply

  25. Salud con una buena chela helada!! like in your picture!! jejejej I really like your article & style, you just open my eyes.. I spent a little fortune on websites, domains, Real estate platform, hostings, virtual webmasters, elance, guru… ufff you name it, always trying to find the holly pill… and don’t exist.. I have 5 years in the business and all that internet, social media mumbo jumbo is good only for the zillows of the word… I just spent $3.000 in 6 months in Zillow campaigns… what a waste of money… I wasn’t able to close not even 1 deal… I’m working know with a webmaster and he will do a WordPress webpage using one of the templates, but I will follow your print advice!!!
    any page you can share to see how looks the one you describe ?? gracias mano !!!

    Reply

  26. Hi George thanks for all your very valuable insights. Being new to real estate in California, I have some questions ? Why would a listing agent be hesitant to give me his property to market ? I am very strong when it comes to facebook and google paid advertising. I work in selling real estate primarily in Dubai and the middle east. 98% of my sales come from facebook paid ads. I recently moved to CA but I find it difficult to get a property to market when I pitch that to other real estate agents. I checked your website, are these all your own listings or are you using IDX to get them from MLS ?

    Reply

    • Hi Said, you might want to start by partnering with a local agent first, learn the market and get a feel for it. You might have been able to do it in Dubai successfully, but that market and the CA market are not the same. Your strategy and tactics have to reflect what will work here in the states and in CA. CA is a competitive landscape, it has the most amount of agents than any other state in the US.

      Reply

  27. George – thanks so much for your article. I created a website for a small/growing/1 office agency of 23 realtors and we’ve used 2 different IDX providers in the last 4 years. We’ve had several issues. This agency doesn’t use it for lead-generation, they like it for featuring solds by agency and by agent and touting featured listings. I’m tempted to link their solds and active listings to their Zillow profile page and do away with IDX. And then I’d need to come up with a manual solution for featured listings which is doable… curious to hear your thoughts on this work-around.
    Any insight much appreciated.

    Reply

    • Hola and THANK YOU! Now for your answers…

      1. IDX just sucks, it never will work the way you want it to. That’s always been my experiance with it. Unless you’re going to work with the MLS API and write up code and scripts the 3rd party IDX products will just always be not good.

      2. I use WordPress and there are two pluggins that are good for that. But they only work on WordPress sites. IMPress Listings and AgentPress Listings. You can see them being used here: http://www.RedefinedAgent.com

      Reply

  29. I’d like to buy a WP theme, develop it, rank it locally & sell (or lease) it to individual Realtors.

    My “challenge” is that I retired some years ago, so I no longer have access to IDX . So the question is, how can I demonstrate the site to a prospective buyer, a Realtor in the local town where I get my site to rank – without having access to IDX?

    Thanks,
    Richard

    Reply

    • Hi Richard and thanks for your comment. If you want to rank your website I highly suggest you first begin by learning what the search engines are looking for when they rank websites. Understanding this is crucial for taking the next step. There are many different opinions on this and I’m not going to tell you that I’m right, but not many people will argue against content as a strategy to get your site ranked. To get started with a fresh approach towards understanding Google, SEO, and ranking. Check out this article from Brian Clark at CopyBlogger, https://www.copyblogger.com/forget-seo/

      Reply

  30. What about new agents that want to promote themselves? You mentioned posting your current listings and previous closings on your website however, what in the case of those agents that are ready to promote their brand but have just started and have limited or no inventory at all? Do they simply augment the level of service they intend to provide?

    Reply

  31. I read all the comments and as a brand new agent of 3 months, do you think the IDX search on a facebook page is unnecessary as well? I don’t have a branded website yet, but a community FB page. I’m slowly building likes and interest on the page and for $8 per month, I thought the IDX search option was a good deal. Thanks for your input and Happy New Year!

    Reply

    • Thanks Eddie for your comment. First before you get into Facebook marketing – Buy your own domain name. Something that will last you for your career as an agent. Then Go to Google for Business and get a customized email using your new domain name. For example like mine is george@agentredefined.com

      It’s a small thing, but you’ll thank me when your Yahoo email account gets hacked and you loose emails and everyone on our email gets spammed.

      Next on the IDX. The answer is NO. You don’t need IDX on your Facebook Page. What you need there is content, good – engaging – entertaining and informative content. So whether it’s through images, videos, audio, you want to spend time creating content that will help you connect with people locally in the area that you serve.

      Take that $8 a month and deploy that towards Facebook Targeted Ads. Watch Gary Vee, Jon Loomer, and Rick Mulready to learn for free how to get started with all of that. Happy new year…

      Reply

  32. I thought no a better option rather than give the monopoly to ZRT, would be for the MLS to stop the auto feeds to them. This would force people back to our websites to search. Summit county Colorado has done this. It also prevents brokers trying to work an area they are not familiar with, therefore giving buyers poor service.

    Reply

  33. This is a great article, George! I knew that IDX wasn’t relevant anymore because buyers and sellers are searching on those major platforms you’ve mentioned above.

    I’m glad I came across your article because it affirmed what I was thinking. And you’re absolutely right: Consumers don’t necessarily care about data accuracy – they care about user experience and trust. The major platforms are easy to use and because they are household names, there’s a lot of trust built around them.

    No one will admit that they don’t care about data accuracy. Of course, people will say that they want accurate information. But when presented with data that shows that many major platforms aren’t providing accurate information, most consumers don’t change their behavior. They keep using the platforms. Why? Because of authority, trust, user experience, etc. It’s “accurate enough”.

    Happy New Year!

    Reply

    • Thanks Manoj for your comment… The public does want accurate information, but they also want full control in thier search.

      It’s the same for just about everything else out there that we search for online.

      When we search we want all of the important info like pricing, availability, reviews, etc… This helps consumers by giving them all the info they need to make a purchase decision.

      Now here’s the real question every agent should be asking: Why are we giving listing data away to 3rd party portals? And why are our MLS’s closed off to the rest of the world? Why not just open them up to the public?

      Reply

  34. Hi George: I’m a Realtor but developing apps as well. We’re all so conditioned to believe IDX is a part of any Agent’s website. I tend to agree with you as it’s not necessary.
    First question: don’t you think the public will question an Agent’s credibility if there isn’t a search function on their main page ??
    Second: I want to keep pursuing producing a great app product dedicated to RE Agents, what are the 6 homepage tabs (or more) that are necessary to drown out the missing IDX search function and shows that Agent is the best ?
    Thanks so much…

    Reply

    • Thanks Greg for the comment.

      You should still put your own listings on your website. 99.9% of the website visitors, leads, clients, and other new prospects don’t equate listings on an agents website to “Authority – Relevancy – or Credibility”. NAR and the MLS’s have created the current environment where the general public equates listings data to 3rd party portals more so than actual agents.

      Also, remember that most of the views are occurring on a a mobile device today. When consumers want to search listings, they will go to the portal websites.

      I would scrap the app. Most people have too many apps as it is, and when they are in the home search they will be using Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, and/or Realtor.com. The UI (user experience) is high on all of thier apps. Which is what consumers want.

      An agent website should have
      1. Home Page
      2. About Page
      3. Blog
      4. Local Content
      5. How to Buy a Home
      6. How to Sell a Home

      Reply

  35. Hi there, thanks for this article! I agree with the concept, but have a novice question. If a realtor does not have an IDX service, how do their listings appear on places like Zillow and Homes?

    In the above comments you recommend possibly having your listings on your site, just not through the IDX. Do you recommend manually entering these through a sort of gallery feature on the realtors personal site?

    Thanks !

    Reply

    • Hi Holly and thanks for your comment.

      To answer your first question: If you’re using WordPress there are two plugins you can use.

      a. IMPress Listings from Agent Evolution is awesome. Here’s link to it on WordPress.org: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-listings/

      b. AgentPress Listings from StudioPress. It’s not as good as IMPress Listings but sometimes it seems to work better than IMPress. It really depends on which WordPress Theme you’re using and how either one of these plugins works with the theme.

      2. I do recommend manually inputting your listings data into the site. Many agents don’t like this idea, but I believe after the listing closes you want a digital record of the homes that you have sold which are visible to the public to view on your site.

      Reply

  36. Hello George,

    I’ve had a few websites before but, stopped their service a couple of years ago. I’m on Zillow, Facebook and Linkedin but, I would like to try my own website again – one without the IDX capability. Can you please recommend a reasonably priced provider?

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Hola Phil, and thanks for your comment.

      I would start here…

      First, identify what you believe you need and want the website to do?

      Do you need the website to produce leads? Do you need it to be a basic online business card?

      It’s critical to identify the need first, so that you can spend your money on the thing that best meets your needs.

      Reply

  38. Well said. But…the bigger question is why aren’t our MLS’ demanding superior systems, or at least equal to, the Refins, etc…

    It’s sad that I have to use Redfin for my research instead of using Paragon’s circa 2000 user interface.

    Reply

    • That is the $55,000 question Bill.

      And you are spot on for asking it.

      Every single agent, brokerage, and event NAR should be asking this same question today.

      If as an industry we don’t finally take the MLS public and build out a very user friendly interface with it for the public, then we can expect the further “uberization” of the real estate industry to progress forward.

      If we allow this to happen, then the job of the real estate agent will become commadatized and that 2.5 percent on average that an agent earns on one side of the transaction will become a thing of the past.

      Reply

  39. The buyers and sellers are looking for a real person, an insider in their corner on the local level. And both buyers and sellers are busy busy over booked with little extra time to waste. So everything in that one stop website is key. Not just current listings and more images, video, plat maps and floor plans, blog posts to save time and money so you end up doing a better job than the other little red hen’s in the real estate audience. Great points in your post.

    Reply

  41. Ive been contemplating this topic for awhile. I havent been very happy with our idx as of late and was considering either a change or pull the idx altogether. Funny, but I agree with the sentiment that an agents website may be ok without it, but I cant bring myself to not have one on our site. If for nothing else but perception from potential clients.

    Reply

    • I would ask yourself this. When it comes to digital marketing the only thing we should worry about is what people are actually using and not using. Many times we can make decisions about our marketing that make sense to us because it benefits us by making us feel good, but then in reality is not helping us at all. It always should be about what actually works and what is most beneficial to our clients and prospects. In my opinion when a buyer/seller gets to an agents website they are not searching for properties and want to learn more about the agent and other things real estate. When it comes to searches they have already made their choice. It’s zillow, redfin, etc…

      Until you have something better than that go with what buyers and sellers actually want and will use.

      Reply

  44. Great article, working to create my new website as an agent and I was struggling with the idea of subscribing to an IDX plan since money IS an object always and my general sentiment was the same regarding where prospects go first to look for homes.

    As far as featuring listings on your own site, what would you recommend is the best way to go about that aside from manually re-creating and punching in all data. Is there a way to move information over from any MLS over to the site without IDX? I would imagine it would be laborious to continue to create listings information as you list, and as you sell.

    Your thoughts are appreciated, and thanks again for this great post.

    Reply

    • Thanks Al for your comment and question. The first question I would have is what platform are you building your new website on? If it’s on WordPress, there are two listing template plugins that I use. They are called AgentPress from StudioPress and IMPress Listings from Agent Evolution.

      Reply

      • I checked out AgentPress and IMPress, but they both require monthly fees, or to buy their template.

        I just want to pull in current listings from MLS… is there a way to do this without paying one of these 3rd parties monthly or.. not so much?

        good article though, thanks.

        Reply

        • Ryan. AgentPress is a WordPress theme. So it’s a one time purchase for the theme. The IMPress Listings is a WordPress plugin which is also free. When you start running your own website the monthly costs you will have for certain is Web Hosting.

          You’ll need to host your website somewhere. I suggest using GoDaddy WordPress hosting to begin with. It’s very easy to set up and very affordable (something like $9 to $10 a month).

          Reply

    • I find it curious that a company touting how cutting-edge their IDX is would post a broken link & have information on their site that is 5+ years old, regarding MLS Coverage – Tucson MLS hasn’t used Rapattoni for over half a decade.

      Not very compelling when one can’t see the discussion, then when taking a look at what the product is…the info is so old.

      Reply

  45. George,
    I hope you do not mind, but I found it easiest to respond on our site (which is a blog site).
    I gave credit to this post as a link. I think this a great discussion.
    Here is a link to the post:
    http://leadidx.com/post/2016/11/09/our-open-discussion-with-george-at-http-agentredefined-com.aspx

    You will also find that if you view one of our customer sites and look at whatever the most recent MLS listing is and then google that MLS # or Address you will find that our system ranks quickly and at the top of the results. Sure, yes once the national and other local sites catch up it becomes more competitive. But with any marketing it is about cost vs. ROI. Will our system rank top of the first page for every term? Of course not, but to use Boxing terminology we get our licks in and we knock them down frequently and often. Our system cost $200 a month, the real question is does the site generate that and more in revenue? OF course it does. I have been in Web Marketing for 20 years and I have worked at some big big companies. The key is to be diverse and TRACK EVERYTHING so you know what works and does not work.
    My favorite metric is CPA (Cost per Acquisition).
    During a three year tenure with a global moving company owned by a global relocation company we tried everything and we tracked everything.
    An interstate booked move on average made the company $450. We decided that our max CPA was $250. So we tried everything and if the numbers worked we did more and more of it while continuing to track the results.
    SEO is much the same. The number of indexed pages is important and the diversity of the ranked pages. To live or die by ONE term leaves a site vulnerable. Our sites succeed based on thousands of terms and that is why the math works and will always work.
    I welcome your feedback. If you would like to see any other metrics just LMK.

    Reply

  46. George,
    To whereas I see a lot of great information on this post I have to be the lone dissident.
    In 2008 my partners and I developed an IDX solution. Never wanting to have the highest number of customers, but instead we focus on exclusivity in every market we are in and on a great user experience and most importantly great SEO.
    In 8 years in the IDX realm, and in the 20 years I have all worked in Web Marketing I have learned many things. One of those core “things” is that users do not trust Trulia, Zillow, or Realtor.com as you say. Users trust Google. And if users find a good experience users are lazy, in a good way, and will not look else where. Everyday we see thousands of people come into our customer sites for home specific terms. They look at the property, the look at other properties, they like the experience, and the come back. They come back at a rate of 50% on average. I think users prefer a local site, local knowledge, and local search.
    I can say for a fact that local sites get indexed for new properties much faster than the national sites do and therefore they generate traffic for those addresses and MLS numbers faster.

    Reply

    • Thanks for your comment and your insights on this Jeffery.

      I would just have to say that we will probably have to agree to disagree. Even though I don’t sell real estate any longer, I do still market 1000 properties per year on behalf of agents, and in each one of these properties I’m meeting with the homeowners and collecting data from them about how the home selling and buying process is going for them. In my experience, buyers and sellers are primarily searching through either Zillow, Trulia, Redfin, or Realtor.com for listings.

      Even though the info on most of these sites is not accurate that has not deterred the far majority of buyers and sellers from using these sites.

      I would actually prefer that buyers/sellers would go to an agent’s website first rather than landing at one of these portals for listings searches. However, I would also like to be a country music mega star and that most likely won’t happen either.

      I agree with your that the indexing of a website with listings data can help tremendously with SEO. But when you are competing with Zillow on the search terms “Homes for Sale in ________” or “Houses for Sale in ___________” is going to be extremely difficult to get on page 1 of a Google/Bing search.

      I have tried to compete with Zillow/Trulia on this before with my own brokerages website when I still owned one and in a middle to large sized market it’s going to be tough to compete with them on that level.

      If you have results to share on successes we would love to hear about them.

      Reply

  47. I agree that an IDX is a waste of time and money. I currently don’t have an active website, but preparing to build one or two. And I will NOT use an IDX, I will use landing pages driven by compelling social media and blog content. My experience with the IDX on my previous website was that I did have users, they had to sign up and provide their email address to use it and they could use it whenever they liked. But that is ALL they wanted, they rejected any contact and a few even threatened me for emailing them. SO NO MAS!

    Reply

    • Hi Kate, thanks for your comment and input. I’m glad you were able to figure out the “IDX” thing. You’re are absolutely correct and consumers don’t want it or need it on an agents website. Keep me posted how you do with your next website and how the social media/blog content performs. I would love to see it work for you. Ask any questions if you have them. Gracias….

      Reply

      • Hi Goerge,

        This piece you wrote is on the cutting edge. While other agents are asleep at the wheel you brought to light the elephant in the room Zillow, Trulia, Homes, Realtor. All of these gorillas are eating up all of the window shopping potential home buyers. I honestly don’t mind as I target after prospects that are more down the purchase cycle by focusing on Fresno Real Estate Agent VS Fresno Homes For Sale.

        I find that my phone rings with someone looking for a real
        estate agent not a house because they either have a house they want to sell or they are in front of a house they want to buy. It’s sweet taking orders from clients instead of chasing prospects that are not quite sure what they want or if they can buy what they want.

        Well that’s my take on it, what do you think about my comparison?

        Reply

        • Thanks Eleazar, I really appreciate your comment. I agree with you. My take is that the real estate industry needs to ask itself what it stands for…. Meaning what is a REALTOR in today’s market? Because the information is all on the web, so the Realtor no longer is the gatekeeper of real estate data and info. Is a Realtor just an order taker and because they are licensed and can get paid a commission, or is a Realtor someone that the public can look at as being a trusted professional.

          There’s a big difference.

          Reply

      • Thanks for the comment Cherie, If you’re using a WordPress website you can use a plugin to input your listings in to your site. In the industry there is a false belief that the only way to get your listings on your website is through an IDX feed. Although an IDX feed can make it easy in the short term, the bigger picture is being missed by not having a list of your previously closed properties. That list is your track record and can be very valuable to be able to show that to potential new clients.

        Reply

  49. Mr. Cuevas,

    I agree with you 100%. In fact, your agent site only has the value that your marketing can drive to it. Your article comes at a crucial time for me, developing the recruiting model for my broker. Offering an agent IDX website as a value to new agents is really only a perceived value – the real value is training to drive leads into their CRM from Zillow, Homes.com, etc. Thank you for your article because it helps put my thoughts on this to rest. Hopefully, agents will follow your great and modern advice!

    Reply

    • Thanks Luke. I appreciate your comment and feedback. I believe these are important issues which need to be talked about more in our industry. Every agent should have their own website and an overall goal of what they want/need it to do for them. Not having one is not an option today.

      Reply

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