A Guide to Build IDX Solutions for Beginner Real Estate Agents – Explained
February 25, 2022
As we witnessed a tremendous rise in the adoption of digital technologies in every business sector, it is evident that organizations must stay updated with the current trends to meet the ever-changing expectations of customers.
Real Estate is one such industry where several professionals across the globe are struggling to deliver unique services and gain a competitive advantage. IDX (Internet Data Exchange) is one of the best features that real estate businesses are using to promote better property search along with smart lead capture.
Let’s find out everything about how IDX works and understand the all-in-one Real Estate Agent Guide to build a Real Estate IDX Website & help your real estate business grow!
What is IDX and Why it is Important for Agents & Brokers?
Wondering how IDX originated? It came at the same time when MLS (Multiple Listing Service) members wanted a way to have digital access to their property listings enabling real estate agents & brokers to promote listings better & close more deals with ease.
This is a win-win situation for both agents and buyers as agents can simply promote listings on their site with IDX and buyers can find the home of their choice through smart search support.
If you are an agent or broker, IDX is one of the most important aspects that must be kept in mind while designing real estate websites. Using IDX, all the listing data are pulled from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and IDX takes all active property listings which are shared & displayed on the agents/brokers’ websites. IDX enables the public to search authorized MLS properties.
Built with the motive to enhance the sale and purchase of real estate property, real estate websites focus on generating leads by using effective campaigns with targeted content for your audience.
Homebuyers may look for property listings while sellers usually check out the competition for their homes. As sellers can be buyers too, an IDX search feed can be a great help to capture leads & enable them to find listings they are looking for.
The main difference is that normal websites only provide leads to agents/brokers who sponsor individual listings and IDX real estate websites help in getting the leads from all listings.
Also Read: Top Technology Trends Crafted for Real Estate Industry
Best Features That Successful IDX Websites Have
Many real estate professionals add MLS listings to their websites and IDX is very helpful in building a data connection between the website and MLS by importing listings and displaying them on the website.
As we are now aware of the significance of the IDX website, we will check out some of the best tips that tells what an ideal IDX website should have-
- Easy & Seamless Navigation
Add search filters on the website to help customers find property listings that match their requirements or criteria. Your website should be user-friendly to attract more customers, make them stay on websites, and find information on listings they need with ease.
- Smart Lead capture
Having an optimized lead capture system on your real estate website is essential to capture IDX MLS leads for more closures. Make use of smart lead capture technology to make it easy for your agency to convert leads. It should be as simple as signing up for alerts, an email list, or special offers.
- CTA
Your website visitors should have a clear idea of how to use your service offerings and what are the website benefits you are providing. A simple call-to-action on the webpage will ensure that they take the next step to close the deal. For example, having a “Sign Up” CTA with the assurance of getting more information or connecting to sellers/agents can gain users’ attention.
- Boost Return Visits
Make use of automated listing alerts to keep your potential buyers engaged with new property listing or offers on existing listings and make them come back to your site. This return visit can help in converting a lead to a client.
- Integrated CRM
Keeping track of what your customers are looking for is what you need to make your real estate agency succeed. Implement a smart Customer Relationship Management system to know their preferences & communicate regularly, which will help you to better prioritize the effective leads and keep them updated for when they’re ready to close the deal.
Also Read: Exclusive App Ideas for Real Estate Business
How IDX Can Grow Your Real Estate Business?
Building a simple IDX real estate website is not enough to attain the success you need in your business, which is why one must research the guidelines properly and know the rules associated with IDX before adding property listings on their websites. Following stringent rules & policies related to IDX can be difficult but it can offer several benefits to both real estate professionals as well as customers.
Buyers can stay updated with the latest property listings on the market and agents can promote listings on the website to attract more leads. Here are some of the benefits that the Real Estate IDX Website can offer-
- Gain Attention
Real estate websites with IDX integration can help in displaying relevant property listings with attractive images/videos and interactive map support, which capture the attention of leads.
- Search Engine Friendly
With the indexable IDX listings, the website becomes more search engine friendly and offers benefits like easy social media sharing, creating backlinks & improving organic traffic.
- Lead Generation
IDX integrated website help in keeping the focus on visitors’ interest to give timely email alerts on desired listings, which eventually helps them in finding interested buyers.
Wrapping Up
As IDX acts as a great way for realtors, agents, or brokers to enhance the sale & purchase of property, you must incorporate IDX listing on your real estate website. Research says more than 40% of home buyers rely on online search for property listings, which means agents that don’t offer IDX listings on their website have a high chance of losing customers to agencies with IDX listings.
If you don’t have a website yet but are excited to capture more leads, our skilled real estate app developers can help you create a custom-made IDX website that can help you attract more homebuyers with a smart property search experience.