Real Estate Listing Service

[Icy]

I'm just curious if anyone knows of any besides 'Point2 Agent'.

To get a grasp on JSON I decided to do a quick mock up of a real estate listing service, and while fooling around with it, I got inspired.

I started to look at other services, and the only big one I can find is 'Point2 Agent', and quick frankly it looks terrible. I won't bother going into all the details of the ridiculousness of it, but I know I can create a better service than that.

If that's the only competition in this realm, than a 'take over' should be easy. :smxB:

 

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[rxcknrxll]

The real estate industry is inundated with listing and syndication services. Have you looked for any other services, or am I misunderstanding your post?

 

[Icy]

I was looking for services that Realtors could use to display their current real estate. So, the Realtors enter in their listings into another website, and that website easily allows the realtors to display it on their personal website.

Obviously there is more it allows it to do (or else why not just use a state html template, you know?), but thats the basic idea of what I'm looking for. What I've been able to find is horrendous (imo), and I've started to fool around with making something better.

The only 'real' one I've been able to find pretty much holds everyone to the exact same style for displaying the info. I want to change that.

 

[rxcknrxll]

Are you referring to IDX? Agents enter their listings into their local MLS, and data feeds are set up and syndicated from there. They hit all the major real estate sites automatically, etc. Individual agents can use companies like idxbroker and mlsfinder to receive and display dynamic IDX data on their websites.

 

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[Icy]

Yup! That was an example of what I was looking for - thanks!

My idea is to create a service that would allow the agent to grab custom info from the database easily.

Displaying the results of someone elses database of listings (what IDX does) is minimally beneficial. People could just use the search on the website IDX is gathering data from and get all info in that AREA, not just an individual agent.

So, I would provide a service that would allow easy manipulation of how the data is displayed. Allowing a web developer for the agent to create a more seamless web design for the agent.

Does that make sense? I'm working on a mock-up of it (to show a friends dad whose a real estate agent), so if it doesn't make sense, the mock-up could help clear things up.

 

[rxcknrxll]

Yup! That was an example of what I was looking for - thanks!

My idea is to create a service that would allow the agent to grab custom info from the database easily.

Displaying the results of someone elses database of listings (what IDX does) is minimally beneficial. People could just use the search on the website IDX is gathering data from and get all info in that AREA, not just an individual agent.

So, I would provide a service that would allow easy manipulation of how the data is displayed. Allowing a web developer for the agent to create a more seamless web design for the agent.

Does that make sense? I'm working on a mock-up of it (to show a friends dad whose a real estate agent), so if it doesn't make sense, the mock-up could help clear things up.

Either I'm misunderstanding you, or you misunderstand what IDX is. Not sure which

Many agents choose to display only their own listings on their individual sites, but that's simply a choice. Current IDX technology, and all IDX vendors, can aggregate all listing data in any format the webmaster chooses.

The only limitation is MLS district lines. MLS data is still under lock and key in a lot of areas, making timely updates almost impossible in most areas without a live IDX feed. This is why the majority of real estate websites are disappointingly out of date.

 

[Icy]

Either I'm misunderstanding you, or you misunderstand what IDX is. Not sure which

Many agents choose to display only their own listings on their individual sites, but that's simply a choice. Current IDX technology, and all IDX vendors, can aggregate all listing data in any format the webmaster chooses.

The only limitation is MLS district lines. MLS data is still under lock and key in a lot of areas, making timely updates almost impossible in most areas without a live IDX feed. This is why the majority of real estate websites are disappointingly out of date.

Definitely the latter as of posting that. I spent a good portion of the day reading, and have a better understanding now. I'm pretty (completely) real estate stupid, but after seeing what people at least in my county are working with for their personal websites I felt like there was a need to be filled.

From my understanding an MLS is just like a group lead gen for all real estate brokers involved. With the internet, how is any IDX feed not live? I mean, it seems silly it has such limits.

The biggest problem I could see running into is also getting the listings on realtor.com. After reading a little bit about NAR, I'm not sure if I'd want to deal with them, because of things like them trying to limit listings of certain groups. Obviously that is also a ridiculous negative side for brokers, and idk, if I could even feasibly do that and get people to use the service..

--If my ignorance is completely obvious in the above, feel free to just mention a specific(s) part. I want to learn, and actively trying to, but a few days of researching is hardly enough to guarantee even correct information coming from me.

Thanks a lot so far rxcknrxll

 

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[rxcknrxll]

Definitely the latter as of posting that. I spent a good portion of the day reading, and have a better understanding now. I'm pretty (completely) real estate stupid, but after seeing what people at least in my county are working with for their personal websites I felt like there was a need to be filled.

From my understanding an MLS is just like a group lead gen for all real estate brokers involved. With the internet, how is any IDX feed not live? I mean, it seems silly it has such limits.

The biggest problem I could see running into is also getting the listings on realtor.com. After reading a little bit about NAR, I'm not sure if I'd want to deal with them, because of things like them trying to limit listings of certain groups. Obviously that is also a ridiculous negative side for brokers, and idk, if I could even feasibly do that and get people to use the service..

--If my ignorance is completely obvious in the above, feel free to just mention a specific(s) part. I want to learn, and actively trying to, but a few days of researching is hardly enough to guarantee even correct information coming from me.

Thanks a lot so far rxcknrxll

Listings on Realtor.com come in via IDX

It is much too difficult to access and aggregate listing data; I completely agree. The reason is because NAR and local boards keep their listing data locked up pretty tight. I'm in the process of setting up all area listing data in my city for a new website. So far I've had to complete over 30 pages of paperwork with the local board of Realtors to get approval for the feed. Then the process of them "setting up the feed" has already taken two weeks, and they're nowhere near finished. After the feed is complete, THEN I can hook it up to the new site.

What's really funny is that I already have done this for many other real estate websites in this area. I ALREADY have IDX set up for this exact same market, but every time I set up a new site, we have to do it all over again.

NAR is completely prehistoric in their approach to marketing and business in general. The top performers I know in real estate are cutting edge and leaders in their industry. Instead of NAR learning from them, they do everything they can to hold them back. NAR is a liability, not an asset to the real estate market.

 

[Icy]

It is much too difficult to access and aggregate listing data; I completely agree. The reason is because NAR and local boards keep their listing data locked up pretty tight. I'm in the process of setting up all area listing data in my city for a new website. So far I've had to complete over 30 pages of paperwork with the local board of Realtors to get approval for the feed. Then the process of them "setting up the feed" has already taken two weeks, and they're nowhere near finished. After the feed is complete, THEN I can hook it up to the new site.

How is it beneficial for them to keep this information locked down? From my understanding, I can pretty much just go to realtor.com and make a crawler for any info I need. Even if it's not available through the search, I could just grab it from a broker right?

It sounds like they're trying to profit from merely having a large database of public info... Is that correct?

30 pages!? How could they possibly come up with 30 pages you need to do for something so 'simple'!? Ridiculous that there isn't even a shortcut for people, like yourself, that already have the feed setup once..

NAR is completely prehistoric in their approach to marketing and business in general. The top performers I know in real estate are cutting edge and leaders in their industry. Instead of NAR learning from them, they do everything they can to hold them back. NAR is a liability, not an asset to the real estate market.

That's what I thought of them as I was reading a bit about that. They don't seem to like the change.

How can they hold it back though? Is it merely, because it's an 'illusion' of them being an authoritative figure over the real estate market, or are they actually?

For example, let's say something I create would start taking away members for them, they get upset, and trying to stop it. Do they have really much power besides scare tactics? Obviously this is still something I need to look into myself much better.

 

[rxcknrxll]

How is it beneficial for them to keep this information locked down? From my understanding, I can pretty much just go to realtor.com and make a crawler for any info I need. Even if it's not available through the search, I could just grab it from a broker right?

It sounds like they're trying to profit from merely having a large database of public info... Is that correct?

30 pages!? How could they possibly come up with 30 pages you need to do for something so 'simple'!? Ridiculous that there isn't even a shortcut for people, like yourself, that already have the feed setup once..



That's what I thought of them as I was reading a bit about that. They don't seem to like the change.

How can they hold it back though? Is it merely, because it's an 'illusion' of them being an authoritative figure over the real estate market, or are they actually?

For example, let's say something I create would start taking away members for them, they get upset, and trying to stop it. Do they have really much power besides scare tactics? Obviously this is still something I need to look into myself much better.

Yeah NAR is a dinosaur that refuses to adapt. They pay lip service to technology and social media but meanwhile they employ horribly ineffective marketing strategies themselves. Some of the commercials they run make me nauseous; they're so cutesy, trite and insincere

Listing data has been the focus of a turf war for years. Home owners claim ownership over the data, because it's their home. Brokers claim ownership over the data, because they were the ones to procure the listings. NAR claims ownership, because they claim to protect the rights and privacy of homeowner clients.

Bottom line, NAR is in the way of progress, and they are holding their agents back. What I see happening is that top agents will continue to pursue innovation and will basically have to decide at some point whether they want to be a REALTOR or whether they want to have a successful real estate career. NAR is already an irrelevant trade organization. Even more than irrelevant, there's an argument to be made that they're actually damaging to the industry. Most agents just don't get that yet.

 

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[Rem]

Lands of America... is a service. They get others to display their database on websites across the web and split revenue as people list properties for sale.

 

[Icy]

Yeah NAR is a dinosaur that refuses to adapt. They pay lip service to technology and social media but meanwhile they employ horribly ineffective marketing strategies themselves. Some of the commercials they run make me nauseous; they're so cutesy, trite and insincere

Listing data has been the focus of a turf war for years. Home owners claim ownership over the data, because it's their home. Brokers claim ownership over the data, because they were the ones to procure the listings. NAR claims ownership, because they claim to protect the rights and privacy of homeowner clients.

Bottom line, NAR is in the way of progress, and they are holding their agents back. What I see happening is that top agents will continue to pursue innovation and will basically have to decide at some point whether they want to be a REALTOR or whether they want to have a successful real estate career. NAR is already an irrelevant trade organization. Even more than irrelevant, there's an argument to be made that they're actually damaging to the industry. Most agents just don't get that yet.

Thanks a ton! Been busy the past couple days so I haven't been able to reply til now.

I honestly don't think I've ever seen any of the NAR commericals. haha

Hmm.. All this is making me consider trying something, atleast within my county\surrrounding counties to start. Still need to research a bit more before embarking on this, but thanks to all your help, I'm really considering trying this if the next few things I look up seem to give a 'go ahead'

@Remdog - checked it out - Definitely the type of thing I was looking for, thanks!

 

[Icy]

Bump.

Anyone know listing services that allow you to grab the data from their servers, and then display it however you want? A popular service for agents around me seems to be Point2 Agent, which as far as I can tell lets you display the listings on your websites in a few templates they have. This leads to pretty limited design for their websites. And just searching in 'Power by Point2' bring up a ton of websites that pretty much only vary by color, and thier logo...

I created a quick mock-up in spare time of something that would be able to do this, but I don't know if it's too 'technological' for it to really grab... Maybe I should just create something a little more 'formal' and see if people here understand\can use it?

 

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