HOW YOUR BROKERAGE CAN MAKE THE MOST OF IDX

To take full advantage of IDX, you MUST have a web site that displays IDX Data. There are several ways to get one; each described more fully below. The CMLS has identified third parties that are qualified to assist you in developing a web site for your firm. (Click here for details.)

Your imagination is an important part of IDX. Think of a ways to provide consumers with innovative services using IDX Data. Give your ideas a try (so long as it doesn’t break the rules). Ideas that have been tried on other real estate web sites include:

  • Gathering consumers’ e-mail addresses and property interests and sending them periodic updates on new listings that match their criteria.

  • Allowing consumers to perform a mortgage payment calculation using the list price for the listing they are looking at.

  • Allowing consumers to save listings to their “favorites” folders, so they can get back to favored listings quickly on subsequent visits. (Note that you cannot continue to show consumers a listing after it is sold. If a consumer tries to view a “favorite” listing that has since gone off the market, your site must inform her that the listing is no longer available. That’s a good time to suggest that she call your firm to find out what happened to the listing. Maybe it just expired or was cancelled.)
In the future, when the regulatory climate has been determined, brokers may want to investigate providing other web-based services. As the rules are clarified, you’ll have a leg up on your competitors if you already have a robust web site with IDX Data.

Doing it yourself

If you are a fairly sophisticated designer of web sites, and particularly if you have experience building, maintaining, and accessing databases on the web, you may want to build your own IDX web site. You will find detailed information to help you design your IDX web site in the Technical Implementation Guide.

Working with a web designer

Most brokers do not possess the resources or staff required to perform the tasks identified in the Technical Documentation. If you want the maximum amount of control over how your web site looks and works, you will want to engage a web site design and maintenance firm. They will use the instructions provided in the Technical Documentation to build a web site for you according to your specifications. This could cost you anywhere from one hundred to several thousand dollars per month.

Saving money with a “template” based web site

If you don’t want to make the financial commitment to have a custom web site built for your firm, you may be able to use a site based on template. For more information about this option click here.

Sample sites

Still can’t figure out which approach you want? Check out these examples of IDX (AKA Broker Reciprocity) web sites from other parts of the country.

www.realestateguideinc.com and www.emamuske.com: These two web sites developed by Arran Technologies, Inc. a provider of template and custom IDX websites. These sites belong to RE/MAX Real Estate Guide and ERA Muske Company.

www.edinarealty.com and www.cbburnet.com: These are the sites of the Twin Cities’ two mega-brokers. The firm’s in-house information technology staff or an outside consultant specially constructed each of these sites.

www.mavrikrealty.com and www.rogerfazendin.com: These two web sites belong to Mavrik Realty and Roger Fazendin Realtors, respectively. They were both built by WolfNet Technologies, Inc., one of the web site designers with which the CMLS has a marketing agreement. (See Section 7 for more details.)

www.21homesearch.com: This site was custom built for Century 21 Premier Group, a multi-office firm concentrated in the eastern metro and Western Wisconsin.

Questions you should ask web site prospective web designers

The CMLS strongly advises you to ask questions, many questions, before signing up with any web site provider, including the template providers identified in Section 7. The questions you ask at the beginning of the process will go a long way toward preventing disputes down the road. Before you contact any web site designer, look at other IDX (aka Broker Reciprocity) web sites. Use them, as you would imagine a consumer using them. Because your competitors’ web sites are available to you 24 hours a day, you have an unusual opportunity to see what they’re doing before choosing your own course.

Before beginning discussions with a web designer, ask for the web addresses of other brokerage (and preferably IDX) sites they have built. While nothing prevents you working with a designer that has no previous IDX experience, you may find it more economical and convenient to work with one who has. As in any business, web designers have varying levels of experience and expertise, from those who could build an IDX site in their sleep, to those who have never done any web-based database design. You will probably want to work with the former rather than the latter.

Here are a few important questions to ask web site designers. This list is not exhaustive. Use your business common sense.

  • What are the set up costs for the web site? Most web site designers will want some kind of up front fee to create your web site. Find out exactly what steps the designer will take during these initial stages.

  • What is included in the up front fees? Find out if the package you are considering includes the complete design of a custom web site, or if it only includes certain “template” elements. Find out how much control you have over things like the graphic design of your site, the color scheme, etc.

  • Can I integrate IDX Data with my existing web site? You may already have a web site and a web site designer who has been doing a good job maintaining it. You may just want to incorporate the IDX piece into that existing site. If you want to keep your existing designer, have him/her contact other designers who have IDX experience to help you select one who is best for you.

  • What are the maintenance costs and how frequently are they due? Most web site designers will charge you a monthly or quarterly maintenance fee. You should find out what you are receiving for this fee – at a minimum, it should include weekly automatic updates of the IDX Data on your web site, preferably daily.

  • Is a hosting fee included, or is it payable separately? Once a designer creates your site, it will have to be “hosted” on a computer connected to the Internet. Your designer may include the cost of hosting in the maintenance fees. Or you may have to make separate arrangements for hosting. If the designer will host your site, ask for the web address of another site they host. Visit this site and make sure that it loads quickly. Consumers will hate your site if it runs slowly.

  • Does the maintenance fee include periodic changes to your site? You will want to change information on your site, things like firm special events, salesperson of the month, etc. Find out how many such changes are included in any maintenance fee, and how much additional changes will cost.

  • Does the maintenance fee include access to statistics about who is visiting your web site and when? Critical to any marketing plan involving the Internet is an understanding of who is visiting your web site and from where they are being referred. There are software packages available that will track activity on your web site and provide important answers to these questions. Will your web site designer provide this information to you? Is the cost included in your maintenance?

  • How much personal interaction will you have with the designer, or is it all online? Any face-to-face? How much? Any phone? How much? If you are accustomed to face-to-face or telephone customer service, you may find it harder to find among web site designers. They are frequently creatures of e-mail. If this is important to you, you’ll want to discuss it with candidate designers in advance.

  • What is the cost for additional work and features? If you see something on another site your designer has created, he/she should be able to tell you how much it would cost to add it to your own site. Do not assume that a feature will appear on your site just because it appears on another site your designer created for another broker. The other broker may have paid a premium price for that feature. The contract you write with the designer should list all the features you want and indicate their price. (If you’re asking for a novel feature, the designer may hesitate to give you a price up-front. This is not unreasonable, and you’ll have to negotiate the best deal you can.)

  • Discuss changes you will occasionally have to make. Find out how much they will cost:

    • Change an agent name
    • Add a link
    • Add a banner
    • Add a web page

  • Will the vendor display all photos on each listing, or just the main photo? In these days of digital photography using multiple photos is a powerful sales tool.

  • Will you own the domain name? If you are paying the designer to register your domain name, it’s important that the designer commit to registering it in your name. You will be putting this address on all of your marketing materials from here on out. You don’t want the designer to take it with him/her if you choose to work with a different designer.

  • Does the Broker own the site content? You will want to be able to take your web site design with you if you choose another designer down the road. Seek provisions in your contract that will guarantee this. Note: this is probably only applicable to “custom” site content. If you buy a “template” package, the web site vendor will not relinquish any rights in the template or the search interface to you.

  • Who is the designer/vendor? Is it a corporation, sole proprietor, LLC? Who will deliver on the promises the salesperson makes if that salesperson leaves? It’s important here, as in every business deal, to know whom you are dealing with.

  • What is vendor’s experience web-based databases, real estate web sites, etc., and with whom have they worked? CHECK THESE REFERENCES! If they have built other broker web sites, visit them. Make sure they work, that they look good, and that they are fast (consumers hate slow web sites).

  • How soon after you sign a contract will your web site be up? It is important to clarify all parties’ expectations here.

  • Where is the designer located and how will you communicate with them?

  • Ask the designer why they deserve your business. There are many options out there. Make the designer explain why they are the best.

Encourage the designer to contact the CMLS. You may encourage the vendor to contact the CMLS to talk about what’s entailed in an IDX web site if they have any questions. They will provide better cost estimates if they know more about the CMLS’ systems and the Rules and Regulations of the program.

 

  
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