IDX and VOW Resources for Real Estate Agents: Discussions, Solutions and Web Sites

Your Options - How to Exploit IDX

"when we look at the residential real estate industry ten years from today and try to identify the key events or trigger points which have shaped the evolution of the business [IDX] may well top the list", Laurie Moore-Moore, co-editor of Real Trends, Littleton CO

To take advantage of IDX, all you need to do is add in this capability to your web site.

There are currently three ways to access IDX data for presentation through a private web site:

1. Vendor Template Solutions

The Vendor downloads IDX data from Metrolist to their servers everyday, and then re-presents it to the Realtor's web site via the use of Vendor supplied Template Solution approved by Metrolist. These are often delivered as external application web sites that the Realtor's web site has links to. It is also possible to get framed "plug-in" solutions that fit directly into a Realtor's web site, as well as fully custom built applications.

In this instance, the IDX database is downloaded and held by the Vendor who provides Brokers with customized applications to access, present and manipulate listings.

This allows vendors to provide creative solutions for Associate Brokers that not only allow customized presentation of listing data, but enable the inclusion of marketing utilities and services to generate sales leads.

Examples of this could include the capability to store a visitors search criteria and offer them daily automated searches, or the ability to embed functions such as an instant mortgage calculator next to each property giving an instant repayment calculation based on the value of the specific property.

Vendor template Solutions give Associate Brokers the ability to leverage the creativity of vendors providing IDX listing data, in their quest for sales leads and improved customer service.

See our sponsors for examples of these types of solutions.

2. Metrolist Standard IDX solution

IDX data can be accessed using the approved Metrolist framed solution. This presents a live feed of IDX data from the Metrolist servers into a frame on the Associate Broker's private web site.

On screen, the data is contained within a frame which maintains the Associate Broker's own branding, navigation and messages.

After a license agreement is signed with Metrolist, Associate Brokers can frame the local data within their own web sites.

Framing is a good way to present IDX data as there is little overhead. The delivery and presentation of large volumes of data to the browser window is handled efficiently by Metrolist's servers - not at the Realtor's web site. Consequently, there is no overhead required to download data and no need for additional technical services or technology to create database software to collect, sort and format listings data.

Whilst the Standard Framed solution from Metrolost does allow the presentation of IDX listings, they so not provide additional personalized services to consumers. If you are looking to deploy IDX solutions as a mechanism for generating sales leads, you may wish to review a Vendor Template Solution (see above).

3. Download (for Managing Brokers only)

Data can be downloaded directly to a Managing Broker's own server where it can be manipulated and re-presented. The Broker is able to build their own solutions and present data as they wish within the IDX rules.