Morgan Carey's Blog: MLS and IDX

For those interested, raw data feeds are available for BROKERS ONLY! This does not mean associate brokers, you must be the broker of record for your office. One benefit though is that it allows for better policing of the IDX rules and regulations as there are far fewer brokers of record than their are agents in the Phoenix metro area.

Here is the exact verbiage from ARMLS.com

Web Developers - FTP data access is only available for the Designated Broker of the office.  We do not take requests for FTP access from anyone except the Designated Broker.  Please direct your client to the Subscribers Only section of our web site to access the FTP for IDX request form (under Technology and IDX).   If your client is a REALTOR subscriber, then FTP access is… Read Full Post

Many members of the REW forum ask, how do I go about creating a custom IDX for my website? The programmatic challenges to this are complex and will be covered in a subsequent blog entry, however before one can even go about coding a custom IDX, one must first have a raw data feed set up by their board. So I decided I would document in my IDX section how to go about applying for such a data feed and the processes unique to each board.

In order for me to do this I will need to gather the following:

• MLS Board Name
• MLS Board Website
• Technical Contact for the board
• Locations of application forms
  
• Rules and regulations
• Fees associated with each type of feed
• Types of feeds
• Server requirements
• Availability…

One of my favorite new designs of late is http://www.previewnaples.com. I am not sure exactly why I like it so much compared to the hundreds of other websites we have launched this quarter, I just like it.

The color scheme really says Naples Florida to me, and the way the IDX quick search, listings and details pages are laid out really appeal to me. The communities map is pretty cool, but I think we should stylize those circles a little bit for the communities.

For those interested this project is a full REW custom, with custom search engine frienly IDX and property mapping. (ticket price typically between $7,500-$15,000) depending on complexity and technical requirements. Read Full Post

We are very excited to add MAAR (Memphis Area Association of Realtors) to our list of MLS boards. We have just completed work on our first custom IDX for Ed Pierce of Remax - his new IDX can be viewed at:
http://www.memphis-realestate.net/search.php

If you have comments or feedback on this new IDX feel free to leave a comment. If you are interested in a custom IDX solution for the Memphis area please contact us Read Full Post

One of our first 10 MLS feeds the SOCAL MLS is actually quite easy for an agent to apply for, however SOCAL is notorious for changing their datafeeds without notice causing vendors such as us with some annoying recoding issues on a constant basis, this also causes downtime for our clients and frustration each time they change something as they have to pay for time to adjust for the changes SOCAL is constantly making.

You can view a few of our custom SOCAL MLS IDX clients at

• Guide To Local Real Estate (Google map search)
  
• J Daniel Realty

A lot of people want to know the difference between our basic custom IDX and a more advanced (More expensive) IDX solution.

Here is a quick breakdown of the basic.

Search Page: allows users to choose bedrooms, baths, sq foot, min / max price, area, property type, you know the basics that all main search pages have.

Listings Page:  This is a list of properties "basic" view which shows a thumbnail of the property and some basic info: Price, Area, Beds, Bath and then a "View Details" button. We typically list 10-15 listings per page and then paginate the rest so that users can click page one, page 2 etc to view more properties.

Details Page: A details page consists of a larger photo (Or multiple photos if they are provided in the feed) as well as… Read Full Post

There is a very intersting debate going on regarding a realtors right to use the phrase "MLS" on their website or in their marketing.

Basically the discussion came about because a member of real estate webmasters who is also a realtor for John L Scott in Washington received an email from the NWMLS (North West MLS) threatening to fine him for using the phrase "Seattle MLS" in his description for his website posted here at REW. The gist of the description went like this:

"At my website you can search all active listings on the Seattle MLS"

You can read about the backlash this has caused at this thread:
http://www.realestatewebmasters.com/thread9678.html

My stance on this is that first a foremost, the NWMLS does not own the trademark or have a… Read Full Post