Improving REW Blog Listings

[webmaster]

Speaking specifically about the listings you can add here at REW via your blog, but this conversation has even further reaching implications for those of you that use REW websites, as it will apply to the featured listings manager as well, so any input you provide will be taken under consideration when upgrading to the new listings manager, due out next month

Purpose of this post:

To brainstorm and get feedback on the perfect listing detail page.

Desired outcome: To allow users to make the most of the listings manager, and convert more deals directly from the details page of a listing added at REW Blogs or via their featured listings manager.

For those of you who don't know, here is what we have now:

Listing Title: Shows as the title on the page, and also as the title in the header for search engine considerations.

Address: This is the physical address of the property, shows your visitors where the property is located, and is also used for Google mapping.

MLS # - this one is self evident.

Square Feet: How many finished square feet is the property

State / Province (Obvious)
City (Obvious)
Zip (Should include postal code for Canadian Realtors)
Price: I broke this playing around with it, just remembered I have to fix it now
Beds
Baths
Type (Currently there is only residential, Rental, Condo / townhome, multi family, land and commercial)
Status (Currently available active, sold, expired, under contract, withdrawn and under contract)
Description: This is where you create your writeup for the property (Also used as the meta description)
Lot size: Size of the entire property
Virtual Tour: (A spot to link to your virtual tour)
Date available: (One would think this would almost always be immediately, but it's in there for rentals etc)
Then we have a short list of amenities:
Living Room Dining Room Family Room Sun Room Basement Fireplace Hardwood Floors Fenced Yard Swimming Pool Furnished Washer Dryer Refrigerator Microwave Dishwasher Pets Hot Tub
And then finally an image uploader (Which right now only allows 6 photos, this is silly, I am going to increase this by quite a bit, at least 12-14 - one thing I learned from the folks at point 2 and from other comments from experienced listings agents etc, is that the more photos a listing has, statistically the more views it gets AND the faster it sells.

Ok so that is what we have: A decent start I guess - but this is all about what we SHOULD have: So lets hear it, what would you like me to add? I am in a developing mood - so here is your chance I will put in some of my ideas as well of course.

[webmaster]

One cool thing I think would be the ability to link with standard URL configuration to just specific "status" or "types" of listings - you might want to add all of your sold listings, and have them display separately from the rest of your listings. Or you might want to be able to link to just commercial, or rentals for instance.

[webmaster]

Next on the listings display pages, we should have the ability for users to sort by ascending or descending price (But which should be the default, lowest to highest?)

[Ryan Ward]

• How about a way to print the flyer, unless it prints well the way it is.
• Email listing to a friend/your REALTOR.

[Ryan Ward]

Sorry, meant for this to be an edit:

• year built
• maybe a basic sort function to view either, all condos - townhouses - single family - rentals.
• association fees
• subdivision
• schools (elementary, middle, high)

[judyo]

Just like in the website listings, if you don't use a spot it doesn't show up at all (instead of being blank). Sq. footage is not an MLS requirement in my area so we don't provide it unless we know it for sure (used mainly for newer construction).

I prefer price to be lowest to highest.

[webmaster]

Print, send to a friend, inquire, calculate mortgage, and map property will all be in there

• How about a way to print the flyer, unless it prints well the way it is.
• Email listing to a friend/your REALTOR.

[Eric Blackwell]

Morgan,

LOVE the idea. Is there a way for us to put someone else's listings up? Since I am a technologist in our office, I'd love to be able to put some of our agents' most interesting listings up --like I did with the first one...but I need to put in that it is listed by others...

I realize that they need to give me permission first, but blogs like urbandigs dot com have been making a living out of establishing authority pointing out other people's great listings...

Thoughts?

Eric

[webmaster]

I could certainly put in a field that says "Listing courtesy of" would that suffice or do you require more?

[Eric Blackwell]

That's be perfect...Thanks!

Eric