IDX Nightmare (also)

[itrends]

I just finished setting up a web site (realestateforsalemaine[dot]com) and the whole experience was BY FAR the worst ever. This provider makes you jump through so many hoops that you end up thinking you work for a circus.

They insist on making sure their data's 'integrity' is secure by forcing you to do things 'their' way and no other. For starters, they made us put their disclaimers (advertisements to me) on each and every page of the site. Then they insist that every 'search results' page has to show the listing agent along side (which is a first for me). I understand having to place it on the 'details' page along side the property description, but on the 'results' page too?

Then you have to pass 'compliance' testing which should have only taken 5 days, but they kept finding the stupidest things wrong (font size, page info etc.) They even told us that our client could 'not' show their featured listings along the side on the result pages because they were not part of the search a user might perform. In other words you're not allowed to advertise 'other' properties when someone does a search?!?

They didn't even like the font size I used on some pages (can you believe that?!?!) They claim it's for data integrity, but that's the most ignorant thing I've ever heard. Once I have their data I can resue that data on 1000 other sites and screw them if I wanted. They're trying to force everyone into using 'their' services (which they're now a full service WEB company too) so they make it as difficult as possible. I hate MREIS!

[kdobbs]

Try ihomefinder. It works out pretty good for me.

[soldbychris]

I justed sign up with IDX Broker and don't have any problems.

[Paso Dog]

IDX Pro was easy to work with.

[OregonLO]

good god, what company did you go through? I'll be sure to stay away from them. That seems a bit odd to me. I think they are kind of a crappy company. Just having to put the listing agents information on the IDX system would steer me in a different direction. I'm not trying to advertise for other agents, if someone sees a listing on it I want them to call me for the information...

[itrends]

They were MREIS. It took days of emailing back and forth just for one question to be answered. Reluctant to help and kept piecemealing the issues one by one. I would fix one thing and they would find another. THe problem is that their instructions aren't very clear and at one point they even turned their entire site into what looked more like a search engine than an association. They made it like a personal looking real estate search site.

[allnightit]

I have 4 IDX sites and each of them have different criteria that I must display correctly or in some cases I can get my broker fined.

It's vicious! The realtors created a system to better organize their listings and offer them to selling brokers as another method of advertising. what they didn't count on was getting cut out of their own deals...

READ CAREFULLY - THIS IS IMPORTANT! What they didn't count on was a completely seperate category online where a realtor (& broker) can use all of the listings in that MLS's coverage area to bring buyers to those listings.

So, you ask, what's the problem? That's getting the job done right? Wrong! What is does is essentially cut the LISTING agent out of that extra 3% if they had brought the buyer themselves.

See, traditionally as you may know, realtors charge 6% commission when they find a buyer for their home. If they didn't find the buyer, they have to offer the agent a "cut" of the commission for their buying prospect. If the listing agent offers 2.5% then the buying agent doesn't have to show that property to their prospective buyer, they can move on to the next home for sale. If the agent offers 3.5% to the buying agent, they will jump right on that home and try their best to sell it.

Both sides of the fence. Squabble, squabble.

But, what the listing agents have done is essentially cut themselves out of half the "winnings" from that seller. Anybody can tell you, take half my profit away and I'm gonna do my best to sell it another way.

SO, they put all these regulations, which in most cases are voted on, in place that limit the exposure you can get as the "buying agent" or in my case, I'm the guy who puts my broker ahead of the listing agent's site on google for their own listings.

In closing, I freel your pain, but believe me it can get a lot worse.

I have the following comments in regards to extraneous regulations with reagards to IDX feeds:

1) Monthly IDX Fee - I have an IDX feed that charges me $100/mo just to get the data. They say folks are spamming and they are trying to cut back on the amount of crappy vendors. Hate to break it to you but spammers make a LOT of money and aren't going to stop at tiny little fees like that.

2) Date Uniformity - can we not all get along? I have one feed with 160 fields, one feed with 60 fields, and another that doesn't even give out the address or listing date. There aren't that many companies hosting these things, I checked (wouldn't be a bad gig). Solid Earth is great but they are up against some companies with large cities that really won't comply with anybody.

3) Listing Agent Display Location - this is definately something that has to be standardized - or does it? Keep in mind that in my situation everybody that comes to our site THINKS we are the listing agent already. That home page does it all, you grab them right from the start and let them know you are the shizznit on a stick and nobody has more listings "online" than your website. Once they get to the details page or even the results from the search they have already CONVINCED themselves that you are the company to approach - the little text about "courtesy of" could mean they took the photos, paid for the listing (who knows), put the sign in the yard, cleaned up the house, is responsible for being there. BUT they will call the number on the site -YOUR NUMBER.

This is so new, we've got a long way to go before we see standardization.

All Night I.T.

[bigmax]

IDX is actually a pretty simple thing. Dunno why they all charge astronomical amounts.

Try h t t p / / housedom . com instead.