IDX Plugin Gives You The MLS For Your Own Marketing

The term "IDX" is an acronym of Internet Data eXchange. IDX allows Brokers and Associate Brokers to display all homes for sale listed in their MLS, on their personal real estate web sites.
For most MLS areas this also includes coming-soon, pending and sold status too.
Many MLS even include rental properties as part of IDX.

Because IDX is considered advertising, each agent (with the permission of their managing broker) can present all listings through their web site to any visitor without the need for the visitor to agree to any formal terms and conditions.

The concept of IDX is simple: It's a reciprocal agreement. Each participating broker contributes their listings to the IDX database (they opt-in) and is in turn, able to display listings from all other participating brokers on their web site. These days, practically all listings from your MLS are now included with IDX.

Did you know?
NAR made reciprocal Internet Data eXchange a mandatory policy effective Jan 1 2002.
Buying Buddy was one of the very first solutions created to incorporate IDX.

IDX is an open, unrestricted way of advertising and marketing MLS listings. Brokers may opt out of having their listings it the IDX feed. Registration is not required.

A VOW requires the visitor to register and provide an email address. As a password protected resources for clients and customers, VOWs are meant to be more of a way to provide service to a client or customer. A VOW can include all listings (brokers cannot opt-out) and more data fields, for example, VOW can include sold listings (even in non disclosure states, expired listings, original list price, price changes, days on market, and more.
These days, IDX feeds typically have most of the MLS data fields that used to be just in the VOW feed.

From a marketing perspective, most IDX data feeds include all non-confidential data and so practically offer the same service as VOWs.

IDX delivers agents a significant advantage by keeping visitors on your website without having to go elsewhere to see all available properties within an area.

IDX enables consumers on an agent's web site to access all the properties listed on the MLS, without leaving the agent's web site.

IDX is a technology that levels the marketing playing field.
Agents and brokers can display as much inventory, of all status, as large corporate Brokers. With IDX, agents, no matter how small or big their business operation, can look like a substantial real estate business.

IDX allows an agent to create tangible proof of their listings sales and inventory coverage.

Your MLS may provide you with an IFRAME IDX link so that you can embed an MLS search in your website. You may feel offers good value, however MLS search in an IFRAME has many limitations that you should consider:

1. A free IDX IFRAME link from your MLS will only provide limited capabilities, typically a simple MLS search method.
2. An MLS IFRAME link provides no ability to match the style of presentation with your own website.
It's very unlikely that Iframe content styling will compliment your real estate branding and image. Colors, fonts and layout inside the IFRAME will not blend with your own website theme.
3. Iframes are not designed to be mobile responsive. An IFRAME MLS search embedded in your real estate website is unlikely to provide a great user experience for your clients searching for real estate on mobile devices.
4. Due to these limitations and more, free IDX Iframe solutions from your MLS will probably not assist you in your goal of establishing authority and credibility your markets by using MLS data.
5. Buying Buddy is a plugin that offers you the ability to use MLS listings to establish legitimacy with your real estate clients and prospects. Unlike a free IDX iframe from your MLS, Buying Buddy customers are able to use the MLS for their own advantage. This includes the display of properties any way you like!
   For example, these are some examples of standard capabilities with Buying Buddy IDX:
   • Show all team active listings
   • Show all team sold listings
   • Show all team listing sold in the last 6 months
   • Show my listings, but if I have no listings then show some from the team, or broker
   • Show active and pending listings for all the above
   • Show team listings with open houses in the next 10 days, (or this weekend, or next weekend)
   • Show open houses this weekend in an area defined by a map shape

Yes. However, Buying Buddy plugin works in all types of websites that allow JavaScript and the display of HTML on a webpage.
So, you can choose a low cost, but excellent DIY service such as Squarespace or Weebly, or you can opt for WordPress or even a custom real estate site.

See a list of IDX support for Website Builders and CMS.

All the Buying Buddy widgets have all been carefully designed and coded to allow them to fit perfectly on all devices.

Buying Buddy has also developed proprietary techniques to create unique container responsive IDX widgets so that all components will also fit beautifully within any space on any design, on any device.

Buying Buddy will not work in an IFRAME - so if you use Buying Buddy then you will certainly avoid Iframes!