Real estate agents often inquire about the necessity of having an IDX listings feed on their website. No, I don’t believe so.
Listing feeds such as IDX are highly attractive to agents due to their efficiency and convenience in displaying a majority of the MLS board listings on their websites. However, while some individuals view it as a standard feature these days, IDX and other automatic listing feeds are often seen as a mere luxury rather than a necessity.
Creating an exceptional experience comes at a high cost.
So who is utilizing IDX listings effectively? It includes major players such as Zillow and Realtor.com. What other similarities do they share? These companies are incredibly large, with enormous budgets and extensive teams of developers. They have made significant investments in creating highly customized products that are visually stunning.
Are you a fan of the real-time search maps and visually appealing displays of listings? Developing that comes with a hefty price tag. Most agents struggle to improve their IDX feed without spending a lot of money and putting in a lot of effort, which may not be ideal for you. Many agents opt for a more affordable, pre-designed IDX solution, which may not match the offerings of larger companies.
It can feel restrictive
From a technical standpoint, automatic listing feeds through plugins may not function in all areas. Various cities and regions may utilize distinct feeds, resulting in potential limitations on certain features depending on your operating location.
Furthermore, it is crucial to ensure that the automatic listing feed is supported consistently across all locations if you work in multiple real estate boards. Dealing with IDX can become complex when you are a member of multiple real estate boards.
It won’t improve your SEO.
If your IDX feed is not properly built, it may not be beneficial for your SEO efforts. IDX feeds commonly used by agents are typically templated and hosted on a subdomain, such as listings.yourdomain.com. Unfortunately, this setup does not have a positive impact on your SEO. In addition, larger real estate websites such as Zillow and Realtor.com will consistently hold more authority and rank higher than smaller websites with a templated IDX feed.
If you want your IDX feed to have a positive impact on your SEO, it’s important to consider an organic or custom IDX solution. For smaller agents, this can become quite costly. In many instances, it may be more beneficial to allocate the funds that would be used for creating an organic IDX feed towards other digital strategies such as content development, advertising, paid search, and various lead generation tactics.
