So what, exactly, is included with VOW data?

VOW, or Virtual Office Website, is a way for clients to find out crucial information about properties they might be interested in. Information can include vital pieces of data such as original listing price, price change history and days on the market. VOW also tends to include Sold listings. All of this information can be extremely useful for your prospects as they are researching properties.

How is VOW different from IDX?

IDX data is available to any consumer online via a brokerage or agent website. It is open to the public and does not require any authentication to view property information.  Access to VOW data online is only available to consumers who have completed various authentication steps. These steps can include creating an account on the website, double email authentication, acknowledgement of terms of use and other requirements set forth by an MLS and NAR. Consumers dedicated to completing this process are ones that are genuinely interested in accessing the additional VOW information for properties. Their contact information (email, phone number, etc.) tends to be more accurate and they will likely be more engaged in the home buying or selling process.

Do I need both?

Coupling IDX and VOW data can be a very effective lead generation strategy. Effective brokerages and agents will display property details from IDX to generate initial interest and then tempt the consumer to create an account on your website (by providing email address and phone number) to gain access to more detailed VOW data. Doing this creates a sense of exclusivity – making consumers think that they can’t get this data anywhere else.

Ready to take your listings and customer interface to the next level? Contact WolfNet to learn more about our innovative IDX/VOW services.

The post Generating Leads with VOW appeared first on WolfNet.

What is IDX?

IDX is an interchange tool that allows agents to display parts of the MLS database on their own Websites. The IDX was created by the National Association of Realtors (NAR); think of it as the governing policy that regulates how MLS members are allowed to display active listings. Within the IDX infrastructure, a basic search capability exists as a courtesy to members, but many realtors and brokers want much more sophistication that MLS doesn’t offer. Use of a customized, advanced IDX tool allows enhanced MLS listings and better property search capabilities.

How is it different from my MLS datafeed?

MLS now provides a raw, unstructured IDX data feed of all MLS data, but unless you’re a realtor and a pretty savvy computer programmer, it’s impossible to structure that data to make it work for you. That’s where IDX providers, like WolfNet, come into the picture–to use that raw data feed as a starting point, to provide custom search capabilities, lead generation and more products and solutions tailored to your specific needs.

What are the benefits of IDX?

There are two main benefits:

• Increased organic traffic
• Increased lead generation

Basically, pages are created for each listing on your site, and those pages are SEO optimized and also made “Web-crawlable,” meaning that all of your pages are visible to all major search engines like Google and others. The more pages the better—and the higher up the search results list you rank. You’ll get more potential buyers if you have more content on your Website, and an integrated IDX solution allows you to pull in thousands of Google-indexed pages. The solution can create thousands of landing pages that are SEO-optimized to include zip codes, and subdivision or building names. You can even bring in unique listing remarks for each property. As the MLS listing inventory changes, your Website will dynamically change too.

You already pay MLS dues, right? So why not get the maximum bang for your buck by fully utilizing all the IDX features that MLS offers? If you’re an agent or broker and haven’t yet made the switch to a more robust IDX technology, you’re missing out on a valuable boost to your business. Contact WolfNet to learn more about our IDX offerings, and our other products like responsive websites and interactive maps to make it easier than ever to bump up your Website to the next level.

The post Should I Pay for IDX? appeared first on WolfNet.

Our goal was to provide a new interface for the tool that was reflective of our powerful property search platform. What better way to do this than to place the tool directly within the search. We’ll give you a quick rundown of some of the new, cool changes we’ve made:

– Custom URLs are generated automatically as you add search filters and can be accessed via a single click

– Access to additional hidden search options only available to you!

– Updated copy and paste functionality makes it easier to share URLs across your site

– URLs are now saved in one convenient location

– Go back to previously created saved searches and create URLs with ease

Make sure to watch the video below for an even more in-depth look at the new functionality for the URL Search Builder Tool. For additional questions or concerns, contact our service team at 1-866-WOLFNET or through email at service@wolfnet.com!

The post New URL Search Builder Tool Updates! appeared first on WolfNet.

We know how important it is to be there when your clients need you and our platform provides the tools necessary for you to do just that. With interactive search, lead management tools and a host of other options, we’re ready to set you up for success. Don’t believe us? Let our video below do all the talking!

The post Meet WolfNet’s Responsive IDX Property Search [VIDEO] appeared first on WolfNet.

The MLS Approval Process

Gaining MLS approval can be a long tedious process, especially for new agents. No sure where to get the needed paperwork? What signatures you need to acquire? How long does the entire process take? Working with MLS’s on a daily basis, me along with the rest of the WolfNet team have developed some great relationships and have tips on expediting this process. We’ve laid out some key things to keep in mind when looking for approval!

• Make sure you have the most up-to-date version of the data access agreement from your MLS. You get this from the MLS directly or your IDX/VOW provider may have a copy on file too!
• Know your website address by heart and make sure it’s accurate on your data access agreement.
• Do you know your “Broker of Record” on file with your MLS or brokerage? This may be different than your own broker. Make sure to find out who this may be and obtain their signature on your data access agreement if necessary.
• Submit your completed data access agreement directly to the person that handles each approval.

The most innovative solution providers should be able to monitor this whole process for you starting from access to the right documents all the way up to approval so ensure you have a speedy turnaround.

How WolfNet Can Help

Here at WolfNet, our staff members are dedicated to the MLS’s we service, which means our team members are experts in all things related to your MLS. Having an intimate knowledge of your MLS’s rules and regulations helps us provide you with the necessary tools for success!

The post Tips on Expediting the MLS Approval Process appeared first on WolfNet.

Defining a Multiple Listing Service

A Multiple Listing Service is essentially a large database where agents and brokers input the properties they have for sale. This helps real estate professionals search and find the houses their customers are looking for and also gets properties they are selling in front of other potential buyers. Agents get commission from both the sale of homes they’ve personally listed in the MLS as well as when a client they’re representing, purchases a home listed by another agent.

With an MLS, sellers now get more eyeballs on their property and buyers have access to a plethora of homes on the market. The process by which this occurs – buying agents and selling agents sharing properties – is defined as broker reciprocity. This provides a unique business situation within an already competitive market. Agents and brokers have to work with their competition in order to provide a successful experience for their clients.

How MLSs Manage Data

A Multiple Listing Service is paid for and managed by real estate professionals on a daily basis. Clients have access to MLS listing information through their specific agent or broker’s website thanks to IDX providers like WolfNet. Every MLS is different in how they collect and share their data with agents. We take the data from 600+ MLSs across the country and standardize it across the board to represent the data correctly on agent’s and broker’s property searches.

MLSs are influential players within the real estate industry, allowing every type of professional to participate, from single agents to large brokerages. With the continued growth and innovation, MLSs will continue to provide new ways for real estate professionals to access and share their data.

The post Know Your Lingo: What’s a Multiple Listing Service? appeared first on WolfNet.

How IDX Works

IDX, or Internet Data Exchange, encompasses various policies, rules, regulations and software that help display property listings to the public. Homes that are currently on the market are placed on a Multiple Listing Service but only members of that MLS can access this list of properties. So what happens when an agent wants to display housing information from an MLS they aren’t apart of? How do home buyers and sellers access housing information? IDX was created to remedy this exact problem – it pulls data directly from the MLS allowing agents to display property information on their personal sites. Now all you need is a trusted IDX provider (hint, hint) to equip your website with the best IDX property search and you’re all set!

Adding Value with VOW Data

VOW, or Virtual Office Website, is very similar to IDX but with a few subtle changes and additions for home buyers. VOW data offers even more in-depth information about a property such as how many days on market, original list price, and any price change history. Additionally, in order for customers to access VOW data they have to register with an email and password before seeing property information. This provides a great way for agents to build their potential lead list with VOW! One important thing to note – VOW data is not always available in every MLS market or region. Any good IDX/VOW provider will notify their agent and brokerage customers once VOW data has become available in their market.

IDX & VOW are both vital tools in helping agents and brokers bring home buyers and sellers into the market. While there’s plenty of information and history behind both, this high level explanation can hopefully shed some light on the process it takes to bring your real estate property search to life!

The post Know Your Lingo: What’s IDX/VOW? appeared first on WolfNet.