Syndicating to Zillow and Trulia

Syndicating to Zillow.com & Trulia.com

By Gonzalo Mejia, 2015 NEFMLS President

As you know, there are a many changes taking place within the customer portals or national listing display marketplace.  First, Zillow.com will no longer be accepting listing data via ListHub, which is the product RealtyWEB.Net MLS uses to allow you to send your listings to the various national websites, effective April 7^th.

And now that Zillow.com has acquired Trulia.com, Trulia will no longer be receiving listing data from ListHub either.

Recognizing that many of our members utilize both of these consumer portals, RealtyWEB.Net MLS has successfully negotiated an agreement to provide listing data for display on Zillow.com on behalf of our members.

This agreement also includes the following features for all our members who choose to send their listings to Zillow and Trulia:

• The broker maintains complete control over the decision to send listings to Zillow.Com/Trulia.com.  This will be accomplished direct from your Flexmls login.  Click here for details.
• RealtyWEB.Net MLS staff will make every effort possible to ensure there will be no interruption in your services/listing data if are you currently syndicating to Zillow.com/Trulia.com.  However, please be sure to watch for notifications.
• All RealtyWEB.Net MLS listing agents will be prominently displayed on all of their listings.
• RealtyWEB.Net listing brokers receive attribution, branding, and a link back directly to your websites.
• Listing Brokers will have access to daily analytic reports.
• Better leads – listing data will be more accurate and up to date.
• Access to the Zillow Data Dashboard, a free listing management and reporting platform for more control over your listings.

For now, you will continue managing all other consumer portals from your ListHub account.  Currently, only Zillow.com and Trulia.com will be managed direct from Flexmls.

As stated in last week’s press release, "Zillow is providing a service to a significant portion of our members," said Ron Stephan, CEO of NEFMLS, in a statement. "A direct relationship will improve the quality of our listings data and ensure the timeliness that is crucial to real estate, especially in terms of price and status updates."

If you have questions, please contact RealtyWEB.Net Tech Support at (904) 394-9494 x 1605, also again, click here for details on how you set your preferences in Flexmls.  We will be sure to keep you updated when this option will actually be released.

A Message from Gonzalo Mejia, 2015 NEFMLS President- Looking Forward to 2015

Happy New Year to all of our Members!

First, I want to thank all of the 2014 Northeast Florida, Inc. Board of Directors.  Their dedication to making our organization one of the best in Florida has laid the groundwork for a successful 2015.  I especially want to thank those individuals who served their last term in 2014; Charles Kassaw  Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty (2014 President), Roy Orren Marketmasters of the Southeast (2014 Secretary), and Stan Bishop Exit Real Estate Gallery, Director.  Please extend your welcome to the new 2015 Directors; Jeanne Eisenstein Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, Laura Evans Magnolia Properties of Jacksonville, and Jamie Huggins Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty.  Click here for a complete list of the 2015 NEFMLS Board of Directors. 

Lastly, I want to thank our Metro Market Trends, Inc. (MMT) Board of Directors as well President Gene Jones, Vice President Dee Bumbarger and Directors Andre Boutte, Dave Rifkin and Glenn East.

We are all very excited about the new changes coming to our MLS and MMT in 2015.

We kicked off the year going mobile.  Currently we are able to offer our members two mobile apps to access all the listing data including private information such as showing instructions, private remarks, and more.  We partnered with REALTOR.com to bring you the Find app.  Find integrates with your REALTOR.com profiles, setting, and includes a real time customer communication feature.  Flexmls has had an iPhone app available since last year and just recently released their Android version.  The Flexmls app integrates with your MLS system contacts, saved searches, and listing collections.  You can also make changes to list price and add photos direct from this app.  Both apps are powerful resources providing you private information so that you can promptly service your customers.

At the end of the first quarter, you will have access to a new service offering valuable information on our Condominium listings.  Each condo unit will include a floor plan, basic information about the condominium building such as how many units, how many units for sale, and detailed market information.  This service will be available for all condominium complexes in Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties.

Metro Market Trends, Inc. continues to make enhancements to their subscription based software MMT SearchNet, including displaying active, pending and sold listing information on the maps for NEFMLS members. Soon we will be releasing both Android and IOS apps that will allow SearchNet subscribers to access information on properties all over Florida.

We continue to work with Flexmls on enhancements and improvements to the MLS system.  Adding Details to our Views is the most recent enhancement.  Soon you find a new link on the Member Search results page that will enable you to view that member’s REALTOR.com profile. 

2015 will be our year for improving communications with our members.  There are always changes occurring in our industry as well as the flexmls system changes and we want to be sure you are informed.  Listing syndication to third party sites (such as Zillow) and its upcoming changes is just one example of where communication with you, our members, is very important to the MLS, the Board of Directors, and your business.  

We would also like to hear from you.  If would like to submit an article or an idea for an article, please send to mlsnews@realtyweb.net.  

I am honored to serve as your 2015 Northeast Florida MLS, Inc. President and excited to be a part of all the upcoming events to benefit our members.