According to Statista, a leading provider of market and consumer data, a total of 6.1 million housing transactions were completed in 2021 in the US alone, with the real estate industry valued at $27 trillion in 2019 as reported on the marketing and consumer site The Basis Point.
In the 2021 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends presentation assembled by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), we learn that 43% of people looking to purchase a new home started their search online with 51% of those individuals finding the home they purchased on the internet (vs. 28% using a realtor). Notably, according to the same report, only 26% of real estate agents have their own personal website.
In an earlier NAR document, 2018 Real Estate in a Digital Age, we also learn that 99% of millennials (and 90% of baby boomers) begin their home search online. In the same report, 47% of real estate businesses attribute their highest quality leads to social media. This data supports the value of having a strong social media presence for your brand, including platforms likeTwitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
If you are one of the tech-savvy real estate agents in this category, congratulations! You are already ahead of 74% of the competition. But, how do you stand out from the rest of the pack as an expert in your local area, drive traffic to your website, and convert leads into buyers and sellers? With an IDX real estate website, of course!
In simple terms, IDX (internet data exchange) is the software that allows buyers to search for MLS properties straight through your website. Driven by rules and regulations overseen by MLSs across the industry, MLS listings appear online using a standard format and require IDX software to establish a connection between your real estate website and the MLS listings database (this is where the “search” happens). When this connection is implemented correctly, updates between the MLS listings database and the MLS listings on your website happen dynamically and automatically throughout the day.
Based out of Eugene, Oregon, IDX Broker is one of the largest and most well established IDX services in the Real Estate industry. IDX Broker provides a robust WordPress plugin system to help manage your listings and search capabilities on your website, connects to some of the latest SEO boosting tools (like Google my Business), and integrates search widgets, listing showcases, and community pages. Our homebuyer saved search experience with our “My Listings Manager ” is a must-have foundation for your website.
If learning WordPress and IDX seems overwhelming or too time-consuming, we can connect you to one of a hundred different web Developer Partners across the United States and Canada. Each are skilled and vetted professionals who can help set you up with hosting, installation, and the most optimized SEO sites with modern designs (many partners offer additional services like content creation and email marketing campaigns).
Explore IDX Broker today at idxbroker.com.
