Do I Need IDX On My Real Estate Website?
TLDR: If you're a realtor planning a website, you've heard an IDX integration is a must. I have news for you: You don't need it.
Your potential clients already have access to real-time listings through Realtor.com, Zillow, Redfin, and your broker's umbrella site. They started using it years before they were ready to buy a home, and they are savvy!
Adding IDX to your site is NOT solving a problem for your visitors. Instead, it distracts them from learning who you are, what you do, and how to work with you.
That's all you need to know, but if you'd like to hear me rant more, here goes.
As real estate agents, you’re always looking for ways to upgrade and enhance your online presence. If you aren't, your competitors will leave you in the dust. You want every tool and resource available to provide the best possible service to your clients.
So, when it comes to your website, it's natural to include features like IDX (Internet Data Exchange) to help your clients search for the latest listings.
However, it's important to consider whether this upgrade is the right choice for your website. While IDX might seem like a great addition, it can hinder your online success and detract from your overall brand image.
Here are four things to consider when deciding if IDX is a good fit for your website.
1. IDX integrations can't compete with the Zillow App
The simple fact is that your clients already have access to IDX through Realtor.com, Zillow, and Redfin. They started getting real-time property listings on their phones long before they considered hiring a realtor, and they are really good at it - they've been practicing for years.
People will tell you to use IDX as a lead capture tool. But unfortunately, it offers narrow control over lead generation and client follow-up. As a result, there are limited options for collecting and managing leads.
Visitors turn to the app on their phones when your IDX integration is impersonal and clunky. Why? Because Zillow and others sank a ton of time and money into optimizing their user experience to be easy, accessible, and crazy addictive.
2. Limited customization makes creating a personal brand difficult
IDX is a standardized platform used by many real estate agents and brokerages, which means your website may look similar to others in your market. Competition is fierce. The market is crawling with hungry realtors. When everyone uses the same platform, you gotta work harder to be memorable and endear visitors with your distinctive approach to real estate.
With IDX, it's challenging to create a personal brand. Developers designed it to provide listings and search functionality, not to showcase your unique value proposition and personal story. In a competitive industry, this is a big negative as clients are looking for an agent they can connect with personally and trust with what could be the most significant transaction of their lives.
3. Hinders search engine optimization efforts
IDX can hinder your search engine optimization (SEO). Because it's a standardized platform, creating regionally relevant and engaging content to improve your website's ranking in search engines can be tough.
Generic content leads to lower visibility and less organic traffic, negatively impacting your ability to attract new clients.
4. IDX integrations are expensive
When adding an IDX integration to your website, there are costs to consider. Expect to pay $49-$120 monthly with most third-party providers. These costs add up quickly.
Could that monthly investment be used for more effective marketing and promotion? Fifty dollars spent on lunch with a potential client will go further than a few emails from looky-loos who aren’t serious buyers.
While IDX can be a valuable tool for real estate agents, you don't need it on your website. I offer IDX integrations to my web design clients but encourage them to explore alternative ways to authentically connect with website visitors.
Spare yourself the monthly expense and frustration.
Instead, create a branded website to promote your expertise and engage your dream clients. Connect with your readers on a human level. Relatable is memorable. What's the point of a cool gadget if the user doesn’t remember your name?
