WordPress IDX or RETS and Open Realty

Posted on February 23, 2008
Filed Under Week in Review | Leave a Comment

Is it possible to have a RETS and IDX Import for WordPress?

I’ve added a new category to my blog titled "Week in Review" which will include a run down of popular questions I"ve been asked in forums, blogs and by email that may be beneficial to readers of my blog.  This new category will also include weekly updates on the applications I work with frequently along with some brief examination of those I don’t.  So to make a first post in this category lets begin by addressing the past two weeks of emails I’ve received regarding this new plug-in and other apps.

I frequently get asked if the native functions of EZ Realty and Open Realty have the ability to handle IDX imports.  My answer is that although each of these applications can certainly have IDX data plugged in to them; neither app as of this date supports the feature natively.  The method we use to post MLS data from and IDX feed into Open Realty or EZ Realty is to simply create a custom import and extraction script that runs via a CRON after the mapping is done.  The general procedure then is to import ALL available fields into either Open Realty or EZ Realty and customize the presentation by determining which fields get published publicly. 

MLS Rules and Requirements dictate how information is displayed and Open Realty has a feature where you can hide things like the property address from people who are not logged in.  Therefore MLS’s require that only registered members of a Realtors site are  privy to such information.  This is almost globally true among all boards and all MLS providers regardless of RETS or IDX feeds. Rules naturally may vary from board to board.

What I usually do in 90% of all IDX or RETS installs into either application (OpenRealty or EZRealty) is map the data completely for all fields to be imported into the database. Then listings that are for the Realtor or Realtor and Agents of any particular office would have those listings FEATURED.  With a half dozen PHP scripts, the CRON to automate the process for either RETS or IDX are added and the entire MLS update takes place at a scheduled time. With RETS, the process can be a little different because some RETS providers do not adhere closely to the guidelines.  In instances where we can’t use vieleRETS downloader with some automated PHP, we use a custom tool we acquired from a former FNIS developer. 

Can I import the MLS data and still add our "office opens" and other listings?

With an MLS daily update this isn’t really advisable. Although it is possible to use an update change method with RETS and sometimes with IDX its exceptionally slow and burdensome on the CPU to process the data in such a way.  Because of this nearly all IDX imports that are done with either application are done by dumping the data and  simply reinstalling it with each successive update.  Most MLS’s provide the daily actives which are usually the only listings a site should have requirement for. So, rather than go through the daily archives and pick out changes, the process is vastly simpler and more efficient to simply reload the data.  So, what about open listings and properties NOT in the MLS?

There is a few ways I’d suggest handling this. The first would be to maintain a two installations of Open Realty for instance.  Although not easily done with EZ Realty (my argument confirmed yet again) Open Realty makes the solution to this extremely simple.  Most sites I’ve worked on usually keep opens in a directory titled /featured-listings ( or /featured, /featured-property, /opens etc…) and then the MLS import simply /listings .  The site structure allows the office or agent to provide listings NOT in the MLS such as properties they manager for rentals or whatever else in one location and the bulk MLS listings in a seperate installation.  Then, by simply bridging the login and user registration process the site now appears seamless.

With EZ Realty this isn’t EZ-ily done by any means and is usually requires us to use Open Realty in addition to EZ Realty for similar types of setup.  I’ve elated to this many times that I am no fan of integration because integration is simply NOT done on the corporate or commercial level but EZ Realty as an integrated solution is the exception and does have unique advantages over Open Realty we can cover in a subsequent post.  Integration is for the most part forcing two separate applications to work as one which goes contrary to the entire principle of well structured web solutions.  Because of this I’m not going to expand on this at this point and simply move on to yet another solution.

An alternative solution may be the Ultimate way to do IDX - The UltimateIDX

Lets start by assuming your objective is somewhere in the post above and that you want to have MLS listings NOT framed into your site for seamless use. Then the UltimateIDX may be the best solution.  A commercial product of The Brokers Edge, the UltimateIDX can work with Open Realty, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, among dozens of applications we have tested for by seamlessly installing. The UltimateIDX is more than just a run of the mills IDX solution as the UltimateIDX not only provides agents and or offices with full MLS presence in their site but also provides with all the back end management tools necessary for an office to manage clients, email, contacts, floor duty, scheduling, documents, and other facets of a modern cutting edge brokerage. 

I’ll write a subsequent post on the UltimateIDX in a moment but for now, know that this solution is not only embarrassingly affordable its humbling in its features and ease of management make it an ideal solution HACK FREE to put listings in your EXISTING site.

Regardless of the steps you chose, doing so following proven recipes for success will substantially reduce your learning curve and time to launch.


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