Choosing from dozens of differing IDX Solutions can be overwhelming, so let the IDX experts point you in the right direction. After twenty years of hands-on IDX integration, we’ve narrowed it down to two of the best IDX plugins for WordPress real estate websites. Their continued innovation and advanced IDX features make these two stand out. Read on to learn about the best IDX for WordPress real estate websites.
- What is IDX?
- What are the Biggest Benefits of an IDX Solution?
- Best IDX Plugins for WordPress Websites
- iHomefinder’s Premium Map Search
- IDX Broker’s Platinum IDX Solution
- Choosing the Ideal IDX Plugin for Your WordPress Site
- In Need of a WordPress Real Estate Website with IDX?
What is IDX?
IDX is the property search on a website, it connects to an MLS (What is IDX?) which allows your leads to search every property on the market while featuring your own listings first. Leads can sign up for new listing alert emails, save favorite listings, save favorite searches, and more! And the best part, it’s all on YOUR website, so you keep and nurture each lead.
IDX works via broker reciprocity. Historically, REALTORS® got together and agreed that sharing listings benefited the industry overall. When you add a listing through your MLS portal, that listing is auto-populated onto your website through the IDX (Internet Data Exchange), sometimes as little as 15 minutes.
What are the Biggest Benefits of an IDX Solution?
Not all IDX solutions are created equal. The best IDX solutions:
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- Offer a safe place for visitors to search for listings and all leads to go you
- Have a responsive design and is mobile friendly
- Displays the latest listings to hit the market faster than Zillow
- Offer new listing notifications
- Automated market reports data
- Showcase your featured listings
- Gain valuable search engine optimization from indexable listings (SEO)
- Allow you to create polygon map searches around popular areas
- Allow you to display listings on informative and SEO friendly neighborhood pages
- Allow you to display listings on lifestyle searches i.e. lakefront homes, golf communities, popular school districts
- Control listing descriptions, photos, and videos
- Allow you to integrate IDX into your Facebook account
- Offer lead generation forms to capture and build a database of leads
- Offer sold data to help educate buyers and sellers
- Optional marketing tools like drip-email campaigns
- Never risk losing your leads to another Realtor’s advertisement shown by portal search sites.
These are some of the best ways to use an advanced IDX search to attract and gain new leads. The two IDX solutions we profile below offer powerful features to help you succeed online and beat out the competition. They continue to grow, invent, and serve the demands of today’s savvy buyers and sellers.
Best IDX Plugins for WordPress Websites
Let’s dive into our picks for the best IDX plugins for WordPress which are iHomefinder and IDXBroker.
iHomefinder’s Premium Map Search (with Market Reports!)
Founded in 1997 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, iHomefinder’s team has a top-notch IDX with consistent improvements that keep the system competitive. Their years of knowledge and familiarity translates into an IDX that is user-friendly, feature rich, with large, stunning photos and professional IDX display pages. iHomefinder has several options for single-agents or teams. Pricing starts at $59.95 mo. with mapping or $49.95 mo. without mapping.
We recommend iHomefinder’s Premium IDX with a portal-quality Zillowesque property search. This Premium map search has some updated features you can learn about on our article : Premium Map Search: The Game-Changing IDX for Your Real Estate Website. We recommend Premium IDX for the automated market reports that make your neighborhood profile pages stand out from the competition.
iHomefinder also offers their new MAX CRM for individual agents, small teams and broker websites. Inquire with us to find out if your MLS is covered and for a free consultation.
Here’s a quick list of just some of the iHomefinder features we find essential:
- Market Reports, automated and hyper-local via MarketBoost
- Premium IDX Zillow-Portal Quality Search (view live IDX plugin demo)
- Connect to your CRM of choice via email routing
- An optional CRM for single-agent, small team or full broker offices
Inquire with us to find out about your local MLS coverage and for a free consultation with our team. - Marketing Automation converts more leads with smart, automated follow-up
- Optima Leads App works your real estate leads wherever you are
- Text Message Alerts
- Lead tracking and management tools
- Polygon and Map Search included
- Similar Listings keeps visitors looking at listings
- Sold data included at base price (when available)
- Indexable Listings (no custom sub-domain required)
- Office ID Featured Listings available for single-agents and teams (no extra cost)
- Facebook IDX Integration
Live examples of iHomefinder features:
Mark Salmon – Premium Map Search – New V 10!
Bill Leeder – Specialty search with IDX
Michelle Keck – Polygon IDX search
Parkway Real Estate – IDX featured listings
Mark Salmon – MarketBoost market reports
Parkway Real Estate – IDX new listing notifications form
Standard IDX Solution Premium IDX Solution
IDX Broker’s Platinum IDX Solution
IDX Broker, established in 2004, has been working hard to provide a customizable IDX with room to grow. Their talented team strives to share their knowledge and passion for IDX. In a recent interview, IDX Broker CEO Chad Barczak reflected on the changes the Real Estate market has experienced over the years and how IDX has become the mainstay of smart, successful REALTORS®. Pricing starts at $55 mo. for Lite IDX (without a polygon search tool) or $90 mo. for Platinum IDX, which includes a polygon search.
IDX Broker is the perfect solution for sellers of land, lots, farm, ranches, rentals, or other niche property types as they include advanced search fields for ALL property types. When you purchase through IDXCentral, you get our styled IDX Broker search pages (not the out-of-the-box experience) so inquire with us for MLS coverage and a free consultation. We love how beautifully the IDX incorporates into our WordPress real estate websites.
With so many great options to explore, here’s a quick list of our favorite IDX Broker features:
- Advanced Search Fields for ALL property types
- Market Report data on Platinum Accounts
- Customizable, use CSS to customize styling (or our custom IDX Broker templates)
- Printable Flyers direct from listing pages
- Track your leads beyond the basic lead tracking system, use Advanced Analytics to track conversion on specific IDX pages
- Polygon Search on Platinum Accounts
- Sold Data included on Platinum Accounts
- Lead Login via Facebook or Google
- Indexable Listings (custom sub-domain required)
- Facebook IDX Integration
- Text Message Alerts
Live examples of IDXBroker features:
SES Real Estate Group – IDX Search
SES Real Estate Group – IDX map search
Bluefin Realty – Neighborhood pages with IDX
Bluefin Realty – IDX featured listings
Kurtis Hawkins – IDX new listing notifications
Choosing the Ideal IDX Plugin for Your WordPress Site
Talk to the experts! Here at Moineau Design, IDXCentral.com, we have extensive experience implementing and customizing the iHomefinder and IDX Broker IDX solutions for real estate WordPress websites. We have over 29 years of experience and have served over 10,000 real estate professionals.
In Need of a WordPress Real Estate Website with IDX?
We can help with that too! If you’re in the market for a responsive real estate site built on WordPress that gives you the features you seek, call us! We specialize in WordPress real estate websites, IDX sales and integration. View our WordPress real estate Semi-Custom, Limited Edition and fully custom website designs.
Contact us or call direct at (888) 577-8027 ext 1 for sales.