dsSearchAgent / Mapping IDX for your MLS
Introduction
Diverse Solutions' dsSearchAgent IDX program was created out of a need for agents and brokers to have a superior public-facing property location system. Previous technology by other companies attempted to address such a desire, but different shortcomings in each solution prevented it from becoming the de facto solution in any given market. Given the radically changing web landscape and the massive increase in buyers turning to the Internet to find a home, we took on the tremendous task of developing an application to serve the needs of everyone involved.
What we came up with is unique in so many ways. With our detail-oriented staff of software engineers, we were able to produce something that addresses every issue that other IDX programs have and create a feature set that overcomes even the largest real-estate search sites on the Internet today. Our IDX solution, which makes an interactive map onto which properties are plotted the central focus point, is blazingly fast, incredibly flexible, extremely simple to use, and is even powerful enough that many agents have told us that they use our solution instead of their MLS's own search capabilities.
Our forward facing search for buyers (and even agents) leaves nothing to be desired. Visitors can search for properties by just dragging and dropping different elements on the webpage and by interacting with the map. Every search that a visitor makes is returned instantly, and the matching results are displayed on that same page without reloading; essentially, there's just no need to wait. Each individual property, whether on the map or listed in the search results section, can be clicked on to instantly switch the program from the map tab to a full-featured property details tab. On it, the visitor will find all of the information about that property as well as a contact form, a mortgage calculator, a birds-eye pictorial view of the property (when available), a mini-map, school and community information, and so much more.
What Makes dsSearchAgent Unique?
Cutting Edge Interface
We have used the most advanced programming techniques to date to ensure that everything a visitor does is responded to instantly. In fact, we were able to speed things up so much compared to other IDX providers that we were able to combine the entire property search experience seamlessly onto a single page. While it is still a webpage in nature, it performs very much like a desktop application that is already loaded onto your computer. dsSearchAgent uses a multi-tab interface to allow visitors to quickly flip back and forth between the search panel and the results panel and the map panel and property details panel. This approach entirely eliminates the cumbersome multi-page search interface that all other IDX providers have.
Complete Customization
Almost every single feature discussed in this document, and then some, is completely customizable. The controlling agent, broker, or MLS has the flexibility to change everything from the colors that are used, to the way visitors narrow down their search, to what the map actually displays, to the map's starting point, and even which panels are shown within each property's details area.
Searching
Search Criteria Input
Instead of overwhelming visitors with a sea of textboxes, checkboxes, and city selection dropdowns, we choose to keep things simple yet powerful. By default, dsSearchAgent presents visitors with a number of different "sliders" that visitors can drag and drop with their mouse to narrow down their search. Visitors are also given the option to instead use textboxes to input their search information if they so choose.
Auto-Complete Locations
While other IDX providers use clunky drop down menus and large multi-select boxes to let visitors select the cities, we implemented a location search box that will instantly show the matching cities, communities, tracts, neighborhoods, and zip codes as soon as a visitor begins to type. Visitors can then continue typing while looking at the sugestions, or they can use their mouse or keyboard to select one of the locations in the auto-complete box. Visitors can then continue to enter other locations into the box via the same method by just separating each location with a comma. This approach allows visitors to find properties in certain areas much more quickly and easily.
Search Within Map Area
It's often more convenient to search for properties within a map area instead of searching within the confines of a certain city, neighborhood, or other location. With dsSearchAgent, visitors can create their search criteria and then place a check in the checkbox to search only within their current map view. Visitors can also search within certain parts of cities, tracts, neighborhoods, communities, or zips by specifying that criteria in addition to this option. Using this feature is especially helpful with larger cities, cities with differing tax rates, or when visitors want to search for properties close to a certain school or employer.
Map Search
dsSearchAgent's primary focus point is it's integrated map. By using the map, visitors can quickly zoom to a particular location and then easily specify additional criteria to search within that location.
City Markers
Utilizing advanced mathematics and the standard property data that every MLS provides us with, we are able to calculate the centers and general bounds of each city. Using this data, dsSearchAgent intelligently places a certain number of city markers on the map at the center of each city. When the visitor hovers over one of these markers, the city name will appear along with the total number of listings for that city, the median home price, and the mean home price. Upon clicking on one of the markers, the visitor's map is instantly changed to focus on that city.
"Quick Find" Search Box
Sometimes visitors just want to quickly jump to a particular city or zip code within the map, or they already know the MLS number of a listing that they liked before. Using the "quick find" search box at the top-right of the map, a visitor can simply start typing the name of a city or zip code or the start of an MLS number, find what they are looking for in the auto complete drop down box, and hit enter. Without leaving the page, the visitors map will instantly zoom into the desired city or zip; if they entered an MLS number, the property will be instantly loaded in the "Details" tab.
Viewing Results
Mapped Results
Once the number of properties that match the search criteria (if any) is low enough and the visitor has zoomed in enough, the properties will be placed on the map for visitors to either hover over for a quick preview or click on to take them to the full details page. The color and style of each property's marker indicates whether they have clicked on it visited before (dark green), whether the agent or office holds the listing (red or dark red), whether they have added the listing to their favorites (a star), and whether it is the currently selected property (purple). A full legend and help system is available to describe how the map works and what the different markers mean.
Returned Results
After a visitor specifies the criteria they are looking for in a home and clicks the "Search" button, they are, instantly, taken to the results of their search on the results tab. The results are cleanly laid out with each listing displaying a thumbnail photo and the property's primary information. Viewing the next page of results is quick and easy; clicking on the "Next" or "Previous" links makes the results smoothly scroll to the desired page.
Instant Sorting
Once a search has been performed and the results displayed, the visitor can quickly change the ordering of their results. By changing the "Sort by" drop down box, they can reorder the properties so that those with the largest lots are first, the newest properties come first, the most recently updated properties come first, or any number of additional sort options. Sorting, similar to everything else, is performed in real-time and is completed instantly.
Daily or Weekly Email Updates
On every search that a visitor makes, they are given the option to subscribe to daily or weekly email updates for that search. Each email is pleasantly formatted and contains rich details about each property that matched their search. Clicking on any of the properties in the email will bring the visitor back to the branded dsSearchAgent page where they can view even more details.
RSS Feeds
Unlike any other IDX solution on the market, dsSearchAgent allows visitors to create their own RSS feeds for any search they perform. Similar to email updates, an RSS feed can provide visitors with updates on a particular search or on a particular property. However, the benefit of using an RSS feeds over receiving email updates is that RSS feeds allow visitors to receive the updates on their own time instead of sending them emails that they may be more likely to delete. If you want to learn more about the basics of RSS, you can watch a YouTube video here. You can also find out more about RSS feeds by searching Google for "RSS," or by going to www.google.com/reader.
Property Details
Photo Slideshow
For every property that has more than one photo, a Flash® photo slideshow is displayed. The speed and transition at which photos are shown is perfect for visitors, and its automatic play and pause functionality allows them to effortlessly view all of the photos without touching anything. Additionally, visitors can click the "View Full Size Photos" link to view the original photos provided by the MLS.
General Information
All of the standard property information is well organized and easily available as soon as a property is loaded. Not only can visitors quickly find what they are looking for, but they can also print the listing (along with a small map), view a PDF for the listing, contact the agent about the listing, share the property with a friend via email, and bookmark the property in their browser's favorites. They can also view any virtual tours available for the property or add the property to their dsSearchAgent favorites.
Mini-map With Local Place Finder
The mini-map module and local place finder provides powerful functionality for your visitors to keep them engaged. The map allows visitors to explore the property in more detail without flipping back to the map tab or losing their search, and the local place finder allows them to find
Contact Form
The contact form built into each property details helps convert the visitors into leads. In just a few quick seconds and without leaving the page, the visitor can put in their email address and any other information they wish and instantly let the agent know that they are interested in a particular property. Once the submission is complete (less than a second), they are notified that an agent will get back to them; they can then continue uninterrupted with their search.
dsAgentChat
Our proprietary dsAgentChat instant messaging technology is fully integrated into our IDX solution, allowing website visitors to easily chat via instant message directly with an agent. For added flexibility, the agent can either use the admin area of their website, a desktop client application, or even their cell phone to chat with their visitors. dsAgentChat can also be configured to distribute incoming chat requests in round-robin fashion among a group of agents in an office.
Mortgage Calculator
The mortgage calculator is automatically set up for each property to calculate a mortgage payment based on a 20% down payment and a fixed mortgage rate that is easily adjustable in the administration area. The calculator itself works instantly, meaning that visitors don't have to wait even a little bit before they find out what they need.
Zillow® Zestimates
When the data is available, the Zillow panel built into each property displays the Zestimate®, value range, 30 day change, and the data-last-updated date for each property. Additionally, visitors are shown an appealing chart that details the changes in that property's Zestimate over the past year. Visitors are also given a link that opens in a new window to Zillow's information about the property. Like any of the other details panels, this panel can easily be turned on or off by the agent, broker, or MLS executive.
School and Community Information
With relevant community information being so important to prospective buyers, school and community information is paramount to the sale of any property. dsSearchAgent satisfies this need by providing a wealth of information on the local schools, demographics, crime, housing stats, family facts, education, economy, health, climate, and even local stores and restaurants. Quite simply, they get everything they need to know from a single spot.
Visitor Registration
Registration Dialog
Like everything else in dsSearchAgent, visitor registration is instant and doesn't require them to leave the page, their search, or the property they are viewing. The instant an unregistered visitor tries to access a registered-users-only feature (adding property favorites, viewing RSS feeds, setting up email updates, and viewing saved or previous searches), the screen is dimmed and they are presented with a few very simple options. They can either use an account they created earlier to login, or they can sign up for a new account. Either option is almost effortless, and once they have signed-in or registered, the screen is returned to normal and they can continue to perform searches and view property details without missing a beat.
Encouraging or Requiring Registration
With dsSearchAgent, agents or brokers have a multitude of options when it comes to capturing a visitors' information through registration.
By default, all visitors can use dsSearchAgent completely unhindered and register only when they want to use any of the registered-users-only features. Throughout their experience, unregistered users are presented with "sticky notes" at strategic times that point out all of the benefits they get from registering. While some users will still continue to use the system and skip registration, most users actually do register to take advantage of these features. Quite often, agents and brokers find that these users are better quality leads and are much less likely to give false information than those who are forced to register.
If an agent of broker does want to force registration, they have a number of options. One option is to force visitors to register after performing a specified number of searches. A second option is to force them to register after viewing the details on a specified number of properties. Another option is to allow them to search but force them to register before viewing the full details of a property. The final option is to force them to register as soon as they try to search.
Favorite Properties
Throughout a registered visitor's experience, they are given the option to add different properties into their collection of favorites. A single click on one of the "Add to Favorites" links will instantly mark the property as a favorite and change the link to make them aware of this. The entire process occurs seamlessly without losing their place or taking them to a different page.
If a visitor would like to view their favorites, they can easily click on the "Favorites" link just above the map. Doing so will immediately plot all of their favorites on the map and show them more information about each of their favorites in the results tab.
Saved Searches
Every search a registered visitor makes is automatically saved in their saved searches history. At any time, that visitor can choose to name the last search they made so that they can quickly find it later.
If a registered visitor wants to view either their saved searches or just their search history, they can click on the "Searches" link at the top of the map. Without leaving the page, they will be presented with a tabbed box that they can use to explore their searches. Clicking on any of the searches will return the screen to normal and show them that search.
Administration Area
dsSearchAgent is just as useful and powerful for the agents and brokers who use it as it is for its visitors. Each agent and / or broker is given a unique login and password that they can use to access their dsSearchAgent admin area.
Upon entering the main admin area, they are presented with a dashboard-style layout that explains all of the different admin areas. It also shows a quick profile of their last ten registered visitors to have visited their IDX site. Finally, a feedback and support form is available to quickly get help and give suggestions.
From the dashboard, the agent or broker can go to the "Visitors" page; on it, they can search for, sort, and view details of every registered visitor on their site. The "Links" page will allow them to create links and RSS feeds to pre-defined searches using any criteria they wish. The "Modules" page allows them to pick a mini IDX module that they can configure and in their website with just a single line of provided code. Finally, they can visit the "Profile" page where they can manage their profile and enable, disable, or configure almost every option that their website visitors interact with.
Visitors Section
Searching
Even though other IDX solutions allow real estate professionals to search through their registered visitors, dsSearchAgent takes it two steps further. In addition to being able to look for visitors based on their name, it's easy to search for visitors with dsSearchAgent based on what they were looking for! For example, an agent can easily find all visitors that were searching for condos in Los Angeles with at least 2 beds and a price range of $400k - 500k. The results are generally returned within just a few quick seconds, and the agent can then sort the results based on the last time they visited, the number of searches they performed, or the number of properties they viewed.
Visitor Details
Clicking on any visitor either in the dashboard or on the visitor search page brings up a rich details page that gives the agent or broker a great start on converting them into a client. From the details page, the agent can view the visitor's address, Zillow Zestimate for their address, all of the properties that they have add to their favorites, and all of the properties that they have already viewed. Also viewable is the price range of the properties that they have searched, the price range of the properties that they have clicked into, and other aggregates, averages, and individual details of all of their searches and property views. Finally, agents and brokers can attach notes to each visitor within the visitor details page.
Links
dsSearchAgent's link builder allows real estate professionals to create links to property searches using any criteria they wish. Not only can each link be used in a standard linking situation, but each can also be used as an RSS feed. The creation of each link is started by defining a map area that the search will take place in. The link can then be extended by specifying the price range, beds, baths, tract or subdivision, property size, lot size, the agent or office holding the listings, the number of days the property has been on the market, the property type(s), and the features that the property has. Even the way the properties are sorted for that link can be changed.
Options
dsSearchAgent allows agents and brokers to fully customize the front-end search portion of the program. A photo of the agent or broker can be uploaded, as can a logo. The agent or broker can choose whether or not to use sliders or text boxes by default for the search, what they want the default sort order to be, which panels they want to display on the details page, what they want the default interest rate to be. They can also change what registration level they want to use, whether or not they want an email for each new visitor who registers, and which fields they want to require to be filled in for each visitor. The color scheme can also be completely customized to fit the tastes of the agent or broker.
Website Modules
The dsSearchAgent website modules (demos) allow agents and brokers to place slimmed-down IDX search modules directly into any website they want. Each module is connected to a search link that is created in the admin area, and each link will function off of the continually-updated MLS data. Links can be set up to show anything and everything, from homes built after a certain year within a certain price range to homes listed only by a particular agent or broker office. Any time a website visitor clicks on any of the properties, the full dsSearchAgent IDX is brought up, and the property they clicked on is immediately loaded.
Slideshow module
The "Slideshow" module can easily be used to display the main picture and the primary info of all of the properties that the link's search returns in a slideshow-like fashion. The slideshow is in auto-play mode when it loads, but visitors can easily pause and resume the slideshow as they wish. They can also flip through the properties using the next and previous icons as they wish.
Map module
The "Map" module can be used to place all of the properties that the link's search returns onto a map. Up to 25 of the results that match the link that was set up will be displayed. Hovering over the properties will bring up a small box that will show some quick information about the property. When a visitor clicks on any of the properties, the fully-features dsSearchAgent IDX solution will open up in a new window and will instantly load that property.
Map search module
The "Map Search" module is a scaled-down version of the full IDX search and allows visitors to search for properties in a more condensed fashion. Visitors will be able to search for properties by price, beds, baths, and size (sq ft), and the top 25 properties that were found will be displayed on the map. When a visitor hovers over a property, some quick stats are displayed along with a picture. If a visitor wishes to see different properties according to a custom sort order, they can easily change it. Finally, visitors can click on the link showing the total number of results displayed to go to the main IDX.
Conclusion
Built with the continuous input of many agents and power brokers from around the country, Diverse Solutions' dsSearchAgent IDX program is distinctive in far more ways than any IDX program before it. It exudes professionalism on many levels and excels at the ultimate goal of pleasing website visitors and converting them into lifetime clients. It is intuitive and simple enough for novices, yet powerful enough for even the most advanced and demanding users. With so much to offer, and with the knowledge that dsSearchAgent brings with it over two decades of combined software engineering experience, you'll see why it's different the moment you start using it.
