Remax.com — Quietly Providing Nationwide MLS Listings
April 12, 2007 – 3:46 pmTell me if I’m off in left field here but… I don’t read much about Remax.com in the blogging world. Of course Re/Max is well known in traditional media. I even see their television commercials now and then.
But no one seems to be talking about their website. I’ve been having some talks lately with a friend of mine that works in the IT department at the Re/Max headquarters (Our office is only 15 minuts away from his). And he specifically works on the Remax.com website.
First of all, if you aren’t familiar with the site, let me review it for you…
As you can see, they claim to have millions of listings available to view.
My first question to my friend was, how is this possible? Where is the data coming from? Well first of all, all of the Re/Max listings are shown (of course). And the other listings seem to be coming from multiple MLS boards from around the country. When I asked my friend how many were represented, he didn’t know but was confident that over 95% of them were covered.
It seems that most of the listings are provided through IDX feeds that are fed straight into the remax.com website. I assume that there is a licensed broker representative that is used from each MLS board.
Another interesting thing I noticed was that depending on your search area, you aren’t always directed to results on the remax.com website itself. I found this rather confusing actually. When I searched for Raleigh, NC I was abruptly transferred over to the Re/Max Carolina website where the interface is completely different. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this tactic. I think it might confuse the average searcher.
Here is another fascinating find, this property listing in Seattle seems to be listed by Re/Max Metro Associates as that is what is listed at the heading of the page:
But upon reading the finer print at the bottom of the page, it is clear that the listing is from a Windermere office:
I’m not sure what that is all about… I thought this was a no no.
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The main drive behind the site seems to be lead generation. There are a couple of different ways that customer information can be captured:
According to my friend, there is a very sophisticated algorithm involved that decides which agent the lead will go to. Supposedly, it is completely fair and balanced. In most cases the lead will go to the office closest to the listing itself, and a random agent is assigned. If the listing is already owned by a Re/Max agent, the lead will go directly to them.
This process of handing out leads is managed by a website called leadstreet, a service that integrates into Re/Max mainstreet (as I understand it). If a lead isn’t accepted by an agent within a certain time frame (usually 4 hours), the lead will automatically be redirected to another agent. The broker gets to decide the expiration time of leads.
All in all Re/max has created a pretty interesting model that seeks to generate business for it’s thousands of members. The most interesting thing about the site is that they have seemed to be able to pull off a nationwide listing aggragation service, which has been the forbidden fruit of the real estate industry since the dawn of the internet.
There are a few obvious problems with the service, but I honestly don’t know of any other service like it nationwide… to my knowledge it is the only “one stop shop” website to view the majority of public MLS listings nationwide.
Here is Re/Max’s to do list:
- Clean up the site. It’s design is ugly and outdated.
- Integrate all the listings into the remax.com website. Being redirected to other sites is confusing.
- At one time Re/Max was the largest real estate company in the world, and still is when just considering the brand name RE companies. They have a reputation to uphold, and they have a long way to go in order to embrace web 2.0 and the coming online RE storm.
- Re/Max Execs: Start Blogging! Does anyone know of any high level Re/Max execs that are blogging? I don’t.
- Start using the power of all the Re/Max company websites to make the Remax.com website into a powerhouse. Currently, Remax.com is being dominated on the search engines by much smaller companies.
- If they plan on generating internet leads, they need to start advertising on the internet! Traditional media is good, but sheesh… try to embrace something new.
19 Responses to “Remax.com — Quietly Providing Nationwide MLS Listings”
Justin,
I am a RE/MAX Owner in Washington state and I want to tell you that I thought your article above was great. I and my manager and partners feel the same about the RE/MAX web site. It is hard to use and for some reason when you do a search for a certian price home you sometimes get everything in the area from the highest price down to the lowest price. I’ve had clients tell me it’s to hard to use so they go to JL Scott or Windermere sites. I hope RE/MAX Int. can get it right soon.
Thanks Again for your article.
Gerry Crowell
By Gerry Crowell on Apr 12, 2007
Hello,
After reviewing Remax site I would be interested in a comparision with Coldwell Banker. Any chance of that?
By Austin Giobert on Apr 13, 2007
I can say that I with RE/MAX. Im the managing broker for RE/MAX Performance Plus in Federal Way, WA. There are several reasons why everything cant be the same on REMAX.com when searching different areas. Different MLS boards have different rules about how listings can be displayed. Of course REMAX.com doesnt want to blast all over that the listing is actually listed by a competitor. You will find the same tatic used on jlscott.com and windermere.com where they also have an IDX feed from our local MLS where REMAX listings show up under their offices with a small footnote disclosing that the listing office is someone else. It took REMAX a long time and lots of legal hours to get approval from all the different MLS boards across the country and internationally.
Leadstreet is awesome… we are getting thousands of leads from it. It is a great source of leads for our agents. There are also drip emails that can be set up to help cultivate the internet leads.
The new and improved REMAX.com was only rolled out a year ago last month along with leadstreet. They are constantly trying to improve it without having major growing pains.
Im curious .. how & why do you think blogging will help REMAX?
By Lisa Brannon on Apr 13, 2007
Hi Lisa,
The reason I say that Re/Max execs should start blogging is because I strongly feel that Remax.com is slowly losing a fast paced race in the online marketing realm.
Yes, they are doing a great job with developing lead street, and getting their agent’s leads… but they really could be driving more online traffic through search engines.
That is where blogging comes in. Blogging can not only gives a personal touch to a faceless company, but done right, it can drive tons of traffic, offer public updates on the site, demonstrate it’s expertise… and alot more.
When I look at Remax.com, I just feel that their online presence could be vastly improved. I mean, they have a revolutionary service that lets visitors view a huge number of listings, but their search engine presence is practically non-existent, and they are completely silent in the blogging world.
IMO, they just need to start embracing some new marketing strategies.
By Justin Smith on Apr 13, 2007
The Topeka KS area just started the LeadStreet program - but so far it is a great site (for us, the agents anyway). I can tell you that from our side it is a money saver also. Several of us use Visual Tours that cost us monthly, realtor.com (which I will continue to use regardless) and Top Producer to maintain listings. The fantastic thing about Lead Street is it essentially an all in one. It even has drip campaigns. Which is very helpful for client retention. Go RE/MAX!
By Karey Brown on Apr 13, 2007
Justin, I am a RE/MAX associate in Wyoming. We’re a little behind here. I am just now breaking into the blogging. I don’t know anything about it, but I am slowly learning. I am actually looking for some assistance to where I should start my blog. Anyway, I agree with the RE/MAX website. However, how they can do it is easy. It’s all about the IDX and who’s in and who’s out. The reason why you get diverted over to another office, is because we dont have RE/MAX offices everywhere, but we do have MLS cooperation. The law says we have to disclose where the listing comes from, hence: Courtesy of….. It’s no different than any real estate agent placing their local IDX to their site so any buyer can see all MLS homes. The problem we run across here is the prospective buyers request info on a house that may be in another town and we cant even help them.
By Amy on May 6, 2007
Hi,
I’m also a RE/MAX agent from California. I work out of the Lake Arrowhead & Big Bear area. Our MLS is a closed board causing our leads to go to out of area agents. We haven’t benefited from this wonderful new internet exposure. We have to manually enter our listings or they don’t show up. My clients have also complained about the website being confusing and even frustrating. I redirect them to Realtor.com since our MLS listings are reciprocated there. It seems RE/MAX has a lot of work ahead to clean up and organize the website. I’m also interested in your comments on blogging. Is this something we would link to our individual websites?
By Juliann Campuzano on May 23, 2007
Amy,
I understand that they have to disclose the company that actually owns the listing, but in the example I gave, I have never seen the company that is serving the IDX listings appear on the page as if that company owned that listing. In my example, the Re/Max Metro Associates title on the page is very misleading. And the reason I mentioned it was because to my knowledge, most MLS boards to not look favorably upon this kind of thing.
Juliann,
A blog can be directly integrated into your website (ideal), or it can be a completely separate domain.
By Justin Smith on May 23, 2007
I think some of the real estate websites miss out on usability big time. Remax is only one example. Also with big companies like that “decentralization” would be a good idea. Invest in your people first.
By Go Beyond MLS on Jul 23, 2007
Go Beyond MLS,
I agree with you 100%.Usability is key to building any successful website. User friendly, eye catching colors and short but to the point content.
By Joe on Sep 22, 2007
Why do you keep giving everyone the run around? I have tried to get agents to help me but they never reply–I am really disgudted with your site, it used to be good and you could find things now forget it–
By Margaret on Oct 7, 2007
Hi Margaret,
I’m sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about.
By Justin Smith on Oct 8, 2007
Again I agree that Remax is a difficult web site. I have a listing with Remax.ca Edmonton and find the site not to be up todate. Also directs me to some other locations.
Changing at the end of month.!
I think that Brokers would be ahead if they lowered their commission from 7% because the price of homes have drastically gone up and that 7% commisiono goes back when homes were in the mid $200,000.00. The homes maybe would sell faster.
By T Decaluwe on Oct 18, 2007
I had a ReMax agent sell my home in Missouri (I lived out of state at the time). I found out that she (the agent) had forged my name to several documents and I was mad. Went to the police, Attorney General, Real Estate Agency and they said there was nothing they could do about it since the house was sold. I didn’t care about the house being sold, I just thought how deceitful, dishonest and immoral this agent was, and maybe greed had a lot to do with it. But I have told everyone that I know that wants to sell there home NOT to use ReMax unless they want to be burned.
By Cindy on Nov 17, 2007
Thank you for taking the time to post the article. I am surprised at the few Re/Max agents in Canada that have discovered the power of blogging. We have found several media sources contact us to be interviewed because or our blog at wwww.TheCalgaryRealEstateBlog.com.
By Rebecca Chamberlain on Feb 14, 2008
I am a RE/MAX agent here in Morristown New Jersey, and I have to say, My website ranks quite well for the local searches, RE/MAX you can just keep sleeping, it suits me just fine.
By Morristown on Feb 21, 2008
considering their size and presence i think their site does need work. it could also be alot lot worse.
their local offices here in the uk seem to be doing well and i think their business model works pretty well.
By sell and rent back my home on Mar 7, 2008
I am a REALTOR and my company provides website maintenance and SEO for Jere Whitehouse in Montgomery Alabama. I am quite probably the most internet litterate agent in our RE/MAX office (I know that is not saying much)
My experience working with the RE/MAX agent site has been generally good overall but there are many areas in which they could improve. An agent does have the ability to manipulate the meta tags slightly on their own RE/MAX website, but given that most agents dont have a clue what to do if anything, I am not surprised that most RE/MAX agent sites rank poorly.
The problem comes in that many new agents are struggling to learn how to service their clients and make a living as an independant contractor and dont have the luxury of time to devote to the internet and SEO learning curve, OR the resources to hire someone such as myself who is a REALTOR and has a basic understanding of both real estate marketing AND website marketing (and I am still learning as I go also)
Thank you for your SEO top 10 Mistakes btw :)I know I have alot of work to do. Right now I am thankful for the ignorance of most agents when it comes to online marketing; it makes my job of staying on top in google much easier!
By John Houston Moseley on Apr 3, 2008