How My Realtor Clients Use Showcase IDX for Lead Generation 2022
Scottsdale IDX Search Tools for Real Estate Agents. Learn how to dominate online and offline with property search tools that your clients will love.
If you’re a real estate agent and looking for the best Scottsdale IDX search tools to dominate the market online, then take a few minutes and read on…
Every agent is looking for cutting edge information to generate clients online and offline. Today, I’m going to share with you, ways to dominate online and win the clients you will love in Scottsdale and other cities in Arizona.
What is a Plugin?
A plugin is a software program that enhances your WordPress based website. Some of them are free and others are offered for sale in a one-time or yearly subscription. This WordPress plugin could be your Scottsdale idx search tool to dominate real estate. It’s a very inexpensive compared to what is available in the real estate industry.
The Plugin is called Showcase IDX
It’s one of the most popular choices for real estate websites, and for good reason. My guess if you are reading this page, you are a real estate agent in Arizona and you are looking for a great IDX plugin for your website to generate leads.
Right?
Look, I’m a real estate professional in California so my prospective about this IDX plugin is as a fellow agent in the industry. I’m not some crazy programmer who has no clue what we need as real estate professionals to generate leads online and off-line.
The Showcase IDX website plugin is a great way to engage with clients and showcase your properties and the ones listed in the MLS. It links with your multiple listing service (MLS), to allow you to show listings for sale on your website. You must be a member of your MLS to use the plugin.
Whether you’re an experienced real estate professional or new in this business, it’s easy to get started on the right path thanks to their intuitive tools! Showcase IDX is the leading idx wordPress plugin on the market.
I’ve been a REALTOR for 29 years and counting so this article is from someone just like you. I’m giving you a different perspective verse a website designer or programmer. I only use products that work and generate leads and help me to follow up with them effectively.
Jay Valento, California Realtor®
Fathom Realty GroupDisplay of Listings that Consumers Love
Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why you should consider Showcase IDX for your website empire in Arizona real estate.
The number one reason to have a targeted Scottsdale AZ real estate website is to generate consumers that YOU want to work with now and into the future
All Arizona real estate agents want to help home buyers and sellers. You have a deep desire to help others get what they want and become investors or homeowners.
But finding clients can be challenging. That’s what I love about the internet and having a reliable real estate search like Showcase IDX is the key to a successful Scottsdale real estate business.
Especially in this tough real estate market in 2022, we need to think outside the box to generate clients and escrows.
I’ve been generating leads on my website since 2003. I used to have 65 websites running at the same time. I generated online buyers and sellers for my real estate team at the time.
- Now, I use Showcase IDX on one website and am going to share with you the pros and cons of the product.
And extra tips so you can make this idx search work to your benefit. Plus, I will be reviewing different idx systems on my blog here for you.
How can a product like Showcase IDX help you with lead generation?
One of the ways Showcase IDX can help you is by creating keyword rich and targeted phrases that the consumer is searching for online.
You can create custom searches for Tuscon real estate on one page and Green Valley homes with pools or Tuscon condos with views on another page.
You can become more hyperlocal than your competition by creating a page for every feature that you have access to the mls through the data feed that Showcase has access to through the Arizona mls.
People are searching for features as well as a phrase like “Scottsdale homes for sale” and with your new Scottsdale IDX Search tools you could generate better engagement.
You may discover in your mls, that more 3-bedroom homes sell than 4-bedroom homes. Then, you can create a few pages about the differences of a 3-bedroom house vs a 4 and show listings for 3-bedroom homes vs 4-bedroom homes and so on.
How to Create Custom Feature Pages?
Let’s say the goal of your website is focused on homes for sale in Scottsdale with views, then you would create 1 hot sheet for the city of Scottsdale with the feature views or 3-bedroom houses. Maybe the first one is mountain views and the next one is valley views.
- Add a new page in wordpress
- Add content about Scottsdale homes with views. You need about 500 to 1,000 words about views or swimming pools, homes with pools, maintenance and maybe how much more they sell for than other houses in Scottsdale.
- Add a Heading with the same name.
- Use a SEO Plugin like RankMath SEO or Yoast SEO to optimize the content, title and description and Bam. You are one page ahead of your local competitors.
Someone searching on Google, Yahoo or Bing for that that keyword phrase would click on your page in the search engine or in a pay per click ad and go to a page on your website that covers that topic.
- BAM you get a new client.
I can hear you from here. “Jay, where do I get the 500 to 1,000 words of Content”
If you get writers block, then search for Content Writing apps like copysmith.ai, Jasper.ai, heyfriday.ai. There are lots of them that write unique content. Contact me and I will send you some links to the content creator software I use.
Flexibility of Property Searches
Another reason Showcase IDX is a popular choice is its flexibility. I have access to over 300 different features in my MLS in California and you may have more or less…that I use to create custom searches for to outrank my competition.
- (I’ve created over 2,000 custom searches…why? Read on…).
Showcase IDX offers a wide range of customization options, so you can create lifestyle searches for features for consumers.
When you click on the +Advanced Search link, you see this (in blue):
As you see above, there are 4 Tabs: General Features, Interior Features, Exterior Features and Community Features. The links in each of these give you and consumers more features. It’s endless and easier to search than Redfin, Zillow or Realtor.com.
Do people really search for homes with pools or just a spa?
Yes. They do. And this is where you separate yourself from your local Realtors who do not spend time building pages like this. It is hard to search for features on Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin.
Inside Secret: Zillow has pages for every feature in your MLS and even features you mention in the property description of a listing.
Inside Secret: Zillow has pages for every feature in your MLS and even features you mention in the property description of a listing. Whether the feature only gets just 10 visitors a month or 2,000, you need to look for an advantage to beat the local competition online and the big portals.
- Add local content about pools, spas or anything else and you can beat Zillow and take back control online. And your local Realtor® competition to win new buyers and sellers.
Benefits of Showcase IDX Display to the Consumers
The display of listings is attractive and gives the consumer time to view all photos, local area maps, rate properties and make notes on them. They tend to engage more with you when the presentation of the listings looks appealing to them. This overall design upgrade will make your website look more professional.
The display upgrades the look and feel of your website right away. A couple of examples, my main real estate website for covers Long Beach homes for sale and other beach cities.
This is a cool consumer engagement platform. Check out my video on how to use the search tools of Showcase IDX that I have running on my real estate website.
Video for Showcase IDX
This is a consumer video I made to help my home searchers that are on my real estate website, www.RedWagonTeam.com. Pay attention to the “Friends and Family” section of the property details…ssshh.
People Love Content that Answers Their Questions…and so do the search engines
Showcase IDX can help you set up pages like this for consumers that are looking for something special that your website provides that they can find on it easier than the big real estate portals like Zillow and Realtor.com.
Zillow, has a page of listings for every feature in your MLS. But, what they don’t have is unique content to support each page. This is where you can make a difference about Arizona neighborhoods, fun things to do and so on. And stand out.
7 Hyperlocal Content Ideas to Win the Game Online
People want more knowledge about an area and a feature than just listings. You can provide that local information. I call it hyperlocal information.
- Share what you know about Arizona cities like Scottsdale, neighborhoods, rules, insights, fun things to do
- Make it unique about the special feature
- Give visitors to your website the “insider” information about the area. Why should they move there?
- Your opinion matters to them
- Write 500 to 1,000 words or more per feature, city, neighborhood, condo community, etc.
- Add lots of photos and graphics to help the consumer understand the value of the content you are sharing with them.
- Make a video about the information as well. Then, add it to each page. Google loves this… (ssshhh)
Create a Target Market for Your Website to Win the Online Consumers
Your website should be targeted toward a group of people you want to work. Take time to figure out who that group of people are.
- Your website needs to answer the questions that the visitors have when they land on a page or blog post.
- You might target beach houses if you live be the beach or you want to create a “first time home seller website” or a luxury property website.
- Make a plan for your website and make it unique as possible.
- Set your listings to active real estate listings to save the consumer time verse showing them pending listings too. They may become confused.
- Read my blog post about Designing Your Real Estate Website to Win the Clients You Love
Most Affordable Property Search Tool for Realtors
Showcase IDX has two pricing models:
A) the Essentials plan $59.95 per month or
B) the Premium plan at $99.95 per month.
- No setup fees. You can choose to pay for the year or on a month-to-month basis.
If I want to add it to a 2nd website, the additional monthly fee goes down. I think you really only need is one account unless you are expanding into another state.
Free 10-Day Trial. No Credit Card Required.
This has to be one of the most affordable products available.
- I recommend a WordPress website. Don’t use Wix or Squarespace some other type of website. I have never seen a real estate website rank in the search engines built on Wix of Squarespace.
- If you want my web team to create a website for you, fill out this form and share with us your budget for this project.
- I know several developers that might be a good fit for you as well.
- You get a free 10-day trial when you click on the link that says Showcase IDX. (note: we receive a small commission when you click on the link. It does not cost you anymore).
Free 10-Day Trial of Showcase IDX
Frequently Asked Questions About this IDX Tool
Why did you choose Showcase IDX over other vendors?
Flexibility, I have over 2,100 custom searches in my Showcase IDX account. There are thousands of pages for a wide variety of cities and target markets on my website.
Is that the best way to do it? It is if your goal is “referral fee checks from other Realtors in California”…and sometimes they move to Arizona.
But if you don’t want to generate referral fee checks, read about Target Markets.
Which Real Estate Idx Platforms have you used?
I used to beta tested for several idx real estate products. I used 1parkplace in 2003 to 2005 and generated 600 leads a month.
In 2005, I moved the empire of websites to Diverse Solutions and used their cutting-edge products. Leads went down on that move because we did not offer commercial or rentals to visitors…it’s kind of a long story.
Then, I used iHomefinder.com. Cool looking product but sometimes it doesn’t display listings on the page as reliable as Showcase IDX platform.
I tried idxbroker.com for 4 days and fired them. I found the product hard to use. And they still charged me…silly.
You need a reliable idx plugin for Arizona real estate and one that your visitors and clients will love…try Showcase IDX.
Is there a Contact Manager that comes with Showcase IDX?
There is a basic one. It looks like a spreadsheet (see below). If you are at Keller Williams, you could use KW Command. Lion Desk works with Showcase IDX. I use FollowUpBoss.com for contact management of the website empire.
What do I use as a Contact Manager Software?
I use Follow Up Boss. I will have a blog post about soon to show you the benefits. For now, you can check out my YouTube Channel for how I use Follow Up Boss with Showcase IDX. or read my blog post on “Why I choose Showcase IDX for my Real Estate Website“.
Do new leads automatically transfer into a 3rd party CRM?
If you are using the Premium product of Showcase IDX, you can integrate with:
- Lion Desk – our mls in California allows us to use it for free but I like Follow Up Boss better for a variety of reasons. (Watch my training video for agents who work with me about FollowUpBoss.)
- Follow Up Boss,
- Boomtown,
- Real Greeks,
- Prospect Converter,
- Real Synch,
- Salesforce,
- Sierra Interactive and
- Slack to receive leads as soon as they register.
- Premium plan is $99.95 a month for Showcase IDX will let you move the leads when they register from Showcase IDX to your favorite CRM.
- Zapier integration will make it seamless to other CRM (contact relationship manager).
Can you do lead routing to other agents on your team?
Yes. Lead routing is available with the Premium plan. My clients are not using the feature right now. Most work the leads themselves or refer them to other agents.
Is there a map search with Showcase IDX?
Yes. You can search by map, quick search tool or click on the +Advanced search link under the search bar. You can show a map of listings for a particular city, neighborhood, condo building, zip or more. Or leave the map search off. It is up to you.
Is it hard to install?
No. You can add this leading idx WordPress plugin from the dashboard of your website. Just go to Plugins > Add New. Search for Showcase IDX as a keyword.
Click Install now and activate.
Who owns Showcase IDX?
In 2020, eXp World Holdings Inc, purchased Showcase IDX to make the idx product even better. Showcase was able to hire more programmers and support staff to enhance the product and keep the pricing affordable.
- Will eXp Realty have access to your data?
- No.
- Will eXp Realty be sending your solicitations from your use of the product?
- No. But, there are some eXp agents that may call you on their own just like every other real estate company does.
- Jay, do you work at eXp Realty or Showcase IDX?
- Nope.
Is the product mobile friendly?
Yes. I get about 54% mobile traffic that use the search tools to find houses, condominiums, income properties, commercial and land for sale. I host my website empire and other client’s websites and the fastest hosting company I could find. I charge $50 per month to host a website that I build for a client.
Can I or my web developer use powerful css to customize it?
Yes. There lots of ways to do that. Ask your developer a few ideas on how to tweak the look and feel.
Why should I have my own website if “everyone” goes to Zillow, Redfin, or Realtor.com?
Because you are you.
Like I have mentioned in this article and others on my website, you can carve out a niche that separates you from the big real estate portals. I have lots of target markets and rank in the search engines above the real estate portals.
You may love the 55+ communities in Scottsdale or luxury properties. If you do, you could create a website about Retirement is not Boring in Tucson, Arizona.
- Feature all of the communities.
- Add photos, videos, and content
- Pros and cons of living in each one
- Fun things to do in the communities
- etc.
I’d use the Features Part to Dominate Scottsdale Real Estate
You carve a niche in just about anything other than Scottsdale homes or Scottsdale real estate. Try a hyper-local neighborhood like DC Ranch homes for sale. But cover it with every single feature that you can create a page of listings and content for using an idx tool.
- Get creative. Put on your agent market cap and think outside the box.
- How about a website for First Time home buyers or first-time home sellers? Brainstorm.
- I have local top producers that ask me how they can dominate their real estate farms. I have several ideas that work well online and off-line.
IDX Search Tools Competition to Consider
| Leading IDX Plugins Software | Setup Fee | Monthly Pricing | Free Trial |
| Showcase IDX | $0.00 | $59.95 to $99.95 | Yes |
| ihomefinder.com | $99 to $499 | $59.95 to $199.95 | Yes |
| IDX Broker | $100 | $55 to $140 | N/A |
| Diverse Solutions dsIdxpress | $99.95 | $49.95 to $74.95 | Yes |
| Realtyna | see website | One-time fee…pricey | N/A |
| Flex MLS | Check with your MLS | $85 to$499 per year | N/A |
| Kv Core | see website | Expensive | |
| Home Junction | View more details | $100 per month (I think) | N/A |
Summary
If you are a real estate agent looking for a powerful and effective way to showcase your listings and generate leads, then take Showcase IDX for a spin on your website in 2023.
As a leading IDX plugin for real estate websites, Showcase IDX offers a comprehensive and user-friendly home search experience for potential buyers.
With its advanced IDX search features and integration with Google Maps, buyers can easily browse and search for properties, view listings on a map, and save their searches for later.
- They have a new display of listings coming out in January 2023. It looks cool. I’m beta testing it.
Showcase IDX is more than just a listing platform – it’s also a valuable consumer engagement and lead-generation tool. With its customizable lead capture forms and routing options, you can gather contact information from interested buyers and follow up with them to nurture leads and close deals.
- I have over 2,600 custom searches so I can generate online consumers in areas I don’t cover and refer to happy agents that do…for referral checks..and we all love those, right?
Plus, with its SEO-friendly design, Showcase IDX can help drive more traffic to your website from search engines, increasing your online visibility and attracting more leads to your business.
But don’t just take our word for it – try Showcase IDX for yourself with our free 10-day trial. With no setup fees and no commitment, you can see firsthand how Showcase IDX can transform your real estate website into a powerful and effective lead-generation machine.
As a real estate professional, you know the importance of having a strong online presence. With Showcase IDX, you can leverage the power of the internet to showcase your listings, engage with potential buyers, and grow your business. So why wait? Sign up for our free trial today and see how Showcase IDX can help you succeed
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