Over the years, there has been some misunderstanding surrounding the topic of listing syndication. We wanted to clear up a few of the more common “myths” about how ListHub listing syndication partners with your MLS and provides value to your members – all at NO COST.
MYTH #1) Brokers can easily syndicate their listings without the support of their MLS and ListHub.
ListHub requires MLS-connectivity because it is a reliable and accurate data source. Brokers are able to add and maintain listings in one place (the MLS), then have their listings retrieved and automatically sent to destinations of their choosing, greatly reducing cost and effort.
While there are other options for brokers to advertise their listings online, most of these options require manual data entry, outside the MLS, which leads to redundant work for the agent and most importantly potentially inaccurate information for consumers.
In a ListHub-connected MLS, brokers have a free self-service option to make the decision on how to distribute their company’s listings for advertising purposes. This basic service is available to brokers in all ListHub-enabled markets and does not require any technical work or expertise.
MYTH #2) Brokers don’t have access to the data licensing agreement that dictates how publishers use their data. This leads to a risk of publishers potentially misusing the listing data.
A key aspect of the ListHub platform is transparency. We believe brokers must have all of the details on all publishers available to them in one place in order to support their ability to readily make informed decisions about their advertising choices. This information includes; quick links to every site, their Terms of Use, comparisons on features, details on site practices, and ratings from other brokers.
Publishers in the ListHub network must agree to a contract that contains very specific terms around the management and use of the brokers’ listing data in their system. Those publisher data protections can be viewed on our website, and require that the listing data is used only for consumer display, is regularly updated and removed once the listing is off the market, and that the publishers report back the traffic and leads generated.
While ListHub receives inquiries from hundreds of companies each year who wish to become a recipient of broker listings via the ListHub platform, fewer than one in ten are found to be eligible based on our strict vetting process.
MYTH #3) When syndicating their listings, brokers don’t have control of where the traffic or leads are routed.
ListHub provides brokers with an easy-to-use dashboard to manage their online marketing. In their dashboard, they have the ability to opt-in OR opt-out from the 80+ publishers available in the ListHub network, as well as manage where both their traffic and leads are routed.
Broker Website Redirect
Brokers have the ability to route traffic back to the property detail page on their own brokerage website, regardless of the MLS default setting selected. To do so, the broker must simply log in to their ListHub account and click “support” to submit the request online. The request will be fulfilled within one business day. There is no charge to the broker for this service.
Lead Management Tools
Brokers should have full control of where leads generated by their listings will go. By default, all broker, office, and agent email addresses and phone numbers provided from the MLS are included in the feed that is distributed to publishers. Typically, in the absence of specific lead management information from the broker, leads generated on the publisher websites are routed to the listing agent. Brokers who operate a lead management software system, call center, or other system for receiving, qualifying, and/or routing Internet leads can use the Lead Management tool in ListHub to control where leads are routed. Online publishers are required through ListHub’s publisher agreements to send leads per these instructions. Lead management is another feature available to users at no cost.
If you would like to make sure your members are aware of these lead management options, you can share the videos below.
MYTH #4) There can be a “feed disorder” when publishers receive multiple feeds with the same listings. This disorder can lead to inaccuracy online.
It can be a challenging for third-party websites who receive multiple feeds to decide which version of the listing to display, but ListHub addresses this issue by establishing trumping rules. Trumping rules refer to the business rules by which publisher websites must handle the de-duplication of listings if they receive data from multiple data sources. ListHub’s publisher contracts address those trumping rules to ensure the MLS or the head broker is considered the authoritative source of accuracy. Barring direct feeds coming from the brokers or franchise organizations, the ListHub feed will trump other sources of listings.
MYTH #5) Only a few publishers receive traffic and brokers don’t need to syndicate their listings to dozens of publishers through ListHub.
While several of the top real estate websites available through ListHub do generate large amounts of traffic and engagement, there are variety of additional significant publishers that deliver equal value to your brokers. Important examples include:
- The Real Estate Network (REN): The REN is available exclusively through ListHub and allows certain franchise websites to receive listings from brokers who wish to advertise their listings there. Currently the following franchises participate in REN: Assist2Sell, Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Realty Executives International, and RE/MAX. The MLS REN is similar and allows brokers to advertise on local MLS public websites for consumer display. HAR.com in Houston, Texas is an MLS REN participant.
- International advertising: International home sales in the U.S. were estimated at $121 billion last year, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. ListHub gives brokers the ability to advertise their listings internationally (at no cost) through REA Group’s global network of market-leading websites in Australia, Europe and Asia, including myfun.com in China. ListHub also offers the ability to syndicate to Juwai for free, a high ranking Chinese site. For brokers who are looking for a real competitive advantage at listing presentations they may upgrade to ListHub Global to reach international buyers in more than 60 countries, across 100 websites.
- Niche websites: ListHub offers a number of important publisher options that focus on valuable local or niche markets. Sites such as Zumper and Rent.com focus on the rental market, targeting Millennials with a mobile-first experience. In 2016, Zumper increased its traffic from 10,000 users per month to over 26 million. Other examples of niche sites includes those that focus on land, luxury, REO, and second home markets.
- Affiliate publishers: ListHub also makes available specialty publishers. These types of publishers require a pre-existing relationship with the broker in order to accept the broker’s listings. Examples can include industry websites such as LeadingRE and well known marketing services like Imprev.
A Trusted Partner to The Industry
ListHub has been a trusted platform for nationwide listing management for over 12 years, serving more than 60,000 brokerage firms, and securely manage listing information from over 600 MLS data sources with more than 180+ publisher websites.
Additionally, ListHub is the only source for complete and objective consumer traffic data in the real estate industry, collecting consumer traffic metrics from an array of real estate websites and mobile applications, including dozens of publisher websites such as realtor.com®, Homes.com, as well as MLS public websites, franchise and brokerage websites, and more. These metrics are collected and presented in easy-to-read reports to real estate professionals, providing them with critical business intelligence to help guide advertising decisions.
