Improving your digital presence with MLS integration

According to the National Association of Realtors, 43% of Americans start their search for a new home online.

While your homebuilder website is a powerful tool for showcasing your communities, you’ll want to maximize your reach by getting your new homes in front of as many potential buyers as possible.

A proven way to achieve this is by listing on real estate and new home portals. While there may be a cost involved, the benefits are clear. With some time and resources invested upfront, the internal process can be made smooth and efficient.

In this post, we’ll explore multiple listing service (MLS) integration, including

• What MLS integration is
• How MLS and website integration works
• The operational benefits of integrating your website and MLS
• How integrating your website and MLS benefits your customers

What is MLS integration?

Typically, a homebuilder will use one or more MLSs to list their properties in a place that’s accessible to real estate brokers. These listings are not always connected to the communities and properties shown on the builder’s website, or even those listed on portals Zillow and NewHomeSource.

Integration typically means creating a system where listings can flow between an internal system like CRM, your website and one or more MLSs. They can then also be syndicated to property and new home portals.

Under the hood

On the technical side, integrations between MLSs, your website, and real estate platforms are facilitated by transporting data using the RESO Web API. RESO replaces the older, deprecated RETS, which used to be the standard for real estate data. Currently, 58% of realtors have transitioned to RESO API, and 74% are committed to making the switch.

Your property and community data must be structured and packaged correctly by an expert partner like Dalo to align with the RESO Web API and manage the integration.

The operational benefits of MLS integration

• Improved reach: Easily make your community and property listings accessible to a broader audience.
• Enhanced organic visibility: Listings on real estate portals and platforms generate additional searchable pages for each property/community, increasing the likelihood your homes will be discovered.
• Reduce manual data entry: Instead of manually submitting listings in multiple places, it’s all done in one place and distributed across all the platforms you’re connected with. This also keeps the community and property details consistent across all platforms, improving the experience for the user.
• Centralised management: Manage property/lot availability from one place and it’ll be updated everywhere.
• Competitive – Not all homebuilders integrate with an MLS, or list their properties on real estate portals, and even if they do, they may not have the capability to update various data sources simultaneously. You can get ahead of them by streamlining the process and gaining extra visibility.

How MLS integration improves the buyer experience

Ultimately, anything that makes you more operationally efficient will benefit your customers. However, there are also more specific elements that directly benefit your customers:

• Meet them where they are: Listing on multiple platforms allows potential buyers to browse in their preferred way. You meet them where they are rather than working twice as hard to get them to come to you.
• More accurate information: Syndicating the same data ensures consistency and real-time availability.
• Increase trust: Many platforms feature built-in reviews, giving buyers added confidence.

Considerations for your MLS integration

As mentioned earlier, partnering with an expert like Dalo is essential for building and managing an MLS integration, which can be technically complex.

• Standardizing data structures: All your community and property data must be organized and formatted to align with RESO Web API standards.
• Technical complexity: With many MLSs operating under different rules and requirements across states, managing integrations can be challenging and require custom solutions.
• Varying workflows: Every homebuilder has unique goals, regions, and platforms they want to target. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution — your integration will need to be customized to your specific needs.
• Ongoing maintenance: MLS integrations aren’t just “set it and forget it.” Data feeds change, platforms update requirements, and ongoing support ensures everything continues running smoothly.

How Davidson Homes streamlined listings across multiple platforms

Davidson Homes is a growing homebuilder with a presence in 7 states. We’ve worked with them for almost 6 years, and part of our work has been creating a custom feed between their various MLS accounts, their website, BDX and property portals.

The integration we built allows them to enter data once, in one place, and it’s distributed everywhere. They’re able to make updates to the MLS data at any time, and it’ll push to the various endpoints. This gives Davidson Homes the ability to keep listings more up-to-date, accurate and relevant.

Check out the full case study here.

 

MLS integration can transform the way your properties are marketed and managed online — but it requires the right expertise to get it right. At Dalo, we specialize in helping homebuilders simplify complex data processes, ensuring your listings are accurate, visible, and always up to date.

Get in touch with our team to explore a custom integration strategy that works for your business.