Creating a Real Estate web site, step-by-step.
From what I can tell through investigation, I choose to use Drupal to develop my real new real estate web site.
I have done some searching and see where results have been posted, but I have yet to find a step-by-step tutorial. So, I am going to try to create one. The main problem is since I am a newbie, I will need to be learning as I create. This is where I am going to need your help. I even believe it will help the community. I believe I have come to the right place to get the help I need.
I am beginning with Drupal 5.x because I see there is an MLS module. I have paid for the right to use IDX feeds so IDX will be incorporated into the sight. In fact, this is the most important part of the project to me. I think the site could even be very ugly if I can just provide the right information to the people who are looking for houses, the public wants the information. Once the information is in place, we can work on prettying the site and I can use your feedback on features to implement. I am sure there is a module to handle each feature and making theme changes and module additions can be part of the tutorial.
So, I have installed Drupal 5.9, with the security fixes. I have installed the MLS, CCK, Views, Content, Imagefield, Pathauto and supplemental modules. I have installed the Captcha module to facilitate logins, I want registered users.
The IDX files are zip files in tab delimited format. I will store the files in a separate directory as they are uploaded from the MLS daily.
My questions begin.
1) In the MLS Module Settings, there is a path for IDX Scripts, what are the scripts?
2) In the Pathauto Settings are some fields looking for values
Pattern for all MLS Feed paths:
Pattern for all MLS Listing Image paths:
Pattern for all MLS Listing paths:
What is the best way to use these?
Thus, my first post. I am anticipating a lot of great help.
Please tell me that you were
Please tell me that you were successful in inplementing your IDX feed into the drupal MLS module? I am very interested in doing the same, and and only able to obtain very minimal information online about incorporating the MLS into my drupal website.
I am willing to help
I think this is a great start. I am trying to build a new site for a client who is a real estate agent. My main holdup is parsing and IDX feed and making sure that the MLS module works. Have you had any success so far implementing the module ?
Regarding your questions I can help with some partial answers:
1) The scripts is a php file that parses the IDX data downloaded from your IDX provider into Drupal nodes. The author of the module placed an example file in the main directory of the MLS module named "idx.php". So in the MLS module, when you create a new feed node, you specify the path to that "Script" file.
Any updates on the MLS
Any updates on the MLS module or any realtors integrating the IDX into their sites? There is a guy on here that created imoria.com which seems like a pretty amazing solution. But I think you still have to pay for the MLS IDX feed elsewhere, and his solution makes that feed totally SEO friendly for your Drupal website. I am still waiting to hear back from him.
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Adam
St. Louis Real Estate
As I have been reading over
As I have been reading over the Drupal forums for a year or more, it seems like there are a lot of people that are about on my level, they want to integrate the MLS into their drupal website via an IDX feed, and we want it to be super SEO friendly where every property has its own unique URL . From all of my searching, this is not a module that exists anywhere yet.
Do you think we real estate brokers can all band together and put our money in a pot to pay someone who is a drupal and real estate master to create this type of solution? it will be free for eeryone in the future, but we will be the first with it, and if theres enough of us, it wont cost that much.
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Adam
St. Louis Real Estate
well I think that is a great
well I think that is a great idea as in Canada here, there certainly is a demand
Help me in making a complete real estate site
I am making a site of real estate .Half of it I have Made.
I want the following .So Please help me so that I can make the following changes:
* Contact details of the users should be visible only to registered users...If there is a way for us to enable users to give a choice of whether they want the details to be public or private thats even better.
* Ability of user to shortlist properties and store it in his profile.
Which module I should use and how should I make it more user freindly .I am using drupla 6. Please help me in making this a complete real estate site.I am eagerly waiting for your response.
For this kind of your act,I shall be always pray.
Any updates on the MLS
Any updates on the MLS integration?
Real Estate- MLS and IDX
Hi, so I recently recreated my companies Real Estate website and I am wondering what is the best way to integrate the property listings into my site from the MLS company's website. Ideally I would like to have the properties displayed on my companies site with google maps integration and the whole nine yards but all I really need is just to have links which open a results page with predefined criteria. I'm not sure what direction to take to do either of these. So far all I have to work with is an IDX link given to me by the MLS company. From what I've been able to find out the IDX link they provide gives me with a search page. I input some values it queries the database and then brings me to a standard results page. As I said before, at the very least I would like to link people to this results page but have it display the results to a predefined search, such as all houses from 100k to 200k.
I am using Drupal 6 and so far everything is working great. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
MLS Integration
I would be interested in this as well. Currently I'm using a framed solution but I'd love to have total MLS integration into our site.
-Charles
Las Vegas Real Estate
Drupal powered real estate site www.lvrealty.net
Reply
i would also be interested in this.
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Looking for someone experienced with Drupal for real estate
Please contact me at: carla.briceno@bixal.com if you have experience in this area. Thank you!
I have created idx feed for
I have created idx feed for this site: http://www.absoluterealtyofsouthflorida.com using cron. Not a drupal site. I'm interested in creating a solution and gave it some thought.
About structure: Does anyone know if the idx feed has the same structure for different regions? below is the structure from South Florida which I would use to start with.
MLS_ID, MLS_STATE_ID, MLS_LISTING_ID, TLN_FIRM_ID, MLS_OFFICE_NAME, MLS_OFFICE_PHONE, TLN_REALTOR_ID, MLS_AGENT_NAME, MLS_AGENT_PHONE, LISTING_DATE, LISTING_EXPIRATION_DATE, SOLD_DATE, AVAILABLE_DATE, PROPERTY_TYPE_CODE, PROP_TYPE_DESCRIPTION, REMARKS, STATUS_CODE, SALE_PRICE, SOLD_PRICE, PROPERTY_STATE_ID, STREET_NUMBER, STREET_NAME, STREET_TYPE, STREET_DIRECTION, UNIT_NUMBER, LONGITUDE, LATITUDE, CITY, CITY_ID, ZIP_CODE, ZIP_PLUS4, MLS_AREA, COUNTY, FIPS_COUNTY_CODE, SUBDIVISION, COMMUNITY_NAME, YEAR_BUILT, ACRES, LOT_DIMENSIONS, LOT_SQUARE_FOOTAGE, LOT_SQUARE_FOOTAGE_LAND, BUILDING_SQUARE_FOOTAGE, BEDROOMS, BATHS_TOTAL, BATHS_FULL, BATHS_HALF, BATHS_THREE_QUARTER, FIREPLACE_NUMBER, TOTAL_ROOMS, SCHOOL_DISTRICT, SCHOOL_ELEMENTARY, SCHOOL_MIDDLE, SCHOOL_JUNIOR_HIGH, SCHOOL_HIGH, TOTAL_UNITS, TOTAL_BUILDINGS, TOTAL_LOTS, HOA_FEES, OWNERS_NAME, LEGAL, APN, TAXES, TAX_YEAR, SECTION, RANGE, TOWNSHIP, RENT_ON_SEASON, RENT_OFF_SEASON, PHOTO_IND, LAST_MLS_UPDATE_DATE, MASTER_BED, BED2, BED3, BED4, BED5, KITCHEN, BREAKFAST, LAUNDRY, DEN, DINING, FAMILY, LIVING, GREAT, EXTRA, FEATURE_CODES, MLS_OFFICE_ID, MLS_AGENT_ID, VIRTUAL_TOUR_URLIf structure differs, or close enough a field matching tool would do the trick where you could save your own import to match your region.
Once stored as nodes, you would enter your zip codes/towns where you offer your services that way a set of towns could be displayed on the home page or in a block to get your visitors searching and bots could start drilling. I'll try to put something together to import it, the site i did does not have images for each listing but it would be nice to do for Drupal or make it an option at least. Where I get the current feed it has a file with and without pictures. I'm using Drupal 6.
I have used http://www.drupal.org/project/node_import in the past to import thousands of items for ubercart for http://www.cheekyfitness.com Looks promising to have the ability to import into a future MLS/IDX module.
Better switch to RETS (IDX)
NAR has mandated that all MLS data be provided to SPs (service providers) in a "standardized" format defined as RETS (see rets.org). IDX feeds via FTP will be going away, which is unfortunate because FTP clients are fast, accurate and straightforward. Unfortunately, RETS isn't really straightforward or 100% standardized, so every RETS server has its own variation on the theme, and every MLS has its own implementation of RETS as well. Out of of the pot and into the frying pan.
My immediate project: I'll be working with VieleRETS to import my local MLS data into a proprietary MySQL database I wrote years ago and manage with Perl. In the long run, though, I will switch the import to either an Open Realty database or perhaps Drupal. I'm impressed with the core functionality of this CMF and may spend some time with it to see how it might work.
The point of my post, though, is that if you spend any time developing an IDX via FTP import, you're wasting your time. Eventually, probably sooner than us SPs would like, IDX via FTP will no longer be provided by any U.S. MLS.