How would I go about integrating MLS into a website. I am currently using a templates page www.suesellshomes.net, but I am finding out this is not the best way to do things (no upload etc). I am going to create a site myself and I want to integrate MLS into it so people can search for homes. Is this a difficult process, and is it worth changing from my template based site??


Thanks in Advance

I tried to access your website and was unable to do so. As for integrating to the MLS it totally depends on how your local MLS does things. Mine will not allow you to really integrate, you can open up a feed into a frame on your website if you have frames, or you can build your own MLS website with them. Either way it costs $100 per year to do so. I pretty much think the options are both pretty bad so I have not done anyting with it yet. Make sure you check with your local MLS to see what options they have available.

If your board offers an ftp feed you can do whatever you want with the data.... I don't think you'd have the access with your current site to take advantage of it though. An alternative might be to find a resller that lets you create any custom ser=aches you want and then fram them into pages designed for those specific results.

Thanks That is what I am going to try to do Rich.

It depends on your MLS. Before discussing difficulty, realize that this may not be an option.

As for difficulty, again it depends on both the MLS in question and your level of expertise (or of your staff).

There are different ways this can be one.

The easiest (but least flexible) is to have a framed out page. That is, the "shell" is your page, hosted on your server (or more likely, your hosting company's server) and the "inside" is within a frame, hosted on the MLS's site server.
If done correctly, cosmetically a use won't know that the "inside" is not hosted by the same people as the "shell." The look and feel of the MLS portion of the page, however, would not be controlled by you.

A more flexible approach is to have an API to program against. Here, you have full control of your site. Basically there is an intermediary between your site and MLS. A user comes to your site, enters data into your "MLS page." Your page interects with an API (i.e. a webservice) which goes out to the MLS, fetches the data, and returns it back to your server. You then have full control of how to display that data.

Sorry for the techno-babble. Its good for you though Look up the terms you don't know, learn about them, and see how you can use some of that technology to create a better web experience for your customers

Thank you for all of the helpful replies. API is sounding like the best option if it is possible.