A New Look, and New Pages, for Agents in New York State

In September, we announced changes to how we receive listing information. As we move to join MLSs across the country, we’ll need to make some updates to our site to comply with local MLS advertising rules.

Most agents will see these changes in early January 2021. Agents in New York, however, will experience these changes sooner. Here’s what’s coming in November.

Changes to the buyer’s agent contact form

The form that prospective home buyers use to reach out to an agent will be getting a refresh in order to comply with local MLS advertising rules. With this update, we’ll no longer feature buyer’s agent photos and contact info on the form. Here’s an example of how the new form will look:

A new module and page to preserve your brand presence

To comply with local MLS advertising rules — while preserving the valuable exposure you and any lenders you co-market with receive on our site — we're showcasing agents and co-marketing lenders in a new module on the listing, separate from the “contact agent” form. Clicking the module takes buyers to a new “Showcase” advertising page directly from the listing. That page will have your photo, name and information, as well as the names, photos and info of lenders you may co-market with.

Your presence on this page will be determined by your share of voice in that market, the same way your presence on a listing was determined before. 

We’re committed to helping you maintain your ROI and brand presence while continuing to connect you with active home shoppers, and you can expect to see the same share of voice for leads and connections on this new page experience. 

Here's an example of what the new module will look like:

And here is a preview of what the 'Showcase' page will look like:

Additional ways to provide lender information

We believe that co-marketing advertising is a valuable way for buyers to find lenders. In addition to now seeing their co-marketing lender’s information along with their own information on the new Showcase page, agents who co-market will also see their lender’s information on their agent profile page, the same as they do today. The lender you co-market with will also continue to have the opportunity to receive leads much like they do today.

While these changes are coming to New York state sooner than other areas, our plan to switch to IDX feeds is still on track for January 2021. We’ll continue to keep you informed of any upcoming changes, and we will work with you to make the transition as smooth as possible. Your business consultant is also always available to discuss these updates with you. We recognize that these changes are significant, but we fully believe that these adjustments will be better for the business of our partners as we work together to create a better real estate experience.