Using WPRealty with multiple agent sites

[johngalt]

Hi,

I've designed a few real estate wordpress sites before. None had MLS/search access before, but I'm getting a lot of requests now for MLS/Search functionality. After looking at the different IDX providers, I think replicating the local MLS (TREND MLS in Philadelphia) and using WPRealty to display the data makes the most sense.

I'd like to build out a system that can be replicated easily. My first idea was this: using VieleRETS to replicate the data to a small VPS running mySQL. Then for each agent website (hosted on a separate VPS, but on the same local network), use WPRealty to access that mySQL database and display the (local) MLS data.

Licensing issues aside, does this make sense as a solution? It seems awfully silly to have to replicate local MLS data for each new agent, especially if you're going to host each site on the same server. Thanks in advance for your help and ideas.

[Chad]

What a coincidence :)

-This feature is already enabled in the New 2.0.8 Developers plugin (released later tomorrow).

We added this feature for our own projects so that we can now use a single master mls .....and as long as all the rest of the clients are on the same server network then it works perfectly.

We also have a Brand New WPR-MU plugin that works for the same above but it can also work as a stand alone master main domain that shares its (listing tables-only) with all of the sub domains...but its based on the same concept and combines both options.

The New 2.0.8 will be released within the next 48 hrs and the new WPR-MU 2.0 plugin will be released sometime this week - we spent a good bit of time testing this for compatibility issues and it has been a huge success so far. I think I will make some videos for it first though and - please *note* - this MU plugin will only be available for the Developers License Members only since the other types of licenses wont work in multiple sub domains.

[johngalt]

Wow! Thanks for the quick response. I'm glad this is already built into the plugin; I think it would make development of the system I'm trying to build a lot easier.

The WPR-MU plugin sounds like an awesome way to further build out an agent's website presence with multiple "minisites" on different sub-domains...say something like "luxuryhomes.johnsellsphilly.com" or "foreclosures.johnsellsphilly.com", and the ability to not only use WPMU to manage all the sub-domains and the main domain, but also use the same listing table for all of them is simply awesome. The more I think about this, the more excited I get with all the possibilities it opens up :-)

I did have another question with the lead capturing/management side...from reading other presales questions, it seems like this is a planned feature with the next major release of the WPR plugin (3.0?), but before that it's somewhat rough. Is there an ETA for the release of this? I'd hate to code something from scratch, only to have it built into the plugin a month or two later.

[Chad]

Although still crude we do have a lead capture form builder and agent lead router system already in the plugin - this will see some major improvements in the next 2 releases....it does work though, but at the moment I'd still call it beta2 condition.

[johngalt]

Another quick question for you Chad...Has anyone ever used the plugin to create a website for a real estate office? Like you mentioned, the lead routing capabilities are pretty weak, so you'd have to code something to make up for that. I have two local KW brokerages which want new websites, and I'd love to use the plugin and be able to bill them for the maintenance, etc, instead of using an external IDX provider like idxbroker.com (though their office product is very slick - see http://www.weigand.com/ for a very nice example). What are your thoughts?

Also, I'm purchasing the developer's plugin as soon as my test client get's his IDX access set up with the local MLS board. I'm excited to use it and help out with the development in any way I can :)

Thanks!