I have them register with their name and phone #.  I get many more registrations this way with more valid clients.  You will get the wrong phone #'s but it helps weed out some of the looky loos.  It really is a personal decision.

Marrianne,

I've had IDX for about a year, when I first put it on my site I required full registration.  Very little interest from buyers.  I then had full access no registration required, very few prospects would leave emails or contact info.  Recently I changed again requiring email, 6 prospects with 2 days, and some left phone numbers.  I'll stick with email required. I have never gotten that many prospects in a 2 day span, so I would say it works.

Lisa Savino

I started using the NLS as my main listing search engine.  With that I capture prospects directly to P2 and they go on drip campaigns automatically and I get a text message with the new registration info right away.

I think the best registration option is the one that allows prospects to fill out their search info then the system asks them if they want email updates before it returns the search results.

If they say yes they are automatically entered as a prospect and if they allow it they are set up on a drip campaign.  That way you get many more real email addresses because people want to make sure they get the email updates!

If  the say no, they just go straight to the search results page, no harm done.  They may come back later and decide to save searches.

It is even better if they do put in the correct phone number, I have contacted a lot of buyer clients this way and have closed lots of deals from Internet leads.  You just have to keep at it!

I have always been a believer in forcing registration and have my own custom form that has been very successful, earning me a 1st place award in lead generation. I am not operating a free service and have costs associated with maintaining multiple websites and keeping them at the top of the search engines. Thus, in return, I want something from the viewer.

http://www.view-mls-homes.com/Nav.aspx/Page=%2fPageManager%2fDefault.aspx%2fPageID%3d841878

At this time, I do not require registration and I get a 1-2 leads a day and I'm pretty happy with that!

Todd

I have been back and forth on this, analyzing results. The registration route is what i have recently decided to stick with.

I get at least two leads a day from my IDX and I do require registration.  However they can look at basic information (address, price, location) without registering so there is something for those that want to remain anonymous.  Those that are more serious and want more property details have to register and they do.  

Yes, I get some weird names and phone numbers which I realize are fake, but they MUST provide a valid email address in order to search.  I sometimes get a notice when someone uses a bad email address and then I usually see that the register again using a valid one.  

Can't say how many buyers I lose but I want to know who visits my site and want a way to contact them!

I hate registration from a 'I buy too' standpoint, and resisted it as long as I could.

When I discovered that local agents either not competent, too cheap or too lazy to have a website were sending clients to mine for IDX, then back to them to purchase, I acquiesced and started requiring it. And it does seem more effective.

Great topic, always the subject of much debate. I think a lot of it depends on what others in your market do. In Phoenix, MANY require no registration. So if you require full registrtion here, people will move on to someone that doesn't.

I think the ideal situation is to allow people to see something, and require reg for additional info. Unfortunately our MLS doesn't play very well with 3rd party IDX providers, so our options are limited. On my site, right now, people are free to search the MLS with registering, but if they want ot save searches or get auto-updates they have to provide an email.

Personally I *hate* registering on sites, so I have a hard time asking others to. With the advent of "web 2.0" and sites like Zillow, Trulia, Google Base, etc there are loads of places where people can search without giving *any* personal info.

I wrote a post about pros and cons of registration here:

http://www.phoenixrealestateguy.com/mls-registration-required-not-here-folks/135

I've been requiring registration for over 3 years now.  I'm committed to the registration requirement, but I do occassionally change the "lead up" paragraphs to see what triggers people to submit.

In the red hot market I had 2.75 leads per day over a 2.5-3 year period.  I continue to work on my site and although the "band wagon" real estate people are not flocking to my site and driving up the unique visitors counter, I had 2.95 leads per day over the month of May 2007.

My attitude is that I can serve people well if they let me (registration) and those that don't want my help don't registration and I don't have to weed them out...their failure to register does it for me.

Like Candice, I occassionally find buyers that were directed to my site by their agent.  They actually register because thier "trusted agent" sent them to my site.  I find this flattering because I'm the small independent in town and the agents sending their buyers to my site are from the biggest brokerage in town.  I also believe that I'm in real estate for the long haul so having my competition reinforce that I'm Camden County Georgia's Online Leader works just fine for me...in 2011 they will sell that 2007 purchase...statistically less than half of the buyers use the same agent when they sell...this could be my best friend.

Feel free to read my lead up language to see if it works for you.  You can find it at:

http://www.royal-skies.com/Search_All_Listings/page_1858971.html

Note: I just added the fine print just before the submission fields.  My leads are down since adding that language on Friday, but I don't know if it is due to the fine print or if it is just a slower weekend.  If leads do not climb back up after 7-10 days I will yank that language and consider that "fine print" a marketing failure.

I used to have it set up without requiring registration ... but had hardly any results. Basically, most people that would register at that point were my own clients or friends. I changed that just a few weeks ago to requiring and e-mail address and have had quite a few more people sign up now. In most cases the people I am losing are the ones who weren't going to stick around anyway. So it's a YES to registration from me.

I have the Handshake Listings showing on the website with "no registration" BUT if the buyers want a Custom Search they need to give me a verified e-mail address. It seems to work OK for me.

Search 20,000 CT properties http://realestatetorrington.com

Didn't used to require it but started a couple of months ago just to see what would happen.  Like Jay said, there are a zillion sites that do not require it and I don't personally like doing it myself.... however, we are getting a lot of good solid leads now that we were missing out on before.  Unless something drastic happens to change my mind, I will be sticking with required registration.  With our 3rd party IDX, visitors can search but must register to see the details of the listings.

We just got back from a listing presentation in which the seller registered on our sight as a buyer a few weeks ago and watched to see how we handled the lead.  Of course, we put her on the drip email... I guess she was impressed. LOL

Tim and Susan

I think you've got the answer.

Let them search but when the want listing details then they should register.

Tim just took the words right out of my mouth.....LOL

Let them search and if they wan additional info about a listing, then they have to register to get it.

I think you should have them sign in. Our system send s them a password so they can come back as often as they like and look some more.

So, I just got a new IDX lead ... right in my town ... this one better work out! ... oh and I also check as to how I have it set up ... have them search without registration but once they want to see the listing details, they have to register :-)

Not have visitors register for IDX?  sort it out later.

http://www.VanceMLS.com

Vance

Like Jay said "I think the ideal situation is to allow people to see something, and require reg for additional info" which is why Michaela and I have disected the handshake listings into local cities and towns giving the viewer a 'sampling' of what is available. Then on the same page offering them the opportunity to view the entire MLS by registering. It has worked out well for both of us, even though it initailly took added time to set it up that way.

Gene:

How did you disect the handshake into local cities?

Dan - This should probably be on the message board, so I will keep it brief. Do the same thing you did to set up a Listings page, but instead use the last filter that says Listings: "All" or "Specify Location" and select the second option which will open a drop down showing towns in your area.

I did not require registration but got to work this morning and there was an email in my inbox stating my board shut down my IDX link because of NON Compliance!

After my Broker made some phone calls- turns out we HAVE to have everyone register on our sites to view the MLS or they could remove my privileges for good. GRRRRR

My site is still not up and maintaining since this all happened and I signed the Rules and Regs. lol

Funny part was- another Realtor called the Board and ratted on me for not having Registration. Wow- I'm flattered. That Realtor is visiting MY Site more than her own! ha!

Thanks point2agent, you rock!

Jennifer - It's different in many areas but in our area you must require registration if you are using a VOW but it's an option if you are using an IDX. If you are not familiar with the difference, a VOW includes ALL listings even if the Broker has not 'opted in' to sharing their listings and an IDX only shows those listings where Brokers agree to share amongst each other, letting you get the lead but showing 'Listing courtesy of ABC Realty' or something like that. You may be using a VOW (Virtual Office Website) on your site.

How can you even be having this debate in 2007??  The vast majority of the people willing to register on a real estate search site are Baby Boomers or older -- people who are too lazy or clueless to find what they want elsewhere without having to give up their personal info.

Gen X is already the largest segment of the first time homebuyer market and soon they will be the vast majority of the overall market as the Boomers downsize into retirement. The mantra of the Boomers and the Gen Y'ers behind them is "Let me do it myself". The last thing in the world they want is to be some agent's "prospect" with all the spam and pestering that goes with it, and they know not to give up a legit email address. I, for example, keep a yahoo account for the express purpose of registering at web sites and the only time i look at the inbox is to click a confirmation link. Just b/c an email is "real" doesn't mean its used.

Wake up! To paraphrase John Belushi in Animal House:

6% commissions? DEAD!

Control of information through the MLS? DEAD!

Registering to get something you can get without registering? DEAD!

Baby Boomer agents who don't know how to communicate with people in their 20s and 30s who buy stuff online all the time? DEAD (in 2 years -- ask the travel agents)

Johnny, so glad to have you visit as a guest. To compare travel agents and real estate transactions is absurd, travel is totally price sensitive, there is no service on any airline no matter what you pay but a real estate transaction is a bit more complex than flying from here to there.

As to 6%, surely you are smarter than that, there is no "sancrosanct" 6% contrary to what the "old media" might lead you to believe. And as for Glenn Kelman as the visionary for the new real estate paradigm, to paraphrase John Belushi, puhhhleeeese.

There are many agents in their 40's, 50's and 60's who embrace technology and can relate to gen x. Make sure to keep your credit score high and work with professionals in real estate and mortgage lending or let the buyer beware.

No problem, Howie, just trying to add a dose of reality to the echo chamber.

Interesting that you chose to interpret the shout out to travel agents by comparing  the transactions of each business, instead of sticking with the topic at hand, "To force registration or not", which is really, "Do we understand how our customers want to use the Web?"

You are right in the sense that the Travel Industry was more ripe for dis-intermediation than real estate is. I don't think that all brokers and agents can or will be replaced by technology, at least not until the Japanese invent a robot that can get a key out of a lock box and say things like "Wow, this room gets such great light" and make pat recommendations like "keep you credit score up".

I have also met Boomer agents that get it. Hell, I had one guy in his 80's show me how to put my new SmartPhone on silent. Any generality will have exceptions that prove the rule.

That does not change the fact that the "traditional" Real Estate industry, particularly the MLSs who were Real Estate's Killer App for 30 years, is in the process of being subverted by outside entrepreneurs who understand the coming customer base (and their use of technology) better than the MLSs, brokers, or agents do. The only reason this isn't happening faster is that Real Estate, for most people, is a once every 10 or 20 year purchase, and the majority of the people with real money in the market are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s -- Boomers and Civics who used agents in the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

The net effect of this "technology impact delay" is that many successful agents just have not experienced a negative impact from pursuing business as usual, so for them these kinds of discussions will be more or less academic until that pipeline of old farts dries up. (ewwwww, that's kind of gross now that I re-read it...)

The battleground is the First Time Homebuyer in their 30s. They are in the process of forming the patterns that will impact the industry over the next 30 years starting now.  The extent to which they see value in using an agent is the extent to which agents will be used, because this is the first generation of Homebuyers that is being offered these new tools, intuitively knows how to use them, and expects them to make the process easier, more efficient, more fun, and less expensive.

Now, in that light, does it really make sense to "force" people to do anything on a Real Estate Web site when a faster, more friendly path to the information you are trying to lock behind a login is just a click or two away? You are lucky they landed on your page out of the literally hundreds or thousands of Real Estate sites in your market. Why would you lock up the tool they are there to use?

Johnny, I’m glad you returned. Let’s get to the gist of your argument, registration or not? Oh, wait a minute, first, we have to talk about this Howie thing. I stopped being Howie at age 30, changed to Howard, although my wife thinks I should now go back to Howie. Ok, on to the subject.

I do not require registration for a basic search and you can search and find every single home available for sale in my area (Charleston) with no registration required. If you would like to have better search tools, you are invited to and required to register for state of the art home search which gives you the ability to save time by narrowing your search parameters better than just about every real estate web search available and has many other great features.

I search the web and I don’t register without getting enough reason from the website to register. If I have to, I have a number of blind emails that I can use. I get it.

You criticized me for saying, “Keep your credit up”. Take a look at the web mortgage offerings. Total scams and shams. There is a real cost to purchasing a home. If you believe the web offerings, you can buy a $500,000 home for less than $1000 per month. Not. Consequently, my advice. You can get hurt. It wasn’t a “pat” recommendation.

Real estate is not a once in 10 or 20 year purchase, try 5 to 7 years. “Old farts don’t want to throw money away any more than “young farts”. Outside technology entrepreneurs are not your friends, they want your money too. Value added to the transaction is the important phrase. That is how money will be made by real estate agents in the future. Interpretation of the data is really more important than access to the data. Believe it or let the buyer beware.

What page are you landing on? Is it the page that paid seriously for pay for click or organic search? Your friends, the technology entrepreneurs are involved in real estate for a very good reason, there is serious money at stake and the stakes are high.

Johnny, do me a favor and visit my blog, find out what a mid 50’s realtor has to say. You’ll appreciate this, here is no registration required, you can comment anonymously. I’ve got a guy or gal named JS who is a bit of a housing bear. He/she is interesting to talk to. Join the crowd. Make a crowd.

http://blog.CharlestonOnlineHomes.com

You are obviously a smart person, you understand disintermediation and transparency and you can even spell them correctly. Watch for a post soon on Relib regarding the concept of the seller paying the buyer agent’s fees and the fallacy behind that reasoning. I just saw a number of Relib members glossing right over that point. Of course the buyer pays, the seller simply pays out of the proceeds of the sale provided by the buyer’s financing.

My company provides solutions for realtor offices for purposes similar to that of Point2.  I appreciate their efforts to do their homework to bring out the facts regarding real estate related trends on the web.  Great job!

It has been our belief that lead capture has changed dramatically in just the past few years.  Not only have consumers evolved since the internet's initial impact on the Real Estate industry, it is constantly evolving.  Consumers are savvy enough to use the internet without obligation at this point, so forced registration to view listing information that is also available at dozens of other places on the web, makes little sense.

Consumers everywhere are armed with information to make smart decisions, so your value proposition needs to be strong in order to stay competitive.  That holds true even for your website.  What powerful value proposition exists for the website visitor, to give you their personal contact info just find out what's behind "door #3"???

With a strategic approach to your website initiative, registration/lead capture is not overly difficult.  What realtors struggle with is lead management.  Qualifying and Closing leads.  NAR is great resource for statistical data regarding trends.  In two separate studies regarding lead management, one study claimed that Realtors close less than 2% of their web leads.  The other claimed 27% of consumers who "shop" for a new home via internet will actually transact with 12 months.  None of these efforts mean anything unless you can attribute closed deals and commissions from it, so those are very telling statistics.

Improvement of these types of ratios will increase by have more QUALIFIED leads.  Force registration for unknown data on the backend will most certainly provide for greater number of unqualified leads that the realtor needs to spend valuable time scrubbing.  The progressive realtor should be spending more time on closing activities and not prospecting, especially when they can harness web resources to help them empower their potential clients.  Force registration does not empower them, it throws up a road block.  And if we have found out anything in the last ten years, the consumer will not simply accept that as their only option.