Search engine Oodle.com says it's going to make finding classified ads easier for consumers by partnering with iHomeFinder to offer an "MLS-compliant solution for Realtors and brokerages to feature their own listings on Oodle and across Oodle's partner network."

This will give Oodle, a search engine that specializes in local classifieds, over two million real estate listings in its search index, which the company says is the largest on the Internet. Oodle Real Estate indexes listings from tens of thousands of websites, including individual agents, brokers, for sale by owners (FSBO), and foreclosures as well as new homes.

Oodle has already partnered with sites such as Real Living, Real Estate.com, Harmon Homes, Foreclosure.com, and New Home Source to bring users the largest and most comprehensive real estate search site on the internet. The new partnership with iHomefinder will contribute additional real estate listings to the Oodle network. iHomefinder is an IDX solution provider which gives Realtors and brokerages IDX feeds from their local MLSs to use on their websites.

Brokerages will feature their own listings within the Oodle index simply by completing a free sign up with iHomefinder and receiving their MLS Board's approval to use the IDX feed provided by the MLS. Realtors will be able to tell their sellers that in addition to other places where their homes will be featured, their homes will also be featured on Oodle.com.

While the listings will be free to Realtors and brokerages, Oodle has an upsell solution which will provide participants to place their listings at the head of the search results to garner more leads.

By leveraging iHomeFinder's large network of MLS-compliant listings and deep Real Estate relationships, Oodle will now be able to provide realtors and brokerages with a "flip-the-switch" ability to promote their own listings on the Oodle network and gather leads.

An advantage for brokers and brokerages is that the classified index includes full media, not stripped down versions of the listings.

That's because Oodle.com does not host the listings, but points Internet searchers directly to the listing's origin, which would be the Realtor's or brokerage's listing on their website, enabling them to festoon their listings with as much information as they would like.

Oodle.com is competing squarely with Google Base, a classified ad solution that promotes free classified ad listings to service providers like Realtors.

Published: July 24, 2006

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