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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Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.