iHOUSEweb wants “To make REALTORS more successful by providing cutting edge marketing products supported by the best customer service in the industry.” They accomplish this with their websites, CRM, and mobile apps. Read on to learn if they’re right for you.
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What is iHOUSEweb?
Since 1999, iHOUSEweb has been offering real estate websites for agents and brokers. Today, they have an expanded group of products. These include real estate websites, TurboLeads CRM, and TurboLeads mobile app.
These tools are used by more than 30,000 real estate agents, realtors, and brokers in the United States. But are they the right fit for your real estate business? We’ll look at the features each product offers as we analyze iHOUSEweb’s usability and potential value for real estate professionals.
iHOUSEweb Features
Both real estate websites and CRMs offer a variety of features that are designed to make marketing easier for real estate agents and professionals. This is a quick overview of the features iHOUSEweb offers. Keep reading to discover details about each one.
Fully customizable website
- Auto-import MLS listings to website and Facebook
- Integrated IDX search and mobile IDX search
- 300+ mobile-friendly designs to choose from
- iHOUSE Elite one on one support
- SEO & PPC support
- Integrations to Facebook, Mailchimp, Google, and more
- 14-day test drive, no credit card needed
TurboLeads CRM (included with website)
- Lead generation & tracking
- Import leads from sources like Zillow and Realtor.com
- Auto drip campaigns
- Mobile app available
Fully Customizable Real Estate Websites
Websites for realtors and agents need to meet a few criteria to truly be a useful marketing tool (user friendly, SEO friendly, and a few integrations). From iHOUSEweb.com, we found these criteria are met with this product.
Ample templates and banners
Agents can add free video banners and moving backgrounds to their websites. They can also choose from more than 300 website layouts and designs. Everything from the domain name to the copyright text at the bottom of the page can be edited and customized.
If you already have a domain name and email, you can use those instead. Each website comes with an integrated blog where you can publish content that attracts new leads. In addition to hundreds of custom options, iHOUSEweb also offers important search tools and MLS integrations.
Auto-import listings
Each time you enter a new listing at your Multiple Listing Service (MLS), iHOUSEweb automatically imports it to your Elite Pro real estate website. Each new listing you add automatically updates your Saved Search mobile-optimized landing pages.
This feature showcases your newest properties to visitors. You can also auto-import your newest listings to your Facebook page to ensure your page is up to date and increases your reach.
Integrated IDX Search
IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. It’s the software and system that makes it possible for real estate professionals to import their MLS properties directly to their website and allow users to search through available properties for sale.
iHOUSEweb sites come with a robust IDX search interface that helps agents capture and convert more leads. They’ve added features like Saved Searches and HouseTrack.
These let you create an incentive for a user to register in order to access perks like saving their recent searches and receiving email notifications when homes that meet their criteria come on the market.
There’s also Teaser Registration interruptions, which iHOUSEweb says can convert 14 times more visitors into leads. The reason? Prospects who were viewing homes want to keep viewing them. So they’ll enter their information to unlock the rest of the photos.
Fully customize your site design
More than 300 mobile-optimized website designs are available for you to choose from. To make the task easier for non-design folks, iHOUSEweb added special widgets that make changes as simple as clicking, dragging, or dropping.
These features make it simple to have your website reflect and support your brand through font, colors, logo, and images. Each website includes a free, personalized email address to match your domain, which can help you look more professional in communication with clients and further strengthen your brand.
For those who don’t consider themselves web-savvy and would rather leave the site edits to professionals, the next feature on the list will be a perfect fit.
SEO and PPC support
Your website comes with everything you need to optimize it for search engine rankings. From editable metadata to imported MLS listings that can help you rank for local keywords, the amount of work you put into your iHOUSEweb site will determine how well you rank on Google.
Running PPC (Pay Per Click) ads can also boost your website rankings in search. However, not every agent is an SEO or PPC wiz, so iHOUSEweb offers full SEO and PPC support for website clients that need advice or help in either of these areas.
Access iHOUSE Elite Service
Every website comes with the iHOUSE Elite Service, a customer service and support offering that aims to walk you through the website creation and maintenance process from the start.
Here’s what the service provides real estate agents with a website from iHOUSEweb:
- Unlimited customer support through phone, chat, or email
- Dedicated website coordinator to support you
- Free website changes, edits, and tuneups
- Online help center w/video support
- Individual, case by base website improvement suggestions
So if you decide to change the headline on your homepage, remove an agent from your team page, or add a new page to your website, the iHOUSE Elite Service will take care of the changes for you.
Risk-free 14-day test drive
iHOUSEweb offers new users the opportunity to start with a free 14-day test drive. You’ll have two weeks to use the Pro website and features, decide if it’s a good fit, and sign up for a plan or walk away. iHOUSEweb addresses this question on the Frequently Asked Questions page:
“We don’t collect any credit card information until you decide to purchase. The test drive automatically expires after 14 days. Soon after you start, one of our Web Marketing Consultants will contact you to see how you’re doing and to answer any questions you may have.”
TurboLeads CRM
iHOUSEweb’s real estate websites can help you capture leads, but how can you track, manage, and convert those leads into clients? The TurboLeads Customer Relationship Management (CRM) suite is designed to assist agents in managing, communicating with, and closing leads.
It’s included free with every iHOUSE Elite website. TurboLeads CRM can even show you what a specific lead’s budget is and the neighborhoods they’re searching in.
In addition to helping you “spy” on leads and follow-up quickly, TurboLeads supplies pre-designed listing flyers, immediate lead alerts, email updates, and the ability to run a full email drip campaign.
- Learn about lead preferences and searches
- Import leads from sources like Zillow and Realtor.com
- Follow-up reminders
- Listing flyer templates
- Email drip campaigns using MailChimp integration
- Send automated responses to leads
- Get instant lead alerts
- Automated HouseTrack email updates
- Google Cloud email and G Suite apps included
- Access to TurboLeads mobile app
What is the TurboLeads Mobile App?
Real estate agents on the go can keep track of leads and follow-up immediately with the TurboLeads mobile app. It gives you a full lead management dashboard on your phone wherever you go. With the mobile app, you can take advantage of additional features beyond the TurboLeads CRM, including:
- Auto-response text messages
- Instant lead alerts to your smartphone
- Lead activity notifications
Plans and Pricing
If you decide to sign up after your 14-day test drive ends, you’ll be able to choose from any of their three flexible plans. These include:
Agent Express ($69.98/month)
- Website, hosting, personalized email address
- Google Cloud
- Integrated blog
- Unlimited Elite Service
- TurboLeads CRM and mobile app
Agent Pro ($99.98/month)
- Website, hosting, personalized email address
- Google Cloud
- Integrated blog
- Unlimited Elite Service
- TurboLeads CRM and mobile app
- Auto-updated MLS listings
- Integrated IDX search
Office Pro ($299.98/month)
- Website, hosting, personalized email address
- Google Cloud
- Integrated blog
- Unlimited Elite Service
- TurboLeads CRM and mobile app
- Auto-updated MLS listings
- Integrated IDX search
- Office management suite
- 5 individual agent websites
Additional Fees and Discounts
Many people would think the all-in price is that listed above, but that’s not true. Unfortunately, this is where the real pain starts, and to be honest may be the turning point for many agents. Read on to find out why.
MLS fees
Some Multiple Listing Services assign additional fees that iHOUSEweb passes on to you. You may also have to pay fees directly to your MLS.
Individual agent website fees
The Office Pro plan comes with 5 websites, but if you’ll need more than that, there’s an additional fee. Get 10 websites for $100 more per month ($399.98/month). Get 25 agent websites for $400 more per month ($699.98/month).
Startup fees
It’s important to note that these packages come with a hefty one-time startup fee. For agent packages, the fee is $998. The Office Pro package has a startup fee of $1,998. The website says this fee covers the one-on-one website coordinator who will take time to build your website the way you want it.
Annual discount
Simply sign up for annual billing to take advantage of the 10% off discounted rate.
- AgentExpress: 10% off ($62.98/month)
- AgentPro: 10% off ($89.98/month)
- OfficePro: 10% off ($269.98/month)
Is iHOUSEweb Right for You?
The range and quality of iHOUSEweb features could be a great solution for real estate agents seeking a lead-converting website and CRM. The ability to build and launch a custom, SEO-optimized website quickly with guidance each step of the way is a big bonus for busy agents without web design and SEO experience.
For agents who already have a great domain name and email address, the ability to bring those in is helpful. The integrations and free included features (Elite Service, email address, TurboLeads CRM, etc.) are big benefits that can make the cost per month more than worth it.
However, there are downsides to using iHOUSEweb, too. The additional (and quite high) MLS, startup, and individual agent website fees, while not technically “hidden,” were only found after intensive research of the site and reading fine print.
In addition, two of the best features — IDX integrated search and MLS listing auto-import — are not included with the Agent Express plan. Consider these pros and cons as well as your marketing needs as a real estate agent.
Our take is that the basic plan is worth it only if you’re planning to stay with the company for a long time. If so, the monthly costs become more reasonable over time.
The company offers great features and a number of professional-looking websites. However, if you’re unsure whether you’ll have a consistent marketing budget each month or don’t want to shell out a high startup fee, you should look elsewhere.
