Expert Agent API import user guide; getting your properties onto your website from Expert Agent

The following document explains how you can get the property data from your Expert Agent software onto your website. It explains exactly how an import of your property data from Expert Agent works and outlines what you need to do to ensure the information on your website is correct. It also contains important information to ensure your property alert emails link correctly to your website (in the FAQs section).

Contents

1.1 - Overview

1.2 - Setting up an import to your website

1.3 - What information does the website use to display my property listings?

1.4 - FAQs - including how to setup your property alert emails

1.1 Overview

The Expert Agent API Import is one of the fastest methods of transferring property data. Once setup, it will look for changes to your property listings every hour and immediately makes these changes to your website.

It runs 7 days a week, 8am - 8pm. It does not run overnight when estate agent offices are closed and no changes are taking place.

1.2 Setting up an import to your website

If you’re having a new website built by Webdadi, your Project Manager will be in touch to setup your import. If you already have a Webdadi website and want to setup a new import from Expert Agent, please contact your Account Manager.

We will contact Expert Agent on your behalf to obtain the relevant API credentials to setup your import.

1.3 What information does the website use to display my property listings?

The following table outlines what information is used on the website, where it is output, and from where in Expert Agent it gets that information.

Please note - although the Expert Agent software itself is customisable and allows you to create new fields and have a bespoke configurations, the website import only downloads the default/core fields of Expert Agent. This guide is also only relevant to the Atom website platform. It is not entirely compatible with older website templates.

 

Website Option

Where does it display on the website

Field in Expert Agent

Website Option

Expert Agent Drop Down Option

House Number

Doesn't output on the website specifically. This field is imported purely to help us identify the property in our database for troubleshooting

xml.house_number

NA

NA

Address 1

Used to output the address on the search results & property details pages

xml.street

NA

NA

City

Used to output the address on the search results & property details pages

xml.town

NA

NA

State

Used to output the address on the search results & property details pages

None

NA

NA

Country

Used to output the address on the search results & property details pages

“UK”

NA

NA

Postcode

Used to output the address on the search results & property details pages. Only the first part of the postcode will show

xml.postcode

NA

NA

Branchcode

Determines what branch the property is allocated to. This should match an office setup on the website. This branches details will apear on the property details page (editable in VIA) and is where any arrange a viewing email requests are sent for that property. Properties allocated to a branch not setup on the website will not display

xml.department

NA

NA

Additional Features 

 

 

 

 

Mark the property as a New Build (1)

Doesn't output specifically, but allows the property to appear in new homes filter searches if required

xml.new home = “yes”

NA

NA

Council Tax Band

Outputs on the property details page in the left hand side section below the bullet pointed main features

None

NA

NA

Deposit

Outputs on the property details page. Only relevant to Lettings properties

None

NA

NA

Hidden

Field doesn't output on the website specifically, but when ticked it hides the property from appearing on the website

“0”

NA

NA

hideprice

Field doesn't output on the website specifically, but when ticked it hides the price from appearing on the website

price_test contains “price on application”

NA

NA

importtype

Determines whether the price of the property is per annum, per month or per week. Doesn't ouput on the site specifically per property as the website is set to display a default, but will use this price to convert to the correct amount according to the website default

None

NA

NA

Instructed Date

Field doesn't output on the website specifically, but ensures the newest/oldest filter on the website searches functions correctly. It uses this date to define a property's age. If this is blank, it cannot filter properties by those values

xml.instructedDate

NA

NA

Internal Code

Field doesn't output on the website specifically, but ensure the property can always be viewed by using the clients website URL followed by /property/propertyid eg: estateagent.com/property/12345

xml.property_reference

NA

NA

Long Description

Field outputs as the description on the property details page

xml.main_advert

NA

NA

Low Price*

Field outputs as the price on the search results and property details page

xml.numeric_price

NA

NA

Main Features

Outputs as the Main Features bullet points on the property details page

xml.bullet1

xml.bullet2

xml.bullet3

xml.bullet4

xml.bullet5

xml.bullet6

xml.bullet7

xml.bullet8

xml.bullet9

xml.bullet10

NA

NA

Media

Images

Floorplans

EPC

Brochure

xml.pictures.picture

xml.floorplans

xml.epc

xml.brochure

 

 

Number Bathrooms

Outputs as a numeric symbol on the search results and property details page

xml.bathrooms

NA

NA

Number Bedrooms

Outputs as a numeric symbol on the search results and property details page

xml.bedrooms

NA

NA

Number Receptions

Outputs as a numeric symbol on the search results and property details page

xml.receptions

NA

NA

Organisation ID

Doesn't output on the website. An ID associating it with the specific organisation

Provided by Webdadi

NA

NA

Property Type

Outputs on the search results and property details page (house, flat, apartment etc)

xml.property_type

NA

NA

Short Description

Outputs on the list view of the search results page

xml.advert_heading

NA

NA

Status

Outputs as the status of the property (for sale, under offer etc)

xml.priority

NA

NA

Tenure

Outputs as the tenure on the property details page

xml.tenure

NA

NA

Terms

Outputs near the price of the property (offers in excess, guide price etc).

In Vebra, customers can add additional drop down options with customised wording for price qualifier wording. The website can’t support limitless custom options the customer may have added to Vebra Alto, but it supports the default options within Vebra Alto. The options which are supported are to the right. The customer must use the default options in order for it to display correctly on the website.

xml.price_text contains text

Guide

Guide Price

Offers in the region of

OIRO

Offers in excess

OIEO

Offers over

Offers Over

Null

Null

Video Tour (multi or single)

Outputs as a video symbol on the search results and property details page. When clicked it displays the video(s)

xml.virtual_tour_url

NA

NA

Webdadi Sub Type

Field doesn't output on the website specifically, but essentially markes the property as a sales or lettings property so it appears in the relevant search

xml.department.ToLower contains “Sales” or “Lettings”

NA

NA

 

1.4 FAQs

How do I make changes to the property listings on my website?

Simply update your property information within Expert Agent and those changes will automatically appear on your website within 60 minutes (providing you have added/edited the information into the correct field of Expert Agent as above)

I’ve made a change to a property listing but not displaying on my website even though it has updated on the property portals?

  • Firstly, ensure you have added/edited the information in the correct field within Expert Agent. Section 1.3 above outlines what fields you should use to correctly display on your website. If you’re adding information to other fields not listed above, they won’t display on the website.

  • The website will update every hour. Unlike the property portals, the changes are not quite made instantly in real time. Changes can take up to one hour so please check when you added/edited the property. You may just have to wait for the import to run again if it’s been less time then that since you made your edit. However, the maximise time you should ever wait for an update is an hour

  • Ensure you have allocated the property to an office that is setup on your website. Properties added to Expert Agent that aren’t allocated to an office, or allocated to an office not setup on the website, will not display.

How often does the Expert Agent API Import run & how quickly will any changes be on my website?

The tool runs every hour to look for changes to your property listings data. When it picks up any edits, additions or deletions of properties, these changes are then directly added to the website and there is no additional processing time. You should never be waiting more than an hour for an update to show on your website.

It runs every day between 8am - 8pm. It does not run overnight, as estate agent offices are closed so no changes will be taking place.

Can I customise my import to use different fields?

In short, no. The website uses a specific set of data from Expert Agent that can’t be customised. However, most of the information on the website is factual data such as the address, price, tenure etc which shouldn’t need to be customised.

You need to add the data you want to display online to the relevant fields in Expert Agent as listed in section 1.3.

Having a standard Import setup for all Expert Agent customers allows us to support and maintain your import. It also means your import is constantly updated in line with any legal requirements such as the requirement to display council tax and tenure information published in May 2022.

Do I need to do anything to ensure my property alert emails work correctly once my import is setup?

Yes. Expert Agent should ensure your property alert emails are set up to link to your property listings on the website correctly. They will need to generate a URL to the property online in their email templates. Please contact them directly to ensure they have the following setup:

To link to any property on the website, simply enter your website address followed by:

/property/Property_id

eg: www.estateagentwebsite/property/1245091

 

Keywords:

Expert Agent API import, Expert Agent import, EA import, website upload from Expert Agent, import