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 |
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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 |
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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 15 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
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