Search Filters are powerful mechanisms for showing properties that match the MLS criteria you specify.
Search Filters are used
- To display properties using "Display Widgets"
- To create a Custom Search Link
In BOTH these cases, the EASIEST way to achieve this is to use the Wizard system in your Buying Buddy account to create the widgets or links that you need.
- and click the required menu option.
Scroll down and watch the two overview movies below to quickly get up to speed using Filters.
There are two main uses for Search Filters:
1. Use with Display Widgets
When Display Widgets are used with Filters, it's possible to use any MLS criteria available (including map polygons), to embed a display specific properties on any web page or blog post.
A Display Widget (List, Gallery, Map) that's embedded on a web page, can show specific properties by adding a Search Filter.
A Display Widget can be deployed multiple times with a different Search Filter in each case, on the same or multiple pages. Just copy and paste the widget code, then update the filter in each case.
This approach makes it fast and easy to set up many different presentations of real estate listings such as multiple Neighborhood or City pages.
2. Create a Custom Search Link
A Custom Search Link is like a 'canned', or pre-defined search. The 'link' needs to include a Search Filter and goes to your 'search results' page (URL) where properties are shown based on the Search Filter that can use any MLS criteria available (including map polygons).
Custom Search Links (or 'canned searches') are specially formed links that go to present a "search result' using the Search Results Widget on your search results web page (the page on your website that has a "Search Results Widget" on it).
Any number of Custom Search Links can be created and used anywhere on the web where links can be shown - in an email, in a menu, on your Facebook page, as a button or just as a text link on a page.
Displaying Properties with a Filter
The easiest way to create and use Search Filters with Widgets or Custom Search Links, is to use the "Display Properties with Widgets" tool in your Leads and Contacts account.
See Display Properties with Widgets for more details.
(But once you know how the Search Filter is created, you can then manually create them too.)
- then click Display Properties with Widgets
Follow the instructions with the tool to create and use the Search Filter with a Display Widget or, to create a Custom Search Link.
Examples of Using Search Filters
Custom Search Link Example
Here are examples of how you might use a Search Filter to create a Custom Search Link to show search results:
NOTE !! the actual 'search-results' page needs to be YOUR page where you display the search results widget !!
http://www.MY-SITE.com/results.html?filter=city:Littleton+price_min:300000+price_max:750000
Display Widget Examples
Show a Gallery display of the 4 most recent properties in Denver over $1m:
<div id='MBBv3_FeaturedGallery' filter='city:denver+price_min:1000000+order:create_dt desc'></div>
[mbb_widget id='MBBv3_FeaturedGallery' filter='city:denver+price_min:1000000+order:create_dt desc']
Show a List display of the 15 most recent properties in Denver under $500,000:
<div id='MBBv3_FeaturedList' filter='city:denver+price_max:500000+order:create_dt desc+limit:15'></div>
[mbb_widget id='MBBv3_FeaturedList' filter='city:denver+price_max:500000+order:create_dt desc+limit:15']
'Default' Search Filter and Default Listings for Display Widgets
If there is no Search Filter applied within the Display Widget then 'default' search criteria will be applied to show 'default' listings.
The goal of default listings is to primarily present your listings. The default search criteria come from values that are set in your User Profile and Account Settings.
See "What are Featured Listings" for the definition of featured listings by account type
A default filter applies to all the following Buying Buddy Widgets:
- Gallery Display widget
- List Display widget
- Map Display widget
- Listings on your Profile shown in the Broker or OfficeRoster widgets
For more details on all the search criteria available and how to use optional parameters and values, see Filter Parameters and Options.