How to use RSS when looking for a home

If you were ever wondering what RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is, here is a great video from the Inman blog that clearly explains how this new technology works. RSS allows you to receive all of the news, information, and home listings you want passively, versus searching the web for this information proactively.

The example that best illustrates the utility of RSS is movie rentals (as you’ll see in the video). Today, there are two ways you can rent movies, either by driving to the video store and actively selecting your movies (the old way) or by using a service such as Netflix to receive the movies you want at your doorstep (the RSS way). After selecting the movies you want with Netflix, all you have to do is sit back and let the movies come to you.

Once you watch the video, you’ll understand exactly how to use RSS and why it is so powerful.

If you are currently searching for a new home, RSS, in addition to email, is another great way to receive instant notification of new homes that come on the market. ZipRealty offers RSS feeds for both customized home searches (individualized searches for each customer) and RSS feeds of all of our featured listings. 

RSS is great tool that can help make your home search more productive. Once you try it out, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Here is more information on the background of RSS.

Myron Lo
Director, Product Strategy