Online ad syndication issues?

Question

I have noticed when you post an online ad that does automatic syndication to site such as Zillow, hotpad etc etc etc...there are errors on the feature list.

I guess that came from the differences in various databases, and some features are listed on one and not on another and how they handle the mismatched features when syndicating.

For example, I used postlets last week to post an ad for a unit within a four plex building.

On Zillow I saw the ad a few hours later, indicating I had a pool, a doorman, a deck, a garden, a porch and an intercom.  None of those are true and none of those were flagged on postlets...well I remember explicitly checked NO POOL and NO INTERCOM and postlets didn't have an option for doorman.  I checked other sites and there are other feature errors.

This could certainly create false expectation...could potential tenants complained about false advertising?  "Hey I didn't have a doorman you said there is a doorman!"

How do you all deal with this?  Turn off these automatic syndication feature and go to each site and post your own ad?

Is there a better place to do this then postlets?

Sam Leon · Answer

Last week I got a call asking me for the address, I went to Zillow again and it says "Undisclosed Address" and put the map pin some where else.

I then went to Postlet and reset a few things and saved the ad.

The address seem to have stay put since then.

I did modify the pictures in the ad, deleted three and added two, and that didn't update on Zillow for 2 days but it came up on Trulia much sooner.  Weird.

I did email Zillow and reported the bug when I first encountered it.

Chris Martin · Answer

I checked my listing (it's still 'active') and it now displays the address correctly. The days was 'reset' (I didn't repost) and it looks like a majority of the fields from postlets now display correctly on Zillow.

Days on Zillow:4 days on Zillow

Looks like they have fixed this issue. They did remove a URL I have in postlets... but I'm sure this is by design.

Chris Martin · Answer

I have reproduced this exactly as you describe. This is plain and simple a 'bug'. This is the first time I've seen this, and it isn't clear if the problem is in the postlet XML file or the Zillow parsing. If you go to the "See Data Sources" link, are the items in there corrupted? In my listing, these items are correct.

I sent Zillow an email. What's really wack-o is that postlets is a Zillow owned company. It will be interesting to see if I hear anything back from Zillow.

Sam Leon · Answer

I am not sure what happened.

Initially when I used Postlets the property address shows up on Zillow.

Now suddenly it changed to (Undisclosed Address).  The map still shows the correct location, but I didn't do anything and it just switched out the address all by itself.

I went back to Postlets and the address is there.  But not on Zillow.

On Hotpad it shows the street name and city, but the street number is not there anymore.

I am not following this.

Chris Martin · Answer

Sounds like your property feed to Zillow isn't correct, which means postlets may have a mismatch converting to ZIF??? Hard to imagine, since zillow owns postlets. Does this happen to trulia (via TFF) too? I've not seen this, but it is possible there is an issue due to an updated schema or a 'behind the scene' XML file issue. If it is persistent, I'd send an email to your feed provider. My guess is this is/was a non-persistent glitch (bug).

Back about 5 (maybe more) years ago, I had issues with other site's feeds and started sending my own syndication feeds. That lasted until I started using postlets, which seemed to be accurate and reliable regarding feeds format to other sites.