Introduction
Agent Subdomains are designed to be quick and easy to build but still provide a location for agents to use for marketing their business as part of a team/group/company (parent site) using Chime. An Agent Subdomain has limitations on what can be edited but does not have to go through a complex or extended MLS application process (as long as the MLS does not require individual applications for subdomain websites). There is no additional cost associated with building Agent Subdomain websites.
*IMPORTANT: The content of an Agent Subdomain will be synchronized from the parent site. In other words, changes made on the parent website will automatically be made on the Agent Subdomains as well.
Summary
Requirements
Automatic Agent Subdomain Creation
The following requirements have to be met in order for an Agent Subdomain to be created automatically:
- The Chime Parent Website (associated with the Parent Site Owner/Admin seat) must have its own vanity domain. For example: www.abcrealestate.com. Note that third-level domains (search.abcrealestate.com) are not allowed to have Chime Agent Subdomains underneath them.
- The domain configuration on the Parent Website vanity domain must allow for Chime to build subdomains. See Domain Configuration Guide: Agent Subdomains for more information.
- Your MLS must allow for Chime to build subdomains without any applications needed.
- Check the "Create Agent Subdomain for the User" check box.
As long as the above conditions are met, agents who are added by the Team/Group/Company Owner/Admin to a Team/Group/Company will also have an Agent Subdomain created for them. This agent will also receive an email letting them know their subdomain has been created.
Manual Agent Subdomain Creation
In addition to allowing for Agent Subdomains to be created automatically as outlined above, Parent Website Owners/Admins and, in some situations, individual team member/agent users, can create Agent Subdomains manually. This is useful in scenarios where an Agent Subdomain has not been created automatically due to the timing of a domain configuration, etc.
Please note that the conditions for an Agent Subdomain to be created still remain the same as for automatic creation. In other words, even though an Agent Subdomain can be created manually as needed, the criteria remains the same for the system to allow it to happen. The domain configuration requirements are outlined HERE.
Parent Website Owner/Admin
A Parent Website Owner/Admin has the option to create an Agent Subdomain directly from the site list:
The system will then check the criteria to make sure the Agent Subdomain can be created. If it cannot be created, specific feedback will be given as to why. Some scenarios include the Parent Website not being on a vanity domain, CNAME settings not being configured correctly, etc.
Team Member/Agent
If a team member/agent goes to access the landing page tool or click on the CMS but they do not have an Agent Subdomain, they will be presented with a screen showing them the benefits of adding a site along with links to add their own Agent Subdomain or upgrade to an Agent Website.
Just like when the Team Owner tries to create an Agent Subdomain, logic will be in place to explain why it is not possible in some scenarios (i.e. third-level domain, CNAME, .chime.me, etc.).
A Team Owner/Admin can remove this access by changing the Edit Own Website permission for individual users (see Team Permissions).
Notice: The Starter package does not come with this feature. If you are on a Starter packaged and interested in using this feature to its full effect, please contact Support to get upgrade options.
Other Scenarios
If your MLS requires an application to be submitted in order to build an Agent Subdomain, Chime can help with that process manually. Chime is aware of the MLSs that have this requirement and will not allow for an Agent Subdomain that needs individual MLS review to be created automatically or manually. Because of the application process, it may take longer to go through this setup process.
If an Agent Subdomain that you need is not created automatically, please contact Chime Support for more information as needed (support@chimeinc.com).
Editing an Agent Subdomain
As mentioned in the introduction, an Agent Subdomain is locked down in certain aspects in order to be compliant with MLS regulations as well as to provide brand consistency to teams using Chime. However, just because an Agent Subdomain has parts that cannot be edited, there are certain aspects that can be edited and are outlined here.
*IMPORTANT: If you are interested in having more control of your own website, you may be able to upgrade to an Agent Website. For more information regarding an Agent Website, please see Agent Websites and Agent Websites vs. Agent Subdomains.
To access and edit your Agent Subdomain, click on the CMS icon in the top navigation menu when logged into Chime:
MLSs
Some Team Websites have many MLSs connected to them yet some agents only work in specific areas. This setting allows for an Agent Subdomain to stop synchronizing certain MLSs from the Team Website and to delete the MLSs that you do not want to appear on the Agent Subdomain. If a new MLS is connected to the Team Website later, you can go back to this setting and add that MLS individually.
To find this setting, go to CMS > Settings > Listings > MLS Integration:
If you would like to stop syncing the MLSs from the Team Website to this Agent Subdomain click on the green "sync" icon and then the hyperlinked CLICK HERE text:
If you would like to proceed click Yes on the confirmation message:
You can now delete any MLSs that you would like to not appear on your Agent Subdomain. Simply click on the "trash" icon to do so.
If you would like to manually add a deleted MLS back, click on the blue Add a New MLS button. Please note that you can only do so if that MLS is already connected to the Team Website.
If you want to sync all MLSs from the Team Website back to this Agent Subdomain, click on the grey "sync" icon and then the hyperlinked CLICK HERE text:
When you remove an MLS, it should also remove the footer information associated with that MLS from the rest of the Agent Subdomain.
Subdomain Prefix
If you would like to change the subdomain prefix which is typically in the format of firstlast.url.com, you can do so by navigating to Settings > Basic Info > Domain:
As a reminder, if you are interested in being able to configure your own domain, using a vanity URL, etc., you will need to upgrade to an Agent Website.
Personal Information
This information is what displays on any blocks that show agent information including the chat box, listing detail page, About page, etc. Edit this under CMS > Settings > Team Info > Creator:
Chat Box Settings
Each subdomain has separate settings for chat box. Please reference the following article for more information on configuring the website chat box: Chat Box Settings.
Lead Privacy
The default setting will always be "Private Lead." For more information regarding lead privacy please reference Lead Privacy: Team Leads vs. Private Leads. Edit the privacy settings for your Agent Subdomain via CMS > Settings > Lead Capture > Lead Privacy.
Lead Source
The default setting for lead source will always be the same as your team website. If you would like to change this, you can customize under CMS > Settings > Lead Capture > Lead Source:
Integrations
The following integrations can be set up individually for your Agent Subdomain:
- Google Analytics
- Google Tag Manager
- Facebook Pixel
Google Analytics
The setup is the same as for a Team Website. See Google Analytics Integration for more information.
Google Tag Manager
The setup is the same as for a Team Website. See Google Tag Manager for more information.
Facebook Pixel
The setup is the same as for a Team Website. See Facebook Pixel Integration for more information.
Editing Blocks
Most of the content on your Agent Subdomain will be inherited from the Team Website with only certain parts that you can configure as an agent when editing your Agent Subdomain. The following blocks can be edited on the Home, About, and Reviews pages:
- Agent Block on the Home Page
- Review Block on the Home Page
*NOTE: If the Team Website does not have an Agent Block, one will be added to your Agent Subdomain automatically.
Header Block
Only one aspect of the Agent Subdomain header block can be edited by an agent and that is the secondary logo that displays on the top menu. The primary logo will continue to sync to the Agent Subdomain as will the second logo unless the "sync" is turned off.
Turn of the synchronization of the second logo from the Team Website to the Agent Subdomain by navigating to the Page Editor > Header:
Over over the green "sync" icon and then click on the CLICK HERE text to stop synchronizing the second logo (if any) from the Team Website to the Agent Subdomain.
Click Yes on the confirmation message if you would like to proceed:
As an agent, you can now upload your own second logo to the header. No other aspect of the website header can be edited on the Agent Subdomain as it will be synced from the Team Website.
If you would like to synchronize the second logo from the Team Website to the Agent Subdomain again, simply click on the grey icon and click the CLICK HERE text to re-sync:
You will then need to confirm that you want to sync again. Click Yes if so:
Hero Block
The hero block of the Home page only can be edited on an Agent Subdomain. Navigate to the CMS > Page Editor > Hero block:
If you would like to stop synchronizing the hero block from the Team Website to the Agent Subdomain, click on the green "sync" icon and then the hyperlinked CLICK HERE:
If you would like to proceed, click on Yes in the confirmation message:
You can now edit the hero block independently from what is done on the Team Website. See the following for more information on what can be edited with the hero block: Hero Block.
If you would like to re-sync the hero block on the Agent Subdomain with that of the Team Website, go back to edit the hero and then click on the grey sync button and then click the CLICK HERE hyperlink:
Confirm that you would like to proceed with syncing the hero block with the Team Website again:
Agent Block
Edit by clicking on the "Pages" icon in the top-left:
Find the Home/About/Reviews (depending on which you want to edit) on the list:
Once on that page, scroll down and find the agent block. Double-click or select the "Edit" icon in the top-right of that block:
On this block, you can edit the title, background color, and style.
Reviews Block
Do the same steps as outlined above, but find the reviews block (it looks like a chat bubble and will likely say "No Data" if never configured). Double-click or select the "Edit" icon in the top-right of that block:
On this block, you can edit the title, background color, reviews source (default/manual or Zillow), the button text and action, and style.
Listings Block & Listing Filters
You will not be able to configure the criteria for all of the listings blocks on your Agent Subdomain. However, the system will automatically prioritize and present your listings first for the listing blocks located on the Home and Featured Listings pages as long as you have your settings configured correctly.
In order to have your listings prioritized when displayed in the listings blocks, make sure your license ID and MLS ID are present under CMS > Settings > Team Info > Creator:
You do have access to edit the All Listings and Sold Listings filters. You can edit these filters by going to CMS > Filters:
If you would like to stop syncing these filters from the Team Website to the Agent Subdomain, click on the green "sync" icon and then the hyperlinked CLICK HERE text:
Click Yes on the confirmation message if you would like to proceed:
You can then add up to a maximum of three groups to prioritize which listings display first. More information on how to use these filter settings can be found here: Listing Filter Basics. If you would like to add more than three groups for filtering, you will need to upgrade to an Agent Website.
If you would like to re-sync the All Listings and Sold Listings filters from the Team Website, click on the grey "sync" icon and then the hyperlinked CLICK HERE text:
Click on Yes when you get to the confirmation message if you would like to proceed:
Landing Pages
The landing page feature is still available but does not allow for the addition/deletion of blocks. The templates available are the only options that can be used to create new landing pages. This functionality is available on Agent Websites. You can reference the following article for more information on landing pages, just be sure to note that the customization options will not be available to you: Landing Pages.
Agent Subdomain Deactivation
Please note that an Agent Subdomain on a team will be deleted automatically in the following scenarios:
- The agent who owns the Agent Subdomain is removed from the team
- The Team Website vanity domain is deleted or access to Chime is revoked
FAQs
- As an agent, what if I would like more control over my website than what is currently available for an Agent Subdomain?
- As a Team Owner/Admin, what if I already have agents on my team but no Agent Subdomains set up?
- Can individual agents run Chime lead generation campaigns using an Agent Subdomain? Or does it have to be an Agent Website?
- What if my agent does not need an Agent Subdomain?
- What is the difference between a subdomain and a third level domain?
- How can I customize the navigation, add pages, blocks, etc. to my subdomain?
- How do I get an Agent Subdomain if my Team Website is not on a "vanity domain"?
- Where does the Agent Subdomain contact info in the footer sync from?
As an agent, what if I would like more control over my website than what is currently available for an Agent Subdomain?
Consider upgrading to an Agent Website if this is a possibility on your team. Access to upgrade to an Agent Website is not available for all teams. Please check with your Team Owner/Admin if you are unable to find the option to upgrade. For more information on Agent Websites, see Agent Websites.
As a Team Owner/Admin, what if I already have agents on my team but no Agent Subdomains set up?
As soon as the requirements are met (outlined at the beginning of the article), subdomains will be created for existing agents as well as new agents. The main requirement that has to be met is that of the domain configuration. See Domain Configuration Guide: Agent Subdomain(s).
Can individual agents run Chime lead generation campaigns using an Agent Subdomain? Or does it have to be an Agent Website?
Yes. Chime lead generation can be run using an Agent Subdomain (described in this article). Agent Websites will allow for additional customization to the website and landing pages for campaigns that agents might be running individually and not via Chime. If you are interested in Chime lead generation, navigate to the Chime Marketplace to request more information:
What if my agent does not need an Agent Subdomain?
If the conditions at the beginning of this article are met, the Agent Subdomains will be created automatically. If you would like for a subdomain to be deleted, please contact <support@chimeinc.com> so that our Tech Team can help process the request manually. You can also consider simply ignoring the Agent Subdomain and if you want to avoid having agents editing/using this site, simply adjust the "Edit Own Website" permission (see Team Permissions).
What is the difference between a subdomain and a third level domain?
*IMPORTANT: Chime subdomains can only be third level domains.
A subdomain is a domain that is part of a larger domain, for example, west.example.com, go.link.example.com and east.example.com are subdomains of the example.com domain.
A third level domain is a specific subdomain that has only 3 parts. For example, west.example.com, go.example.com and east.example.com are third level domains (and even subdomains) of the example.com domain, but go.link.example.com is a subdomain but it is not a third level domain as it has four parts (meaning it is actually a fourth level domain).
How can I customize the navigation, add pages, blocks, etc. to my subdomain?
You will be unable to do this on an Agent Subdomain. All existing functionality for Agent Subdomains is outlined in this article. If you would like more control and to have an individual website with all editable options, please consider upgrading to an Agent Website (see Agent Websites).
How do I get an Agent Subdomain if my Team Website is not on a "vanity domain"?
Unfortunately, Chime will not be able to build an Agent Subdomain if this is the case. You may want to consider an Agent Website (see Agent Websites) and you can use either the provided ".chime.me" domain or you can use your own if you have one.
Where does the Agent Subdomain contact info in the footer sync from?
The Agent Subdomain contact information will sync directly from the Team Website. In other words, the Team Website has a configuration for selecting the profile that will be displayed in the Team Website footer and any changes made here will also reflect automatically on the Agent Subdomain footers.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding this topic or any others, please reach out to our Support Team via email at <support@chimeinc.com> or by phone at 1 (855) 981-7557.
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