Property Extras

Get the latest iProperty.com.sg information directly using RSS
iProperty.com.sg is pleased to announce that we now publish a number of RSS feeds in order to help our readers stay up to date and manage the flood of new properties information online. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions.

What is RSS?
Depending on whom you ask, RSS stands for either "Rich Site Summary" or "Really Simple Syndication." Essentially, it's a great way for iProperty.com.sg and other Web publishers to distribute content.

At the heart of the technology is special Web coding, called XML, that has become widely used by the global online community over the past few years.

The XML code for RSS describes a collection of information called a "feed." Essentially, the feeds can contain a summary and links of the new content on a Web site or anything else a creator desires to share.

Anyone - an online surfer or another Web site - can pick up the RSS codes and with the appropriate Web software display the information automatically.

The concept is similar to how a newswire service operates: Information published by one news organization can be "syndicated" - picked up and displayed - by any other news organization (though RSS feeds, unlike most news syndication, are free).

What does RSS mean for Web site publishers?
Through syndication, online content creators have a much easier way to get their information published and seen. In addition, site publishers now have an easy, no-cost way to add relevant content from iProperty.com.sg to their site. For instance, a site operator might want to provide his or her readers with the list of the latest properties posting. That information can now be harvested through the iProperty.com.sg RSS feed. If the user is interested in seeing a more complete list, he or she can then click through to iProperty.com.sg.

RSS can also be a way for Web sites to retain "loyalty" among visitors. By supplying the RSS code on the Web site, visitors can "subscribe" to the feed and automatically receive updates on their personal computers of new content on the site.

Why would ordinary Web users like RSS?
For Web surfers, the advantages of RSS are quite simple: They save time and bandwidth.

Instead of remembering to visit a favorite Web site, the news comes directly into your computer daily or at whatever interval you want.

What's more, most RSS feeds contain just links, headlines, or brief synopses of new information. That small an amount of Web data can be sent to any XML-compatible device - a cell phone, pager, or handheld computer - without a lengthy download process.

Which online sites use RSS?
For now, many technology-oriented Web sites such as C|net.com, LockerGnome.com, and Slashdot.org, offer RSS feeds to satisfy the crowds of computer "geeks" online.

You'll also find that some Weblogs - or online diaries - run by savvy individuals also offer RSS feeds.

Click here to sign up for RSS services offered by iProperty.com.sg.

What do I need to receive RSS feeds?
First, you need a so-called feed reader, or "aggregator," tool or service. Performing a search for "RSS Feed Readers" or "RSS aggregators" with any major online search engine (such as Google or Yahoo!) will produce a slew of software options - many of which are free or at little cost.

Once you've obtained a feed reader, subscribing to an RSS feed is as simple as looking for the appropriate XML code. Most Web sites that publish an RSS feed will display a tiny orange box or button labeled "RSS" or "XML."

Click the button and your Web browser typically goes to a page of cryptic code. Just copy the Web "address" or URL of that page and plug it into your feed reader. The software will then automatically retrieve and display that site's latest information. Click here to see a listing of the RSS content published by iProperty.com.sg. We've provided links to automatically subscribe using some of the most popular feed readers and aggregators.