There a number of different types of Data Feeds
Click here to see a simple chart of the Key Differences in the different Data feeds.
- Internet Data Exchange (IDX)
- Virtual Office Website (VOW)
- BACK-OFFICE Data Feed
- Custom data Feed
- Real Estate Advertising applications
- Data Distribution Facility® (DDF®)
Internet Data Exchange (IDX)
An IDX feed is typically the most up-to-date and data-rich active feed available to a member. The purpose is to allow members to share active data on their websites or applications (much like the printed catalogues that were distributed to brokerages in the past). Sellers get extra exposure for their listings, and buyers can choose where to view listings. A broker can opt-out from including their listings in the IDX feed (see broker reciprocity), but if they do, they and their agents cannot receive an IDX feed for their own websites or applications.
An IDX feed contains a standard set of fields, found below.
Virtual Office Website (VOW)
A VOW data feed includes active and sold data. The purpose of a VOW is to provide brokerage services to existing clients, and it is not intended to be an advertising vehicle. Much like a member of the public can walk into a physical office (or fill out a form on a website) and receive an evaluation on a property, or request historical information on homes, a brokerage or agent may choose to provide those services online, through a VOW. Since historical and sensitive information may be included in a VOW, a higher security level is required. An existing client relationship is required to access the VOW. A VOW is therefore very different from a website that advertises listing information.
CREA’s Definition: A VOW is a password-protected area of a brokerage’s website where consumers who have entered into a lawful broker-consumer relationship with the brokerage can log in to view listing information provided to the brokerage through an MLS® System VOW data feed, subject to certain terms and conditions.
A VOW feed contains a standard set of fields, found below.
BACK-OFFICE Data Feed
As the name implies, this feed is to be used for in-house and back-office uses such as maintaining their listings, electronic document management. Any vendor or partner accessing this data on behalf of the recipient must also enter into an agreement with the association. A broker consent is required before enabling the brokerage listing, agent, and office information. The data from this Back Office feed must not be distributed for any other use and the data must not be visible to the public. This data is very detailed, often including information not found in either VOW or IDX feeds. Potential uses of this feed include powering customer relationship management platforms etc. Confidentiality and security should be treated with the highest priority, as back-office feeds contain data not intended for consumers.
A back-office feed contains fields depending on the request either from a third-party vendor or a member. A back-office feed can only be used for listing management or it can be for document management but is not limited to these.
Custom data Feed
Custom data feeds are offered to facilitate the development of real estate applications or integrating brokerage’s data into a tool that is typically used in the office. The data feed can be made available to a Member performing in-house development or to a third-party vendor solution that will help members to conduct their business better.
A custom data feed can contain fields varying on the request.
Real Estate Advertising applications
A real estate advertising application data feed is enabled for member technology vendors developing marketing platforms. Such marketing applications give extra exposure to MLS® System listings. It will be only available as an opt-in service for brokerages. “Spacelist” is one such commercial real estate [listing] advertising website. Only commercial real estate listings are included on “Spacelist” for visitors and users of “Spacelist” to view for free, including agents and non-agents.
A Real Estate Advertising data feed is often use case dependent. Currently, “Spacelist” is the only advertising website that has direct access to the RAE’s data. For “Spacelist”, a subset of IDX data feed is enabled for just commercial listing.
Data Distribution Facility® (DDF®)
CREA has created a Data Distribution Facility (DDF®) to enable CREA’s Members to easily disseminate MLS® System listing content to multiple websites and to ensure that MLS® listing content that is displayed on these websites is accurate, up to date, and uses CREA’s trademarks correctly. The DDF® is permission-based and consists of several listing distribution channels: a National Shared Pool channel; a National Franchisor Pool channel; a Member Feed channel; a Real Estate Advertising Website channel; a Partner channel; and a Franchisor Direct Feed channel. Participating brokerages and salespeople can access a dashboard on REALTOR Link® to indicate where they want to send their listing information and how much information they want to send.
A list of fields from the RAE’s MLS® System that are currently sent to supply information in the DDF® feed, found below.