Interface with RETS (Real Estate Transaction Standard)

[Anonymous]

This is a great project - it has a great future I think.
One thing that would be nice would be a RETS client interface so that the mySQL DB could be poplulated with MLS listings.
I've developed a PHP RETS client for a website already (www.dehoff.com) that sends queries, parses XML returned, and displays results - in real time, no DB on the backend. - and also downloads photos of the properties automatically. If any one would be intersted I would help with developing a better RETS client that could take the XML results and store them into a DB.

[Denver Dave]

Is RETS a particular implementation of the IDX requirement?

I thought that XML would be a nice way to implement IDX.

Would you mind posting or reposting a good reference link to find out about RETS ?

[Anonymous]

RETS is a "Transaction standard" for IDX information. It just defines the set of rules used by multiple real-estate websites to share information about listings. Once a standard RETS client is developed, it can then be used by any real-estate MLS system anywhere to query multiple agencies listings and display them in their own website.

[Anonymous]

http://www.rets.org

Explains all the details about RETS

[Denver Dave]

Do MLS systems have to use RETS? I've been trying to get information out of my clients MLS for months. First they said December, then January and now March.... my sense is that it is not the MLS but the MLS software vendor that does not really want to implement making the data available to others that they may view as competitors.

[Denver Dave]

February in Las Vegas - not bad. Are you planning on attending the RETS meeting?

[Anonymous]

Can you email me the code you developed for the PHP RETS? Myself and a few DB programmers with more time on our hands would like to take a stab at conquering this. Seems everyone could really use this piece of the puzzle.

[Anonymous]

I have zipped up what I've done, I just need an email address to send it to.
Some background on the code-
I had 3 weeks to develop a full understanding of RETS/XSL/and Sablotron before a new MLS system went live. (Typical time to develop a RETS client according to rets.org ~3 months) I found a working PHP interface on the web - used it as my back end, put a class together as the middle man between the downloaded functions and my PHP pages. Went through the functions to get enough of an understanding of what is going on in order to modify them for my needs. Started to learn XSL, and got Sablotron compiled into PHP.
I have an example in the zip file for the detail page process - detail_query.php gets information from our MLS server, detail_parse puts it into friendly XML, and detail_results.php takes XML and formats it with xsl stylesheet.

[Andre]

..

[greengiant]

dhall5,

Can you send me a copy of what you have done in regards to RETS, this is something i want to include in teh 2.0 release. I would like to take a look at what you have, and possible talk to you via phone about it, if you don't mind.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

Any more word on this, Ryan?

Still a hot topic around here, and would be an excellent resource. I, unfortunately have already lost a few clients because they want access to their local MLS. :(

Thanks, man!

[broadway]

BUMB!!

just wanting to see whats going on with this thread?

I will be contacting the local mls here to see what steps can be taken for integration. I hope to solve these issues with idx.

[Anonymous]

Anyone having any luck implementing IDX on a website? I'm very interested in a solution to go with Open Realty. Someone please e-mail me at cartboard@yahoo.com.

Thanks in advance! :D

[Anonymous]

RETS is more of a server/client specification than anything else. If your MLS implements a RETS server as it’s IDX solution, you’ve got it made. There are a lot of RETS front ends out there, fact I believe there are some free working ones on the RETS page.

Our MLS unfortunately went with a direct download solution. We have to FTP down all of the listings as large column delineated text files and large compressed files of pictures. I had a custom solution coded to download, decompress, and write to the database all with a search front end. It is written in PHP and uses templates (all similar to Open-Realty). If this sounds like it is the way your MLS is going, contact me off board and I will attempt to help.

philadkins@sierratel.com

Phil Adkins

P.S. if you would like to see it action go to www.shellyadkins.com or www.oakhurst-realestate.com