Comments on: Got Public Records?

By: Jim

Jim — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:16:36 +0000

I think that this api should be open to broker software. It seems unfair to give mls software vendors such an advantage that seems to be locked out for software companies that develop real estate office management systems and agent productivity tools, like cma tools.

By: Dan Woolley

Dan Woolley — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:06:40 +0000

My suggestion would be to create both a RETS web service and a RESTful web service both laid over the common data set. The MLS specific vendors you’re working with will probably prefer to consumer the RETS service, while any newer clients will probably prefer the RESTful API. A SOAP web service is no longer necessary and is increasingly being phased out by many providers.

It should not be much more work to support both styles – you can probably leverage some of the excellent open source RETS tools provided by NAR’s CRT group to quickly wire up and expose your SQL views via RETS. Then most language tools these days make it trivial to wire up RESTful API’s to those same views. Third-parties can then consume whichever flavor they wish, and the underlying data and business logic comes from the exact same place.

By: Barbara Tarin

Barbara Tarin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 05:40:05 +0000

This is a great resource. Will we be able to show how land and commercial brokers can use this? It will be a great recruiting tool if we can do a commercial geared demo as well.

By: Brett

Brett — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:16:03 +0000

Thanks everyone! I’ve already been in touch with Paul about getting to the XSD files, and I’ll happily reach out again to see how we can help. Thanks for the advice!

By: Matt Cohen

Matt Cohen — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:32:21 +0000

Kristen – it doesn’t seem that we’re disagreeing about taking it to the work group – you’re just suggesting he get help from Paul in going to the Schema Workgroup – which is a fine idea!

By: Kristen Carr

Kristen Carr — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:40:08 +0000

I hate to do this to my boyz and all but…I must disagree. I think they can’t engage appropriate work-groups. I think Brett should talk to Paul Stusiak http://www.twitter.com/psftc and start a dialog. Paul can tell Brett what RETS needs in order to adopt what RPR needs. Brett goes back and does the leg work, returns to Paul and they both take the Schema Workgroup. Quicker, more efficient.

By: Matt Cohen

Matt Cohen — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 02:17:45 +0000

Brett – I’m glad you like standards and have an interest in working within the RETS framework. To echo David’s sentiment, the schema will mature and be adopted when you, as a member of the community, need and want it to be. I know you’re on a quick timeline – I suggest engaging the appropriate work-groups ASAP to ensure your needs are met in a timely fashion.

Hope to see you at the next RETS meeting!

By: David Harris

David Harris — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:55:18 +0000

Brett,

I appreciate your response. But it reminds me of the quote “All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good men (and women) to do nothing”. Circling back when the standard matures (ie when the todos are done). Will only ensure that RPR will not endorse the standard because they didn’t contribute and thus their API is incompatible.

Please reconsider participating early and often.

David

By: Kristen Carr

Kristen Carr — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:48:14 +0000

Brett,

I think I speak on behalf of the RETS community in general when I say we’d love to have your contributions. One of the major goals for 2010 for the RESO BoD is to finally get published a RETS Roadmap and Strategic Plan. A small group has been working on this for a long, long time. It seems as though as soon as we get something close to ready to publish a huge game changer pops up (like the NAR RETS MLS Policy 2 years ago). Now would be a great time for someone from your group to talk to us, perhaps we can try to include your goals with ours like we’re trying to do with Data Standarization with groups like the Cove Group.

Here’s to hoping we can all work together for increased efficiency in data transfer in and out of the MLS, into other amazing products popping up in our industry.

And here’s to hoping RPR doesn’t mean another game changer for RETS. We’ve made progress on our future goals as a community, I sure home the community effort doesn’t die.

By: Brett

Brett — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:10:25 +0000

Thanks Matt, we love standards!

We had some issues getting access to the RETS XSD files, but after contacting RETS.org we were able to get the Public Records payload XSD (it’s at http://www.rets.org/xsd/PublicRecords/2007-08/PublicRecords.xsd ). It’s a good start, but the schema hasn’t been adopted and there were numerous sections marked TODO.

We are interested in playing a part in the future development of this standard, and hope to circle back with a RETS-compliant public records API once the proposed schema matures and is adopted.

We’re also going to look into how well RETS 1.7 can support what we want to do with public records.