The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has defined a set of standards for the transfer of real estate related data. The sets of standards are referred to as RETS (Real Estate Transaction Standards).

A common use of RETS would be to allow property data to be downloaded from an MLS. Right now, without RETS, this is difficult since every MLS system is unique. RETS makes it easier to sort out these differences and transfer the data. In order to use RETS for this purpose:

- a RETS Server would be set up in front of the existing MLS database
- a RETS Client would be set up in front of an web-based user application (CMA package,
  broker IDX website, etc.)

In our sample web demo for the RETS Reference Implementation we created a sample MLS
database and a sample web-based user application to view MLS data using RETS, as seen below….

 





Creating a RETS Server and/or RETS Client is the starting point for using RETS.

The NAR asked Avantia, Inc to provide all the computer code and documentation needed to make it possible to create, test and deploy RETS Clients and RETS Servers. (click here to download the code and documentation) This "Reference Implementation" is meant to help accelerate adoption of RETS by MLS vendors, third party real estate software vendors, broker IT staff, IDX web site developers, and other members of the real estate transaction community. In order to make this Avantia RETS Reference Implementation as useful as possible, we also created a running demo web site that shows the Reference Implementation in use.

 

Click here to go to the RETS demo web site