Real estate listings syndicator ListHub says the listings it distributes to third-party websites like Zillow and Trulia will contain richer data — including identification of the type of entity that authorized the listing’s syndication — when it adopts a new industry syndication standard in September.
Most multiple listings services (MLSs) collect and distribute listing data to member brokers using the Real Estate Transaction Standard, or RETS.
To make it easier for brokers, MLSs and data distribution platforms to work with third-party websites, the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) has also developed a syndication standard based on RETS.
The most recent version of the RETS syndication standard increases the number of marketing fields that are mapped in the RETS format. By adding additional marketing fields, brokers and agents are able to better advertise their properties for sale with more detail and accuracy, and consumers will have access to richer information online, ListHub said.
In addition to a provider category, the additional marketing fields include lead email, alternate list price, price frequency and listing disclaimer (the disclaimer string for a specific listing). Technical details and a complete review of the changes included in the new spec are available at RETS.org.
"Brokers and agents want their listings to be represented online with the richest information possible, and publishers are eager to provide rich information to consumers," said Luke Glass, vice president and general manager of ListHub, in a statement. "We are excited about the opportunity to accelerate adoption of the new spec by implementing it within our own organization."
RESO recently released a "Data Dictionary" defining 503 commonly used terms. A three-quarter bathroom, for example, is defined as a bathroom with three of the four essential bath elements — toilet, sink, bathtub and shower head.
ListHub, which syndicates more than 2.4 million listings to more than 125 publishers each day, in April revamped its broker-facing dashboard, allowing brokers to rate publishers and use filters to decide which websites will receive their listings.
