Monday, October 3, 2011

Building the World Wide MLS(tm)

Falling under the real estate science's discipline umbrella is the World Wide MLS(tm). What exactly is the World Wide MLS(tm) you ask? The World Wide Multiple Listing System (WWMLS) is a global registry listings application layered, nice and neatly, on top of the Internet.




Using reserved ports 32801 and 32811, WWMLS will allow public access to registry listings to users and accredited OpenMLS(R) registrars. Somewhat like the WHOIS protocol, the Multiple Listing Service Network Protocol binds to port 32801 using tcp and udp. Users or registrars request a listing's information by sending a message to an MLSN server which returns listing information or a "no match" response.




The other half of WWMLS involves the Real Estate Transport Protocol (RETP). RETP distributes listings from registrar to registry to registrars. The messaging protocol uses reserved port 32811 and tcp only. In a later blog post, I will expound more on RETP, its workings and significance to the World Wide MLS(tm).



--Corey

2 comments:

  1. Corey, great ideas...but talk about an industry that is slow to adopt!!!(...at least in South Florida). We are in an MLS that doesn't even support 'drop-down' menus for the hundreds of subdivisions we have here (we are a very subdivision-centric market where HOA's are a dominant feature.) This means that we can have the same community name spelled multiple ways, making searches a nightmare. It's even worse when you use third party IDX solutions. Having a cohesive and consistent structure to the MLS - especially in this day and age, would seem like a no-brainer. This is exactly the kind of situation that can be implemented by a single national (or international) information provider. Local MLSs are monopolies and highly proprietary entities that are ripe for some well organized and aggressive competition.

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  2. Greetings Sandy and thank you for your comments. It's not surprising to hear about MLS's like yours. I have been researching this topic for many years now which has lead me to my recent work on WWMLS. Unfortunately, the only way to nationally standardize MLS information is by implementing the MLSN protocol and by using an agreed upon XML markup language. In the coming weeks, I'll post more info regarding Remetal, Real Estate Metadata Language for adopting for internationalization (I18N) purposes.

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