A Guide to MLS APIs in Canada

If you’re a developer building a website or an app for a real estate business in Canada, you’re probably looking for real estate APIs to help you integrate market listings from their MLS, also, you’re likely overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Thankfully, this guide exists to explain everything you need to know about […]

Published on
07 August 2024
A Guide to MLS APIs in Canada

If you’re a developer building a website or an app for a real estate business in Canada, you’re probably looking for real estate APIs to help you integrate market listings from their MLS, also, you’re likely overwhelmed and not sure where to begin. Thankfully, this guide exists to explain everything you need to know about MLS APIs in Canada, including important considerations for crafting your solution.

CREA’s DDF: Not a Silver Bullet

The closest thing to a nationwide real estate API in Canada for MLS listings is the CREA DDF (Canadian Real Estate Association Data Distribution Facility). CREA aggregates listing data from most of the regional real estate associations across the country. Their API includes listings from across Canada; however, there are some limitations that may impact your solution depending on your requirements.

Limitations of CREA’s DDF

Firstly, it’s important to note that CREA’s DDF only contains active listings. So, while this may suffice for some use cases, most leading search portals allow browsing of sold and historical listings and leverage features dependent on derivatives of sold data. Because of this, not having access to sold and historical listings may put your solution at a disadvantage in terms of features.

Secondly, CREA’s DDF is not comprehensive. Consequently, only about 65% of active listings in Canada are in CREA’s DDF. This is because brokerages may opt out to participate. For this reason, if a brokerage opts out, listings from agents in their brokerage will not be available in CREA’s DDF.

Lastly, certain provinces like Quebec, Manitoba, and Newfoundland do not participate in CREA’s DDF. Therefore, if the real estate company you’re working with is from one of these provinces, this solution won’t work for you.

Regional MLS APIs in Canada

Given these limitations, the alternative to CREA’s DDF is gaining access to regional MLS APIs directly to source listing data. Furthermore, this will be necessary if you’re shipping features dependent on sold and historical data or require access to all active listings, including those not in CREA’s DDF.

Here are some of the prominent MLSs in Canada that offer real estate APIs:

  • TRREB (Toronto Regional Real Estate Board)
  • ITSO (Information Technology Systems Ontario): ITSO aggregates listings from various associations throughout Ontario. For more information, visit ITSO.
  • OREB (Ottawa Real Estate Board)
  • RAHB (REALTORS Association of Hamilton-Burlington)
  • WECAR (Windsor-Essex County Association of REALTORS)
  • Pillar 9™ Technologies: Pillar 9 aggregates listings from various associations throughout Alberta. For more information, visit Pillar 9.
  • RAE (REALTORS Association of Edmonton)
  • GVRealtors (Greater Vancouver REALTORS)
  • FVREB (Fraser Valley Real Estate Board): Available through GVRealtor’s API.
  • CADREB (Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board): Available through GVRealtor’s API.
  • AOIR (Association of Interior Realtors)
  • VREB (Victoria Real Estate Board)
  • VIREB (Vancouver Island Real Estate Board)
  • NSAR (Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS)
  • Centris: Quebec does not offer real estate APIs. For more information, visit Accessing Real Estate Listing Data in Quebec.

Important: MLS APIs Are Not Turn-Key Solutions

It’s crucial to understand that most MLSs provide APIs for data replication. This means they’re not designed to plug directly into your website or app. As a result, using an MLS API directly implies you’ll have to:

  • Create your own data infrastructure.
  • Set up processes to periodically refresh the data.
  • Set up processes to download and optimize listing photos.
  • Set up your own CDN.
  • Create your own API/backend to plug into your website or app.

In short, maintaining an MLS data infrastructure involves significant upfront and ongoing work.

Consider Solutions Like Repliers Before You Reinvent the Wheel

Fortunately, there are solutions like Repliers, a comprehensive suite of real estate APIs designed to integrate directly into your solution. With Repliers, you don’t have to manage MLS connectivity or create your own data infrastructure. Moreover, you can leverage dozens of powerful features. Repliers’ MLS APIs allow you to accelerate development and leverage economies of scale to keep costs low without compromising user experience and user interface design.

By choosing Repliers, you’ll be in good company. Leading innovators in Canadian real estate, such as Wahi, Buy.ca, and Pine (formerly Properly), use Repliers as their MLS API solution. Repliers simplifies website and app development for real estate professionals and companies of all sizes.

Get Expert Guidance

Navigating the complexities of Canadian MLS APIs and integrating them seamlessly into your solution can be challenging. However, we’re here to help. Schedule a call with one of our expert team members to discuss your specific needs and find out how Repliers can simplify development, reduce costs, and speed up your launch.