Real Estate APIs are powerful tools for real estate web developers and software developers. The right real estate API can increase the marketing power of any website or app. But, having accurate data is key. Real estate market data changes minute-by-minute as new properties are listed, go under contract, and are sold. Mortgage rates are always changing and public records don’t always match updated property details. Not all real estate APIs have reliable data. So, we tracked down the best real estate APIs for 2021.
Note: The API’s reviewed in this article are for real estate in the United States.
Data Rabbit API combines all of the different sources of MLS data and puts them into one place with their RESO API. They are the one-stop API for real estate listings from Zillow, ListHub, Bridge, Trestle, Rapattoni, MLS Grid, and even any custom databases you may want to integrate to your project. Data Rabbit’s API shines brightest when it is used for large brokerage apps and for nation-wide listing search engines (ala Zillow, Redfin, ListHub, etc.).
There are many great real estate APIs to get property listings on your website, but most agents and web developers don’t want to deal with the technical troubles of APIs. Luckily, there are real estate IDX plugin solutions that will do all the work for you.
Getting accurate, good looking real estate listings on a website is a lot easier using IDX than it is using an API. IDX, short for “Internet Data Exchange”, is the agreement between real estate agents and brokerages to share MLS listings online. It predates most real estate web APIs and is the real estate industry’s standard for sharing property listings online.
If you want to show MLS listings on a website and save money, time, and headaches, IDX is your best bet. IDX usually comes packaged as a plug-in based solution which saves tons of time. And, because IDX was developed for the real estate industry, it’s widely compatible and easy-to-use. IDX plugins offer hundreds of data points without having to reinvent the wheel with an API.
If you are looking for an easy way to share MLS listings on a website with the ability to slice and dice listing data any way you want and customize endless data fields, then Ultimate IDX is the way to go.
With hundreds of data points, this plugin features minute-by-minute data updates and the ability to search for real estate listings based on price, size, neighborhood, price range, virtual tour and open house availability, and more.
Strengths of this plugin include marketing applications like neighborhood landing pages, the ability to showcase sold and under contract listings, lead capture forms, and custom property alerts. Overall, it’s just way easier to use than an API.
Ultimate IDX is compatible with WordPress, Weebly, HTML, Squarespace, Joomla, Duda, Drupal, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Webflow, and Adobe Muse.
Walk Score is a popular real estate API that provides “walkability scores” for any property listing to major areas that have grocery stores, restaurants, gas, etc. The API also features “public transit scores” for public transportation availability near any address, and a “travel time” API that allows anyone to calculate the distance between two addresses. Walk Score API is really useful for residential real estate websites and apps because it provides even deeper insights than MLS listings alone.
Neighborhood Scout API is one of the best tools for sharing information about cities and neighborhoods. With 6 report categories, 600+ data elements, and predictive analytics, this API provides accurate crime stats, demographic information, school information, real estate insights, and area statistics. Real estate agents and brokerages like using this type of data on their neighborhood landing pages. Neighborhood Scout API also offers Scout Vision data, which allows real estate investors to see which neighborhoods will provide the biggest ROI.
This versatile API is completely customizable and can be used for both internal real estate projects and public facing projects, too. Another perk of Neighborhood Scout is their Sandbox API, which allows you to test your code against their free endpoint with a curated list of 120 properties.
Realtor.com’s Realtor API boasts many features including real estate finance rates, mortgage calculators, school info, and property data. The data all comes from the National Association of Realtors, which sets the industry standard. Their finance rates and mortgage calculators are reliable and up-to-date. This API is a great addition to any brokerage or real estate agent’s website.
Estated is one of the premier real estate APIs for property valuations, owner history, deeds, sales, mortgage information, and more. With hundreds of data points, this API allows you to easily see the entire history of a home.The home valuation data is more accurate than many other APIs out there because of the sheer amount of historical data Estated has for each property. Estated is also one of the easiest valuation APIs to work with because it automates all data mapping for your website or software.
When it comes to home valuations, Zillow’s API gets a lot of flack for its level of accuracy. Many real estate agents cringe about “zestimates”, but Zillow has done alot to improve its data accuracy over the last few years. Their API now claims to have less than a 4% margin of error – which is the industry standard – for its home valuation data. For a free API that’s easy to use, it’s worth trying out.
Up-to-date commercial real estate data is now super easy to access with DataQu. With over 250 data points, this API lets you do property searches by year built, square footage, industry, sub-industry, acreage, land use, mortgage and lean information, tenancy, and more. Commercial real estate agents like this API because it allows them to find comparable properties instantly.
The best part is that Real Massive is offering developers free access to their data. If you are working on a commercial real estate project, you do not want to miss this opportunity.
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