What is DDF?

DDF or Data Distribution Facility, is a Canadian technology currently available for real estate agents in Canada. CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association) is the provider and owner of DDF. Using DDF technology, real estate agents are able to have instant access to all residential, and commercial listings across Canada, which are distributed to DDF. Agents can also filter the data to the specific narrowed down segment of that, which they need to have on their website.

How to get DDF Feed?

DDF Feed can be generated in agents’ members portal on realtor.ca. If you are a licensed Realtor in Canada, you may login to your members portal by visiting member.realtor.ca and following these steps:

1. Login to member.realtor.ca
2. Navigate to My Tools
3. Click on “Data Distribution Facility (DDF)”
4. Click on “Data Feeds”
5. Click on “Add a Data Feed”
6. Click on “Data Feeds”
7. In Step 1, please select the type of data you need.*
8. In Step 2, if you are not working with one of the listed providers, please select “I will not be engaging a 3rd Party Technology Provider to operate my Data Feed.”.
9. In Step 3, please add your contact information
10. In Step 4, please add your website, you’d like to use DDF Feed on.
11. In Step 5, if you wish to narrow down the feed to your criteria, choose to use DDF Feed Filters to limit the listings provided in Data Feed.**
12. Once you’re done with Step 5, click on “Click to review your Data Feed before saving it”
13. If everything looks good, please click on “Save Data Feed”.
14. Then, please click on the “Edit” button in front of the feed in your feed list.
15. In Destination Credentials, there is a Username and a Password. That’s what you need to connect your website to your DDF feed. Your web developer, or DDF App, Web Application, or DDF WordPress Plugin can use your feed via these credentials.

Types of DDF Data Feed (*)

DDF has 3 different types to choose from, based on what your brokerage company has signed up for. The 3 different Data Types of DDF are:

National Shared Pool

National Shared Pool gives you access to all listings that are contributed to DDF, across Canada. This includes all residential, and commercial listings, from all real estate boards, in all provinces. If you choose this feed, after your choice, in Step 5, you will be able to filter it to the part of the data you’d like to have on your website.

Member Website Feed – My Listings

Member Website Feed – My Listings gives you access to your listings only. This can be a good option if you’d like to have your listings on your website, without any other tabs for listings that don’t belong to you.

Member Website Feed – One or More Offices

Member Website Feed – One or More Offices is best for Brokerage Owners who would like to have all listings of their office(s) listed on a particular website.

DDF Feed Filters (**)

DDF can filter the feed to specific criteria you need. You can find these filters on your DDF:

• For Sale
• Price Range for properties For Sale
• For Rent
• Price Range for properties For Rent
• Property Type: This includes all property types that fall under Residential or Commercial such as Single Family, Multi Family, Recreational, Agriculture, Office, Retail, Vacant Land, etc.
• Province
• Uploading Board
• Postal Code
• Waterfront Only
• Condo / Strata Only

Why do I use DDF Filters?

DDF Filters are used to make your feed as light as possible for your website. The smaller your feed is, the less process your website will need to do to import the feed, replace the feed with the current data on your website, or update your feed.

How to use my DDF Feed on my Website?

If that’s your question, you would need either a web developer and programmer who can use your feed to create a database of properties on your website, or a ready-to-use, plug and play web application or WordPress plugin that can work with your DDF Feed.

Some web agencies create a ready to use website with all other pages an agent may need, which all you need to provide them with, is your DDF Data Feed. This also is a very good option if you are not setting up your website yourself.

What is the best WordPress Plugin for DDF?

I recommend Hybrid Real Estate Search, as it has an impressive map search with half page dedicated to properties and half page dedicated to an interactive map which can be panned around, zoomed in and out, and focused on a specific block to show you the properties in that area.

Is DDF the same as MLS?

While MLS or Multiple Listing Service is the database of all properties in a specific real estate board, or all real estate boards combined, DDF is a layer on top of that to simplify the flow of the listings, their data, images, and their statuses from MLS database to your website. Other than DDF there are some other technologies and services you can use to receive data from MLS databases. Some of these technologies and services are Reso WebAPI, RETS, IDX, and VOW.