rets-python

What it is and what it does

rets-python is a client library that connects to Real Estate Transaction Standard (RETS) servers to retrieve property listings, metadata, and media. It abstracts the low-level RETS HTTP protocol into a higher-level API where you instantiate a client with server credentials, then navigate resources (like Property), classes (like A), and object types (like HiRes photos) to search listings and fetch associated data. The library automatically decodes RETS responses into Python native types—dates become datetime objects, numbers become integers—and handles bulk photo retrieval by resource key.

The package depends on requests, requests-toolbelt, udatetime, and lxml to handle HTTP communication, multipart responses, fast datetime parsing, and XML parsing. It targets real estate professionals, MLS integrators, and property data platforms that need programmatic access to RETS-compliant servers. The library is stable and has been in use since 2017, but development has stalled; it is best suited for integrations with established RETS infrastructure rather than new feature development.

Use it for:

• Retrieve recent property listings from an MLS RETS server and filter by date or price range for downstream analysis.
• Bulk-download high-resolution photos for property listings using resource keys and store them locally.
• Query RETS metadata to discover available resources, classes, and object types supported by a specific MLS server.
• Build a real estate data aggregation tool that pulls listings from multiple RETS servers and normalizes them into a common schema.
• Automate property listing imports into a CRM or property management system by polling a RETS server on a schedule.

Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying

Python 3 client library for querying and retrieving real estate data from RETS (Real Estate Transaction Standard) Version 1.7.2 servers, including property listings, metadata, and associated media.

Yes, if you are integrating with an established RETS server and need a stable, low-friction Python client. The library is permissively licensed, has no known vulnerabilities, and handles the RETS protocol and data decoding well. However, maintenance is dormant—last release was 668 days ago—so do not expect bug fixes, security patches, or support for new RETS features. Use only for stable, production integrations with known RETS endpoints, not for new development or experimental work.

Install

rets-python on PyPI

pip install rets-python

uv add rets-python

poetry add rets-python

Installing rets-python

Before you install

Low install friction with four standard dependencies. Maintenance is dormant—last release was 668 days ago and the repository shows no recent commits, though it remains unarchived. Suitable for stable integrations but not for active development or new feature requests.

License in practice

MIT License (permissive) allows use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions, making it safe for commercial and private projects.

Quickstart

pip install rets-python

from rets.client import RetsClient

client = RetsClient(
    login_url='http://my.rets.server/rets/login',
    username='username',
    password='password'
)

resource = client.get_resource('Property')
resource_class = resource.get_class('A')
search_result = resource_class.search(query='(LIST_87=2017-01-01+)', limit=10)

Requires a working RETS server endpoint with valid credentials; no public test server is documented in the fact sheet.

Verify before relying

• Whether the package works with RETS servers beyond Version 1.7.2 or if it is strictly limited to that version.
• Current compatibility with Python versions beyond 3.6 (classifiers list 3.5 and 3.6 explicitly).
• Whether dormant maintenance status means critical bugs or security issues would be addressed.

Package facts

Evidence: rets_python-0.4.12-py3-none-any.whl

Tags

More WWW/HTTP packages