Media and RETS 

RETS accesses the media servers on the NTREIS MLS System.  Media added to the MLS system is immediately available to RETS users. 

10.a) Media Look Up Tool

NTREIS provides a tool for verifying the media exists on the Media Servers.  Use this link:

http://ntreis.net/documents/MediaLookup.asp

and enter the MLS Number.  The results will display all the media as it exists on both NTREIS servers that store media. 

10.b)  Working with MEDIA

Every listing has a MLS Number and UID in the Property Class.  The UID in each Property Class links to the TableUID in the Media class.  In addition, there is a UID in the Media class. 

• The MEDIA UID does not link to the UID in the Property Classes. 

• The TABLEUID in the MEDIA Class links to the UID in each Property Class.

You can download media from the media servers using “GetObject” and the MLS Number or you can link to the media on the NTREIS MLS media servers.  Currently, the media is 300GB (and growing) in size.  By linking to the media as opposed to downloading the actual files, you will minimize the amount of space you need for storage and not have to manage the media files.  Linking to the media also decreases the amount of bandwidth needed, allowing for better performance by all.  Linking to the media on the NTREIS Media Servers may be the optimal way to access the media.

 Although the Media Class on the NTREIS RETS Server does not contain the URL’s, you can create a URL by either:

1. Use the RETS “Location” parameter to download the media URL’s or
2. Generate your own URL by using the TABLEUID and MEDIASOURCE from the Media class. 

You would then use this URL as a link that will access the images on the media server. 

To download the URL’s use “Location=1” in your RETS client, or if you are using the MarketLinx RETS Connector client, Under the MEDIA tab, check “Add Locations to Data File”.

If you wish to generate your own URL’s, follow the instructions below:

To start with an example, these are the URL’s for the low and high resolution images for MLS Number 9143317:

http://ntreispictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/86/HR769086-1.jpg

http://ntreispictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/86/LR769086-1.jpg

Pasting these into your browser will display the images for this property.  The URL consists of:

1)  “http://ntreispictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/”

2)  the last two digits of the TableUID,

3)  “/HR/” for high resolution media or “/LR/” for low resolution media; and

4)  the MEDIASOURCE

Below is an example SQL Script you can use to generate the media URL’s.  You would modify this as necessary to insert the URL into your media table. 

select

'http://ntreispictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/' + RIGHT(TableUID, 2)

+ '/HR' + MEDIASOURCE,

'http://ntreispictures.marketlinx.com/MediaDisplay/' + RIGHT(TableUID, 2)

+ '/LR' + MEDIASOURCE

For reference, a similar script was run on the MLS Data that returned the MLSNUM, TableUID, MEDIASOURCE, and the generated High Res URL.  The results are below

10.b) Deleting Media Files

The MarketLinx Tempo MLS System changes the PHOTODATE whenever any media is modified, added, or deleted.  The PHOTODATE does not update if display order is changed.  A more descriptive name may have been "MediaDate" and not "PhotoDate".

10.c) Media Types

There are seven MEDIATYPES in the Media Class:

Per NTREIS Rules and Regulations, the media type, “URL” should never be displayed on an Internet website that faces the public.  NTREIS monitors the media type, “vt”, to ensure no contact information is present anywhere on the information displayed by the media type “vt”. 

The media type, “URL” is not monitored.  You may not wish to use the media type, “URL”, as it often contains the contact information for the listing agent and or office.  NTREIS suggests you give careful thought to using the media type ”URL”. 

10.d) Media Fields Definitions

Below is a list of the fields associated with media.

 RTF, TXT, PDF, and FAX MEDIATYPEs are not available for users who download data for a public facing website. 

The “NTREIS Media Examples” on the RETS Technical Support page, http://www.ntreis.net/documents/NTREISRETS_9122009112539.xls

contains actual data from the MLS System showing the relationship of the fields listed above.

Updated: 6/3/2011