XML feeds allow property listing information to be automatically uploaded to other websites (portals) from your own website. This saves you hours of manual data entry into portals & other sites.
There are 3 primary scenarios when it comes to establishing a property listing xml feed for your website. These include: (1) Agents without a website; (2) Brokerages; (3) Agents with their own websites.
What is an XML Feed?
An XML Feed is a file that contains data that can be read by machines (like computers or online news feed readers). Some examples of XML Feeds are CD catalogs, restaurant menus, or lists of job postings a company is looking to fill.
A well-structured XML Feed has an FeedSchema> element at the root of the file, which includes the product feed schema and other information about how to structure the XML file. The Product> element is where each product in the feed is defined using common child elements.
To enable UGC sharing between a product bundle and its individual components, the BV_FE_EXPAND attribute must be included in the Product> definitions of each component. Then, when a review is added to the bundle’s page, it will also display on each component page. However, if this is not desired, the BV_FE_EXPAND must be removed from the Product> definitions of the component products to prevent reviews about the bundle from showing on their pages.
How do I create an XML Feed?
A feed allows you to syndicate your listings across the web to free real estate portals without building a website of your own. It’s a great way to gain exposure and attract potential customers.
When creating a XML Feed, it’s best to use an XML validator to ensure the syntax is correct and that the feed will be compatible with the receiving website. W3Schools has a free online validator that is helpful.
XML Feeds can be published to many different portal sites, or to other 3rd party companies that serve as feed aggregators (e.g. XML2U). XML2U is a subscription based company that will take a generic Propertybase XML feed and deliver it to a number of the major real estate portals worldwide.
To create an XML Feed in Propertybase, simply add two new fields to the portal record: ListingFeed URL and ListingPicture URL. Copy the URL in either field and send it to XML2U or the other 3rd party you are working with.
How do I publish an XML Feed?
When you’re ready to publish your XML feed, choose the Unique ID Attribute dropdown and select the attribute that will uniquely identify each listing. This will help you match your listings with their respective ads on the portals.
Next, map the FeedMethod field to a name that will be easy to understand for your team. This will make it simpler to reference when building a web page or email template that uses your XML feed.
Upload the feed to your staging or production SFTP server and place it in the /import-inbox folder. Once the feed is ingested it will be available for use in the Catalog > Product data tab, Product description pages (PDPs), submission form links, and BV Pixel transactions. The externalId is the most important field in the XML feed, and it’s required for all of our features. If you’re having trouble with this, contact Customer Support. Our Facebook XML data feed service makes it easy to update, delete or remove your property listings within Facebook Business Manager, saving you from spending endless hours amending each ad manually.
How do I export an XML Feed?
Some systems or services require an XML feed, prepared according to a specific schema or format. For example, a job board may require an XML feed with the title of each posting and its location in the company.
XML is structured into tags, which have start and end attributes. The structure is defined by the XML file’s root tag>. Start tags begin with an open angle bracket (), followed by a name, zero or more attributes and then a close angle bracket (>). End tags consist of an open angle bracket (), a forward slash and a close angle bracket (/>).
During the XML feed creation process, it is recommended to enable CDATA tags. These are used to identify data that could be interpreted as XML markup but should not be. This prevents accidental tampering with the XML syntax, which can invalidate the file’s structure. For example, changing the sequence of elements can render the XML file unreadable.property listing xml feeds
