The short answer
Canada has two layers of listing data. The national one is CREA's Data Distribution Facility (DDF®), the feed behind REALTOR.ca, which now speaks the RESO Web API and has published rules and technology-provider fees. The local one is each board's own IDX or VOW program, such as PropTx for Toronto or MLS® Reciprocity in British Columbia. Which you need depends on what you are building: DDF for national listing display on REALTOR® websites, board feeds for fuller local data, and often both.
CREA DDF: the national feed
CREA describes the DDF as a facility created to enable CREA's members to easily disseminate MLS® listing content to multiple websites. RESO says the DDF accounts for almost 100% of properties across Canada, with one published exception: Manitoba and Quebec boards and associations do not participate in the National Shared Pool.
The distribution channels
The DDF is permission-based, and CREA's rules name six channels: the National Shared Pool, National Franchisor Pool, Franchisor Direct Feed, Member Website Feed, Real Estate Advertising Websites and Partner Websites. The two that matter most to a brokerage or its developer:
- National Shared Pool: participants contribute their listings to a national data pool and receive a feed from that pool.
- Member Website Feed: a feed of only a participating salesperson's or their brokerage's listing content, for display on their own website.
Boards must take part in four of the channels, but brokerages have the option to participate or not in any listing distribution channel, so coverage in the shared pool depends on brokerage choices.
Who can receive DDF data
Access runs through CREA members. A developer works as a Technology Provider, which the rules define as a company that has entered into a data access agreement with REALTOR.ca Canada Inc. to operate a website for a participant. CREA's FAQ adds that technology providers can build personal websites for REALTORS® only, and that members may not share or disclose their DDF® credentials to a technology provider. If your product is not a REALTOR® website, DDF is probably not your route; a board feed or a partner agreement is.
The API
RESO reports that CREA moved the DDF to the RESO Web API in 2023. CREA's documentation says the DDF Web API lets you query data using the RESO Web API specification, which is based on OData, with data normalized based on the RESO Data Dictionary standards. Two practical details: an access token lasts for 60 minutes, and pages go up to a maximum of 100 records. The older feed, with its Login, Metadata, Search, GetObject and Logout transactions, is still documented. If you are moving from one to the other, our guide to RESO Web API vs RETS covers what changes.
Technology provider fees
CREA publishes its technology-provider pricing. New technology providers pay a $1,500 onboarding fee, then a fee by number of feeds. All prices are in Canadian dollars:
| Number of feeds | Monthly | Quarterly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $25 | $75 | $300 |
| 2 to 10 | $200 | $600 | $2,400 |
| 11 to 50 | $750 | $2,250 | $9,000 |
| 51 to 250 | $2,500 | $7,500 | $30,000 |
| 251 to 1,000 | $7,500 | $22,500 | $90,000 |
| Unlimited | $10,000 | $30,000 | $120,000 |
Source for the whole table: CREA's DDF technology provider pricing tiers, where it is published as an image. CREA bills quarterly and does not allow a technology provider to prepay for the entire year. The post is dated 2020 and marked as edited in April 2025, so confirm the tiers with CREA.
Display rules that affect the build
- Refresh: websites must refresh at least once every twenty-four (24) hours. CREA says listing data is updated an average of 46 times per day.
- Number of sites: a participant may not operate more than ten (10) websites using DDF listing content.
- Attribution: the “Powered by REALTOR.ca” logo must be shown at a minimum of 90 pixels in width, and each page needs an MLS® and REALTOR® trademark statement.
- Filtering: on national pool websites, listings may be filtered based only on objective criteria.
- Trademarks: CREA says the MLS® mark can never be used as part of a business name, trade name or in any corporate branding.
- AI: the June 2026 rules state that nothing in them provides any person the right to use listing content for the purpose of training artificial intelligence systems.
Board feeds: the local layer
CREA itself points developers to the boards: asked whether you must be a technology provider to build REALTOR® sites, its FAQ answers that data feeds are usually available from local boards or associations. Board programs differ in name, platform and rules. What the boards we could verify publish:
| Board or system | Program | What its own page says |
|---|---|---|
| PropTx (Toronto, TRREB) | IDX and VOW | PropTx is the MLS® technology subsidiary of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. IDX is now offered in RESO API format; VOW access requires brokerages to sign the PropTx VOW Datafeed Agreement. Its rules require a VOW to be refreshed at least once every twenty-four (24) hours |
| Ottawa (OREB) | On the PropTx system | OREB moved its members to the PropTx MLS® System as of November 25, 2024 |
| Greater Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Chilliwack | MLS® Reciprocity | The joint rules describe a program which enables participants to display on their websites the listings of other corporate members (rules revised July 2023) |
| Victoria (VREB) | IDX Reciprocity | Reciprocity information is updated at least every 24 hours |
| Alberta (Pillar 9) | Data requests from non-members | For data and report requests, Pillar 9 says that if a request is approved it will send an NDA to sign and then discuss the fees for report options. We found no public page describing an IDX or VOW feed program |
None of these pages publishes a fee, and several do not name the platform that delivers the data. Ask each board for its current data agreement, fee schedule and API before you plan a build. Other boards and systems, including Centris in Quebec and the associations in Edmonton and Nova Scotia, are not in the table because we could not verify their fees or delivery platforms from public pages.
Aggregators that state Canadian coverage
- Repliers says you can connect to any MLS in the U.S. or Canada; access still depends on each board's licensing.
- SimplyRETS says it works with any standard RETS or RESO Web API data feed and is not specific to any MLS area, which means you bring your own feed.
An aggregator does not replace the license. You still need the board's or CREA's agreement; the aggregator changes how the data reaches you, and adds its own fee.
Choosing a route
- A REALTOR® or brokerage website showing national listings: the DDF, through a technology provider agreement, is built for this.
- A brokerage site that needs fuller local data, such as sold information behind a login: the board's VOW program.
- A product used by many brokerages across provinces: expect a mix of board feeds and DDF, each with its own agreement, and plan to normalize them yourself.
- A product that is not a REALTOR® website: talk to the boards and to CREA about partner arrangements before you design anything; the member-website rules above will not fit.
For the United States side, see how to get MLS data access for your app and the MLS and IDX cost guide. Our real estate SaaS case study describes an MLS sync engine built for both US and Canadian boards.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CREA DDF?
The Data Distribution Facility is CREA's national listing feed, created to enable CREA's members to easily disseminate MLS® listing content to multiple websites. RESO says it accounts for almost 100% of properties across Canada.
Does CREA DDF use the RESO Web API?
Yes. CREA's documentation says the DDF Web API lets you query data using the RESO Web API specification, which is based on OData, and RESO reports that CREA made the move in 2023.
How much does CREA charge technology providers for DDF?
CREA publishes a $1,500 onboarding fee for new technology providers and tiered fees by number of feeds, in Canadian dollars, from $25 per month for one feed to $10,000 per month for unlimited feeds, as listed on the same page.
How often must a website refresh DDF listings?
CREA's rules say national pool and member websites must refresh at least once every twenty-four (24) hours. CREA also says listing data is updated an average of 46 times per day.
Is DDF enough, or do I need a board feed as well?
It depends on the product. DDF is built for listing display on REALTOR® websites. For fuller local data, such as a registered-user VOW, boards run their own programs: PropTx in Toronto, for example, offers IDX in RESO API format and a separate VOW agreement. Many products need both.
Rules, fees and program details were taken from the linked CREA, board and platform pages on October 9, 2026. Board rules are revised often; confirm the current version with each board before you build. REALTOR® and REALTORS® are trademarks controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).
