Bridge Interactive®, the technology company focused on helping real estate brokers, multiple listing services (MLSs) and software developers innovate more rapidly with real estate data, saw unprecedented growth of two of its key product offerings, Bridge API and Bridge Agreement Management. Bridge technology is also being leveraged by Zillow Group’s New York City brand, StreetEasy®, for its upgraded direct entry listing platform, Agent Tools.
Bridge is dedicated to streamlining and creating greater efficiency with data processes within the real estate industry. Bridge tools are fast becoming the technology of choice for MLSs, brokers and the vendors they work with. Across the country and in Canada, MLSs using Bridge software serve more than 639,000 members.
Bridge API is a solution that enables fast, modern and accurate data distribution. In 2019, MLS adoption of Bridge API grew 217 percent, with 89 MLSs either live or under contract. Brokerages and vendors choose Bridge API to streamline their data access process. In 2019, broker accounts grew 290 percent and more than 700 vendors now receive data from MLSs using Bridge software.
Contributing to the success of Bridge API is the addition of “Virtual RETS” (vRETS) functionality. vRETS automatically translates users’ RETS queries into API calls to the MLS database, and then returns data in RETS format. This allows data consumers to continue using the RETS protocol until they are ready to switch to API. This functionality not only keeps things easy for data consumers, but also reduces overhead for an MLS as both vRETS and API data is served from a single tool. Bridge is currently the only provider with this technology.
The Bridge API is not only being leveraged by leading brokerages and MLSs, but also was recently integrated as part of StreetEasy’s upgraded listing platform, Agent Tools. StreetEasy is leveraging Bridge API as a means to address the challenges New York City broker and agent customers face and improve their day-to-day activities with technology.
Rounding out Bridge’s data management offering, Bridge Agreement Management (BAM) is a customizable software solution that allows an MLS to create and control its own licensing and billing agreements. With BAM, MLSs use their own language, terms and fees to automate the data license process for their brokers, agents and vendors. Bridge Agreement Management adoption grew 23 percent in 2019, with MLSs serving more than 80,000 members in total.
“At Bridge, we’ve long believed in modernizing and streamlining the way the real estate industry manages and distributes its data,” says Turan Tekin, co-founder of Bridge Interactive. “We continue to innovate and find new ways to better serve the industry and are excited for continued growth into 2020.”
For more information, please visit www.bridgeinteractive.com.
