A RESO White Paper
Updated: 2024
Introduction
The RESO Internet Tracking resource recently added Summary Fields (approved for Data Dictionary 2.0) to provide a simpler implementation opportunity for users of the standard. These fields are one-to-one tracking totals.
The summary fields are the SUM of specific tracking events over a period of time (listings viewed, shared, etc.). They act as a basic template that should be provided from real estate data applications and services.
Example of Summary Fields
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MyFavoriteWebsite.com Tracking Report |
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TotalListingImpressions |
3,263 |
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TotalListingViews |
1,670 |
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TotalListingsShared |
102 |
Example of a JSON Payload with Summary Fields
Meet the Internet Tracking Summary Fields
The summary fields streamline tracking data analysis from multiple real estate products. This only works if the product vendors provide the information in the same field names.
See the full list of Summary Fields.
Rules of the Road
Summary fields are not designed to change the way a data provider conducts tracking. They are an additional format that can be made available as a supplement to other tracking data that is already provided.
Summary fields can be provided via API or another agreed-upon source, including static files (i.e., PDF, XLS, DOC, etc.).
Data providers and their clients should determine which fields are included in their tracking reports. If the data provider does not calculate/track the summary field needed, they may leave it blank or omit it from the report altogether.
Data providers must not add summary fields that conflict with approved RESO Internet Tracking Summary Fields.
Data providers that offer summary fields that are not included in the RESO standard are strongly encouraged to participate in the Internet Tracking Workgroup to suggest their inclusion.
Internet Tracking event-based mapping fields are different. They focus on each actual end-user interaction with big data like payloads. More information on these fields can be found on the Internet Tracking Workgroup web page and in the RESO Data Dictionary Wiki.
Participate in the Internet Tracking Workgroup to voice your opinions, suggestions and concerns.
Use of Data
Organizations that consume tracking data in real estate products (MLSs, real estate firms, etc.) perform various kinds of data analysis with tracking information.
This includes:
- Evaluation of digital outreach (Where is my data going and when is it viewed?)
- Performance comparisons (Which product generates more activity on my data?)
- Product usage (How many of my members are using this tool?)
- Brokers and agents, specifically, can use tracking data to show their value to prospective customers and communities.
Having this data in a common format profoundly accelerates data analysis efforts and increases capabilities for data-driven decision-making processes.
Search Related Fields
When an API or other searchable source is provided, querying summary field data may differ from vendor to vendor. The standard includes search-related fields to help.
Date fields are defined as:
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TrackingDate |
The actual date of the tracking event on the listing(s) Specific Date Example TrackingDate Eq ‘2024-03-01’ Month of March Example TrackingDate Gt ‘2024-03-01’ AND TrackingDate Lt ‘2024-03-31’ |
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SummaryStartDate |
Indicates the start date the summary fields pertain to A report with a date greater than Jan 1 2024 SummaryStartDate Gt ‘2024-01-01’ |
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SummaryEndDate |
Indicates the end date the summary fields pertain to A report with a date range SummaryStartDate Eq ‘2024-01-01’ and SummaryEndDate Eq ‘2024-06-30’ |
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Three different date fields are provided. All or none may be recognized by a data provider. In the spirit of the Data Dictionary, any date fields used for this purpose should match the name and use provided in the spec.
Suggested practice: If no date fields are provided, the summary field data should be presented as cumulative, since the listings first appeared on the real estate product (total history).
Focus on Tracking Types
The TrackingType enumerations indicate the focus of the tracking data. Data Dictionary field names (ListingId, ListAgentMlsId, ListOfficeMlsId, etc.) define the data found in the TrackingValue field.
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TrackingType |
An enumerated field that defines the scope of the tracking data presented in the summary fields. Helps the following use cases:
[Example] TrackingType Eq ‘ListingId’ AND TrackingValues Eq ‘081233222’ |
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TrackingType Enumerations (Data Dictionary 1.8) |
ListingId – tracking data on one or many listings by ID ListAgentMlsId – tracking data on one or many MLS agent IDs ListOfficeMlsId – tracking data on one or many listing office IDs OUID – tracking data on all listings from the RESO assigned Unique Organization Identifier (UOI) number (e.g., an MLS) |
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TrackingValues |
Comma-delimited values that store the value tied to the TrackingType field. Example for a single listing: TrackingType Eq ‘ListingId’ and TrackingValues Eq ‘082232245’ Example for an entire MLS (Metro MLS): TrackingType Eq ‘OUID’ and TrackingValues Eq ‘M00000662’ |
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TrackingType is an open enumeration field so the data provider can have other types not defined by RESO.
Some data providers may not provide TrackingTypes at all. In that case, the data you will receive is predefined by the source (based on access).
Access rules and roles are to be determined by the data provider and their clients.
TrackingType and TrackingValue are approved for Data Dictionary 2.0.
Conclusion
The RESO Internet Tracking Summary Fields provide the working professional with a streamlined approach to review important analytic information on the real estate data they provide to multiple products.
There is potential for great industry impact when participants can gain usage information from multiple products in sync and all at once.
As with any live standards documentation, this tracking standard should be viewed as and ongoing effort. Suggestions to enhance the standard are welcome from anyone who wishes to join RESO and the Internet Tracking Workgroup.
Participate in the Internet Tracking Workgroup to help shape and mold this important initiative!
Glossary
RESO Data Dictionary – a standard published by the Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO) that serves as a defined dataset and field structure for all real estate related products
RESO Web API – a RESO-defined standard on the transport of data in the real estate industry
RESO Internet Tracking – a RESO workgroup that focuses on creating a standard dataset of tracking information within real estate-related products
Analytics – the analysis of data, and in the case of the RESO Internet Tracking Resource, specifically the tracking of software end-user activity
Metrics – standards of measurement by which efficiency or performance can be assessed; commonly referred to as the data points inside the analytic report
Transport – the rules or protocols that govern how data is moved from one place to another
Examples
Summary Fields (full list; approved for Data Dictionary 2.0)
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Field Name |
Description |
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EndTimestamp |
Indicates the ending timestamp the data is representing. |
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InternetTrackingSummaryKey |
A system unique identifier. Specifically, the local key to the InternetTrackingSummary resource. |
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ListingId |
The unique ID that the summary data is based on, when applicable. |
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MobileLogins |
The sum of logins on the product from a mobile device. |
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ModificationTimestamp |
The transactional timestamp automatically recorded by the system representing the date/time that the showing record was last modified. |
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OriginatingSystemName |
The name of the originating system from which this data is derived from. |
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ResponseType |
An open enumeration that defines the InternetTracking data set in the transaction (e.g., summary data or single events). |
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StartTimestamp |
Indicates the starting timestamp the data is representing. |
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TotalCmaReportsCreated |
The sum of Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) reports created. |
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TotalCmaReportsEmailed |
The sum of Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) reports emailed. |
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TotalCmaReportsRan |
The sum of Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) reports ran. |
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TotalCmaReportsShared |
The sum of Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) reports shared (on social media, SMS, etc.). |
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TotalInquiries |
The sum of end-user inquiry events; also referred to as leads. The end-user submitted an inquiry for more information (e.g., click of a button or link). |
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TotalListingImpressions |
The aggregated sum of impressions that the object obtained during the summary time period. |
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TotalListingImpressionsMobileApp |
The product has impression data derived from a mobile app, not a browser. |
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TotalListingsEmailed |
The sum of emails the listing was involved in. |
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TotalListingsFavorited |
The sum of favorited events (liked, starred, add-to-list, etc.) the listing obtained. |
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TotalListingsShared |
The sum of shares (social media, SMS, etc.) the listing was part of. |
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TotalListingViews |
The sum of detailed views the listing obtained. |
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TotalListingViewsMobileApp |
The product has views derived from a mobile app, not a browser. |
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TotalLogins |
The sum of logins on the product. |
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TotalShowingsCompleted |
The sum of showings completed. |
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TotalShowingsRequested |
The sum of showings requested. |
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TrackingDate |
The actual date the summary data pertains to. |
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TrackingType |
Defines the type of tracking data being sought (e.g., Office, Agent), a single listing itself or the entire data set from a Unique Organization Identifier (UOI). |
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TrackingValues |
The comma-delimited values that relate to the TrackingType field in the search. |
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UniqueLogins |
The sum of logins on the product that are unique. |
Static Reports
API JSON Payload
RESO Web API $filter Examples
Entire year of 2024
https://reso.org/RESO/OData/InternetTracking?$filter=TrackingDate Gt ‘2024-01-01’
Month of March 2024
https://reso.org/RESO/OData/InternetTracking?$filter=SummaryStartDate Eq ‘2024-03-01’ and SummaryEndDate Eq ‘2024-03-31’&TrackingType=OUID&TrackingValues=M00000662
Use with OData $expand
https://reso.org/RESO/OData/Property/?$filter=ListingKey Eq ‘20240213195005123904000000’&$expand=Media,InternetTracking
Additional Resources
Contributors
- Chris Lambrou, RESO Internet Tracking Workgroup Chair and CIO at Metro MLS
- Members of the Internet Tracking Workgroup
- RESO Staff
