What is a mass data transfer or MDT?

Mass data transfer (MDT) is our convenient way for you to automatically update your listings on LuxuryRealEstate.com through a mass upload. This service is free with membership, but requires the technical skills of someone within your company or a contractor.

How do I get a mass data transfer set up?

Please see the Mass Data Transfer Instructions page.

How long will it take for my initial MDT file to be validated or for you to troubleshoot my MDT issue?

Our web developers have designated time slots each week on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons during which they work on MDT file validation and troubleshooting. Depending on the volume of work, you can expect your MDT request to be answered within a week.

I uploaded a new MDT file, so why haven't my listings updated?

Please wait 12 hours after you have uploaded a new MDT file for it to run and for the changes to be reflected on LuxuryRealEstate.com.

How often can I update my listings through MDT?

We suggest uploading a new MDT file to the FTP site once every 24 hours, but you may do so as often as you would like. 

Do you accept XML feeds?

No, we do not currently accept XML feeds. We are considering adding support for the RETS Syndication standard.

What is a web number?

A web number is an automatically generated unique listing identifier used on LuxuryRealEstate.com; it does not correspond to the MLS number.

Are the suggested fields required or optional?

The suggested fields are not required, but we recommend you include this information for your listings.

How do I deal with the required ‘state’ and ‘zip’ fields if my listing is outside of North America?

These fields are only required for listings in the United States and Canada.

What should I enter in the required 'address_one' and 'zip' fields if the seller does not want to disclose the property's address?

Please include addresses and zip codes in the cases where you are permitted to do so.

What HTML tags may I use in my MDT file?

We do not allow HTML tags.  <p> and <br /> tags are converted to new lines.  All other tags will be stripped out.

How can I create new line breaks or paragraphs?

If you are creating a tab separated file: Use an escaped line break ( \n ) for line breaks.  It will be expanded to a newline for fields which allow line breaks.

If you are creating a CSV file: Enter line breaks according to RFC 4180.

What values can I include in the 'category' field?

The list of categories is found on the Mass Data Transfer Instructions page under 'List of Suggested Fields'. You can include multiple categories for each property separated by a comma.

You may also enter your own custom categories, but please be aware that the list we provide is are the categories used for property searches by category on LuxuryRealEstate.com. If you enter custom category values, they will display on the listing details page and will be searched in keyword property searches.

How many images may be included with each listing?

You may include up to 12 photos in a standard image file format per listing in your MDT file. (For listings that are manually uploaded, up to 24 images may be added for each listing.)

What formats are acceptable for the floor plans I include in my MDT file?

All standard image file formats (including JPEG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP) are accepted with the exception of PDFs.

What are the preferred image dimensions for property photos and floor plans?

The maximum image size we display is 600 wide x 450 tall.

Is it possible to have my files in folders and subfolders in supportFiles.zip?

No, please do not include folders within supportFiles.zip.

If I do not upload a new supportFiles.zip, will the last one I uploaded be used?

A supportFiles.zip file is required in each upload if you choose this option.

If an image URL or file in supportFiles.zip stays the same on consecutive uploads, will the existing copy on your server be overwritten?

If you include URLs, we check the image on your site to see if it is up-to-date. If you use the supportFiles.zip file, you must include every current image in each upload.

Why do I see duplicate listings on your website?

It may be the case that one of the listings was fed through a mass data transfer and the other listing was entered manually. We recommend that you delete the manual listing by logging into the Luxury Lounge (http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/lounge).

1. After logging in, click 'My Listings'.
2. Locate the duplicate listing. You can browse to find the listing or enter the web number or MLS number and hit the 'Search' button.
3. Click the red circle delete icon to the right of the listing.
4. Select "OK" when the "Are you sure you want to delete this listing?" warning pops up.

It could also be the case that the property has been assigned two different MLS numbers. If so, please remove one of the listings from your MDT file.

To prevent duplicate listings from appearing on our site, please enter the MLS ID and the MLS Region for manual listings exactly the same as they are sent in the 'mls' and 'mls_region' fields of the MDT file. If the MDT finds an existing manual listing with the same MLS information, it will add in the MDT data. When this happens, both the imported and manually entered data will be visible in the Luxury Lounge. Unless the manually entered information is deleted, the manual information will be displayed for the listing on LuxuryRealEstate.com.

Why does my mass uploaded listing's text appear garbled?

Your listing information may not follow ASCII standards. To learn more about ASCII, please see the MDT Files and ASCII Characters page.

Why are my inactive, expired, or sold listings still appearing on your website?

You are still including them in your mass data transfer file. Please delete any listings you do not want to appear from your MDT file to resolve this.

What information about my MDT is available in the Luxury Lounge and where can I find it?

Please see the MDT Reports page for a walk-through of each section of the MDT reports and information found in the Luxury Lounge (http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/lounge).

How do I add an e-mail address to receive Import Notification e-mails?

1. Log into the Luxury Lounge at http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/lounge.
2. Hover over ‘My Lounge’ in the upper-right corner and select ‘MDT’.
3. Click the ‘Notifications’ tab so the ‘Notification Preferences’ tab appears – select it.
4. To add someone to the notification list who already has access to the Luxury Lounge, click ‘Add someone to the notification list’.
5. Select his or her name from the ‘Person’ drop-down menu and select a ‘Send Email Threshold’ (‘Notice’ is the default).
6. Click the ‘Add’ button.

Please e-mail websupport@luxuryrealestate.com if you want someone outside of your account to receive Import Notifications.

Where can I see how long it has been since a listings.txt file was uploaded and run for my MDT?

You can see when a listings.txt file for your MDT was last uploaded:
1. Log into the Luxury Lounge at http://www.luxuryrealestate.com/lounge.
2. Hover over ‘My Lounge’ in the upper-right corner and select ‘MDT’.
3. From the ‘Overview tab’, if it says ‘No New Data’ next to ‘Latest Results’, click the link. A message will be displayed that says, ‘No New Data. The MDT file has been processed previously. It is at least # weeks, # hours old’. If it says, ‘Errors’ or ‘Success’ next to ‘Latest Results, then the date and time next to ‘Last Run’ will tell you when the file was last run. You can click the link to see the details of that run.

I received a warning that says, “No listings were archived. # out of # were set to be archived.” What does this mean?

We have this safety check built in when more than 25% of listings are going to be archived to prevent accidental removal from LuxuryRealEstate.com. If you would like the listings to be archived, click 'details' next to the warning and then 'Archive all # Listings' at the top of the next page. If this was an error, make sure to include the listings that were marked to be archived in the next MDT file you upload.