RETS Charges Beginning March 2026
Beginning March 1st, 2026, FBS will charge developers $75/month for each MLS for which they have at least one RETS feed. These fees will increase by $25 every 6 months thereafter.
This timeline is intended to allow a chance for developers who wish to avoid these fees to switch from RETS to the Spark API.
Why the Change?
RETS is now over two decades old, and at this point, it’s an industry-specific curiosity. Meanwhile, APIs have been the modern de facto standard across the internet for years and provide enormous advantages. The real estate industry has been transitioning from RETS to APIs for years, but it’s been a slow process.
By introducing charges for RETS, we aim to drive this transition forward by providing a strong incentive for RETS users to switch to the APIs ($50/month). These fees are an intermediary but less drastic step towards ultimately discontinuing support for RETS altogether. While there’s no final RETS sunset date at this time, it’s on the horizon. The time to complete the transition from RETS to APIs is now.
Timeline & Details
- Before March 2026, RETS developers must link all RETS feeds they intend to continue using to a Spark developer account with valid payment on file. Even better, switch to using the Spark API!
- March 1, 2026: RETS feeds not linked to Spark developer accounts with valid payment on file will be subject to suspension. These feeds can be reinstated if the RETS users reach out and connect the RETS feed to a Spark developer account.
- Early April 2026: In early April, we’ll bill for the prior month’s RETS usage. Unpaid RETS fees will cause RETS feeds to be eligible for suspension.
FAQs
Why won’t RETS remain free?
At this point, RETS is over two decades old and is exotic and archaic compared to modern web standards. APIs are the clear successor. They are themselves a fully mature technology and will be available for the foreseeable future. Continued support for RETS requires significant resources and it’s not feasible to continue to support RETS indefinitely. These fees are intended to encourage RETS users to transition to the APIs.
Why not just sunset RETS altogether?
Eventually we will, though a date has not been set. We’re choosing to introduce RETS fees to encourage users to switch to APIs while still offering flexibility to those RETS users who need it. The more users that voluntarily move to the APIs before RETS is discontinued, the less disruptive that change will be.
If a developer has multiple RETS feeds for one MLS, do they pay for each one?
No. The $75/month charge applies per MLS, not per RETS feed. Regardless of whether a developer has one or many RETS feeds for access to an MLS’s data, there is only one monthly charge per MLS.
RETS Developer Action Items
Switch from RETS to Spark API feeds
To avoid higher fees, we strongly encourage all RETS users to switch all the RETS feeds you’re consuming to API feeds. This change will be required before too much longer, and by switching now, you’ll be set to continue to receive data without disruption when RETS is ultimately deprecated and no longer supported. This page outlines how to set up Spark API access to MLS data.
Link all RETS feeds to a Spark developer account with valid payment
To continue using RETS in March 2026 and beyond, all RETS feeds must be linked to a Spark developer account with a valid payment method. RETS feeds not linked to a developer account before March 2026 will be subject to suspension.
To link your RETS feeds to a Spark developer account, either sign up for a Spark developer account and sign in or log in to an existing one.
Next, Click the “RETS FEEDS” button near the top right.
On this screen, enter the RETS login name of each RETS feed you wish to use beyond March 2026. Be sure to also add a payment method to your Spark developer account using the link on this page.
That’s it!
Please get in touch with api-support@fbsdata.com if you’d like to discuss any of the above.