Realtor.ca DDF vs. MLS® VOW Data Feeds: What Canadian Agents Need to Know
Confused about the difference between DDF and VOW feeds? Discover how Canadian real estate data feeds impact your website, compliance, and lead capture.
Introduction
In Canadian real estate, data is power. If you are building a realtor website, launching a lead-capture funnel, or utilizing marketing software, you will encounter terms like DDF (Data Distribution Facility) and VOW (Virtual Office Website).
Many agents assume these data feeds are identical, but they operate under completely different rules, serve different listings, and require different levels of compliance.
Here is the complete breakdown of Realtor.ca DDF vs. MLS® VOW feeds and what they mean for your business.
1. Realtor.ca DDF (Data Distribution Facility)
Created by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the DDF is a centralized system designed to syndicate listings across the web.
- Public Syndication: DDF listings are public-facing. Visitors do not need to register, log in, or establish a relationship with you to view these properties.
- Limited Information: DDF feeds only contain standard listing parameters (such as price, photos, and general remarks). They exclude sensitive data like historical sold records, tax assessments, or brokerage commissions.
- National Scope: The DDF aggregates listings from participating boards across Canada, making it highly useful for national websites but less detailed for local market analyses.
2. MLS® VOW (Virtual Office Website) Feeds
A VOW feed is a direct, secure data feed provided by your local real estate board (such as TRREB in Toronto or FVREB in Vancouver).
- Detailed Data: VOW feeds contain much deeper property intelligence, including municipal tax details, historical pricing adjustments, and historical sold prices (up to the board-mandated limit of 2 years).
- Mandatory Consumer Gating: Because VOW feeds display proprietary and private details, local boards require strict security. Visitors must register a password-protected account and establish a verified VOW relationship with you before they can view VOW data.
- Localized Target: A VOW feed is highly local, delivering real-time database accuracy directly from your home board.
Which Feed is Best for Your Website?
| Capability | DDF Feed | VOW Feed | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | User Login Required? | No | Yes (Mandatory) | | Historical Sold Data? | No | Yes (Usually up to 2 years) | | Tax & Detail Fields? | Basic | Advanced | | Best Use Case | General public listing search | High-value lead capture & CMAs |
Compliance and Data Linage
Regardless of which feed you implement, strict compliance is required:
- Attributions: All VOW and DDF displays must feature authorized board attribution statements, trademark logos, and brokerage disclosures.
- Anti-Scraping: Your website must use secure hosting (like SSL/TLS) and implement anti-scraping firewalls to protect board databases.
- Canadian Data Laws: Storage of VOW client login details must follow federal PIPEDA rules, keeping customer access records secure.
Conclusion
Understanding DDF and VOW feeds is critical for building a modern real estate platform. While DDF is great for standard public listings, a secure VOW feed is essential for calculations like comparative market analyses and high-value lead capture.
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