Patent ID: 8838592

Claim:
A method of creating a consolidated data repository for a real estate exchange containing listing information from a plurality of MLS databases comprising the following steps: collecting native MLS listing information from a selected number of databases stored in a memory in their native schema wherein at least two databases have different native schemas, and wherein each of the native MLS listing information includes a corresponding metadata; mapping both the native MLS listing information for each and every native MLS listing field and metadata associated with the MLS listing information in their native schema to the consolidated data repository having one or more consolidated MLS listing fields of a consolidated data repository schema in accordance with a predetermined set of MLS listing field mapping rules for each and every native MLS listing field to at least one consolidated MLS listing field, wherein the native MLS listing information for each and every native MLS listing field is mapped to a corresponding equivalent field of the consolidated data repository schema including MLS information from different native schemas, wherein the consolidated data repository schema is determined ahead of time by a group of one or more MLSs that form or contribute to the real estate exchange; transforming, with aid of a controller comprising a processor, both the native MLS listing information for each and every native MLS listing field and the metadata associated with the MLS listing information in their native schema to the one or more consolidated MLS listing fields of the consolidated data repository, wherein the native MLS listing information for each and every native MLS listing field is transformed to the corresponding equivalent field of the consolidated data repository schema including MLS information from different native schemas, and wherein said transformation occurs in accordance with a specific code generated based on at least one of the following: the metadata associated with the native MLS listing information and the consolidated data repository schema; and generating the consolidated data repository having the one or more consolidated MLS listing fields for access by different users of the plurality of MLS databases who would otherwise only have access to their native MLS listing information in their native schema.