Frontstead Kit

Overview

Frontstead Kit is an open-source development kit for branded real-estate portals, including sites for niche markets such as golf and waterfront property. It suits developers and agencies building for brokerages that want control over their portal and MLS synchronization. The trade-off is clear: you get a self-hosted foundation, not a turnkey site, and your team must operate it.

Key features

The kit brings together a Next.js public portal, an Express 5 and Prisma REST API, and a separate worker for RESO Web API synchronization. The portal supports property search, listing pages, inquiries, consumer accounts, and favorites; listing import and custom-domain support help agencies deliver a branded experience. That is a useful starting point for a brokerage portal, but it still requires development and deployment work.

The connector supports MLS Grid, Trestle (CoreLogic/Cotality), Bridge Interactive, and Spark API (FBS). Display controls default to off, and configuration fails when an MLS board is unregistered rather than assuming attribution is unnecessary. These are meaningful compliance safeguards, though they do not replace board onboarding or the work of meeting MLS requirements.

Typesense is optional for typo-tolerant search, with PostgreSQL search as the fallback; Redis is optional as well. The agent API is disabled by default, which avoids exposing routes a deployment does not use. Teams needing CRM capabilities can license Agent HQ separately for contacts, transactions, tasks, campaigns, market reports, AI chat, CMA report generation, and Gmail and Google Calendar integration.

Pricing

Frontstead Kit: free, under Apache-2.0. It includes the self-hosted portal, API, and MLS worker, making it the sensible starting point for development teams prepared to manage their own stack. The free offering does not include managed hosting or the separately licensed Agent HQ features.

Frontstead Pro: custom pricing for setup and launch, custom development, managed hosting, and MLS board onboarding and IDX/VOW paperwork. This fits brokerages or agencies that want implementation and operational help rather than handling every deployment task themselves.

Agent HQ: custom pricing, with one production client deployment per license, one year of updates, and perpetual use of the purchased version. It is for teams that need the listed CRM and productivity features; the deployment allowance and update term are important constraints when planning multiple client projects or ongoing maintenance. There is no free trial.

Platforms

Frontstead Kit is offered for API, self-hosted, and web use. Node.js 22.12 and PostgreSQL are required; Redis and Typesense are optional. Docker Compose is the documented portable deployment baseline, and the kit does not assume a particular platform. That flexibility suits teams with deployment expertise, while the runtime requirements make it a poor fit for buyers seeking a hosted product with no infrastructure to manage.

Who it's for

Choose Frontstead Kit if you are a developer or agency building a branded brokerage portal or a specialized real-estate marketplace and want a defined API, public site, and MLS synchronization worker to extend. Look elsewhere if you need a ready-to-use consumer app, do not want to maintain a self-hosted stack, or need CRM features included in the base kit.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Purpose-built portal foundation: search, listings, inquiries, accounts, favorites, listing import, and custom domains cover core public-facing portal needs.
• MLS safeguards: disabled-by-default display controls and a configuration failure for unregistered boards help prevent unsafe assumptions about attribution.
• Deployment flexibility: Docker Compose provides a portable baseline, with no platform assumption and optional Redis and Typesense.

Cons

• Operational responsibility: self-hosting requires Node.js 22.12 and PostgreSQL, and the kit is not a turnkey hosted service.
• Community support: support is directed through public repository issues, which may not suit teams that need a dedicated support channel.
• CRM costs extra: Agent HQ is separately licensed and allows one production client deployment per license.

Alternatives

For a consumer-facing property search rather than a development kit, PadMapper offers apartment search and listings across Android, iOS, and web at no charge.

WREX is worth considering for buyers and sellers seeking free property listings or a software plan for a small agent or broker group; its Individual plan is $19.99 a month for 1–4 licenses and a single user.

ConnectLinx is another API and web option, with a free plan capped at one agent, one active listing, and up to four units or spaces; choose it when those smaller limits suit the project.

Investra offers free starter plans for developers and agents, with limits including one active project and up to 20 units on Developer Starter or up to 10 active listings on Agent Starter.

Openfront Law Firm is a self-hosted API and web alternative with a free plan.

Myly is a web option for property browsing, summaries, saved preferences, and lead submissions, with 25 insight credits per day on its free plan.

RSMS is a paid option for Android, iOS, and web.

Zoocasa is a free Android, iOS, and web alternative.

Browse more options in Real Estate Marketplace Software.

Verdict

Frontstead Kit is a strong fit for developers and agencies that want to build and operate a branded real-estate portal with an MLS synchronization foundation and explicit configuration safeguards. Its main advantage is the self-hosted, extensible stack; its main drawback is the operational burden, with community support and separately licensed CRM features. Choose it when your team can own deployment and customization, and look elsewhere for a hosted, ready-to-use product.