Frontstead Kit is a free, open-source development kit for building branded real-estate portals, including sites for golf, waterfront, and other niche lifestyle markets. It includes a Next.js public portal, an Express 5 and Prisma REST API, and a separate RESO Web API synchronization worker. Portal functions include property search, listing pages, inquiries, consumer accounts, and favorites. The connector lists MLS Grid, Trestle, Bridge Interactive, and Spark API as supported vendors. Typesense is optional for typo-tolerant search; when it is not configured, search falls back to PostgreSQL. The kit requires Node.js 22.12 and PostgreSQL, while Redis and Typesense are optional. Docker Compose is the documented portable deployment baseline. MLS display controls default to off, and an unregistered MLS board causes configuration to fail. The agent API is disabled by default. Frontstead describes the kit as community-supported and directs defect reports and feature requests to public repository issues.
Who it is for
Frontstead Kit suits developers and agencies building real-estate portals for brokerages or niche markets. It requires development and deployment with Node.js 22.12 and PostgreSQL.
What is good
- Includes a public portal, REST API, and MLS synchronization worker.
- Portal supports search, listings, inquiries, accounts, and favorites.
- Lists four supported RESO Web API vendors.
- Typesense is optional; PostgreSQL search remains available.
- Free plan includes self-hosted portal, API, and MLS worker.
What to know first
- Requires Node.js 22.12 and PostgreSQL.
- Support is community-based through public repository issues.
- Agent HQ features require a separate license.
Verdict
Frontstead Kit provides the portal, API, and MLS synchronization components for developers building branded real-estate sites. Review its runtime requirements and MLS configuration safeguards before planning a deployment.
Frontstead Kit plans and pricing
All plansCompared on real estate marketplace software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Listing import
- Yes
- Custom domain
- Yes
