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The FRS scrape activity is exposed to ContactsLaw by FRS Tools. It is used to scrape real estate websites for data on properties for sale and add the collected information to the FRS property database. Once in the system, properties can be used to generate mailouts and can be linked to files in ContactsLaw to record acquisitions.

How to use

To use the scrape activity, you must add a definition (and default workflow) for the activity to ContactsLaw, then assign members permission to start it. The activity supports a single-step workflow only, however you can create tasks for the activity and delegate to whomever you choose. You can also associate journals or fixed charges with the activity.
 
The general process for conducting a scrape is as follows:
  1. Start the activity.
  2. Select a range of pages to scrape from the real estate website and click the Search button.
  3. Property data will appear in the grid as the scrape operation runs.
  4. Work through the list of properties and identify those which you want to add to the FRS database (you may choose all properties).
  5. Select options* for saving the data and click the Save & close button to finish the activity.

Save options

By default, the scrape activity will update any existing properties (setting their 'last matched' date to today's date) and add any properties which were not previously known to the system. You can modify this behaviour by setting options:

  • Mark properties 'inactive' if not matched since [d] - Use this option to mark any properties which are not found in the scrape results as 'inactive' (i.e. no longer on the market). Select a cut-off date after which properties are considered active regardless of whether they are matched or not. This option is best selected when performing a scrape on a large range of pages, otherwise it may deactivate properties prematurely.

  • Update existing properties only - Updates the 'last matched' date for properties already present in the system that are found in the scrape results, but does not add any new properties to the database. This option is useful for verifying whether properties to be included in a mailout are still for sale.