PIRETS vs dReality IDX vs RELWMLS

Hi All,

Brand New to Real Estate Group so be gentle and kindly point me to other discussions if my search on this topic missed a real discussion.

I do know enough about development and drupal to know two things about Drupal:
1. There are lots of modules that do the same thing that are 're-inventing the wheel' which is why I look to join an existing module rather than 'write my own' (assuming I could)
2. There are lots of modules that do the same thing because there is a very good reason and the seemingly redundant modules contain not-so-obvious differences.

Let me hasten to add, often these differences are friendly differences, where feature sets and/or client needs are just different (hence why we developers have jobs).

[again, if the answer to my question is answered by sharing a link to an existing discussion please simply do so]

So I ask you all, seemingly friendly folks who all have only 'Real Estate' in common, which among the MLS/RETS integrating modules would you recommend and why.

Specifically, it seems from my searches that the main players are "PIRETS" (winner of the Catchy Name naming contest!), "dRealty IDX", and "Real Estate Listings With Multiple Listing Service" (winner of the Exactly What It Is naming contest!).

Feel free to be honest of the strengths and weaknesses of each, but please do include why it is a strenght to you and why it is a weakness to you because one person's weakness is another's strength. Specifically, RELWMLS seems to not directly 'login' to a RETS account, but batches data out of RETS and then back up to the Drupal Real Estate site. On first blush this would seem a weakness, however, my client is wary of many RETS based sites where the search can lead his clients away from his local area, and he is also wary of clients being "pulled away" from his site by a feature on his site. His company has all those "big resources" he wants his personal site to have lots of features, but also feel "self-contained" and "homey" -- this more hands-on method may be less automagical, but the owner gets to ensure that the listings are local, don't overwhelm his clients, and don't inadvertently draw them away from his selling area (not trying to fool his clients, but there are other tools for wider searches).

Of course, feel free to include others than the three I have gathered are the major players.

As per D7 -- that may be an issue to other readers of this discussion, but my personal opinion is that a good 6.x version would be worth joining and the volunteering to assist in the D7 upgrade.

Furthermore, feel free to point out features/deficiencies that have made you start to think about writing your own module and why you don't believe the features/deficiencies can't/won't be addressed by joining one of the existing development teams.

Sorry to ask a question that seems to invite "mean" conversation. That is not my intent and I encourage all to be civil, but as a newcomer to RETS/MLS I don't find sufficient information to choose among the existing modules. I have to believe that this is the situation most developers who land a real estate client find themselves in.

(Of course, I am about to try them in my sandbox, but I still seek advice from those already involved the same way I get a lot more out of going to an Art Exhibit with my artsy-fartsy friends: they don't change my opinion necessarily, but they help me to more robustly discern what my opinions are and how I arrive at them.)

Thanks in Advance for any responses.