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Guides & Examples

Practical guides, best practices, and real-world examples for building applications with the Open To Close API Python client. Learn patterns and techniques for common use cases.


๐Ÿš€ Quick Navigation

  • API Reference


    Complete documentation of all available API methods and endpoints

    API Documentation

  • Properties API


    Detailed property management operations and examples

    Properties Guide

  • Quick Start


    Get started quickly with guided tutorials and examples

    Quick Start Guide

  • Getting Started


    Complete setup guide from installation to first API calls

    Setup Guide


๐Ÿ“‹ What You'll Learn

Error Handling Mastery

Learn to build resilient applications that gracefully handle API errors, network issues, and unexpected conditions:

  • Exception types and when they occur
  • Retry strategies and circuit breakers
  • Logging and monitoring best practices
  • Graceful degradation patterns

Production-Ready Code

Discover patterns and practices for building maintainable, scalable applications:

  • Authentication and security best practices
  • Performance optimization techniques
  • Testing strategies and mocking
  • Configuration management

Real-World Applications

Explore complete examples that demonstrate practical usage:

  • Property management dashboards
  • Automated workflow systems
  • Data synchronization pipelines
  • Integration with CRM systems

Integration Strategies

Learn how to integrate the Open To Close API with existing systems:

  • Webhook handling and event processing
  • Batch operations and bulk updates
  • Database synchronization patterns
  • External service integration

๐ŸŽฏ Choose Your Path

Building internal tools and workflows:

  1. Quick Start Tutorial - Get familiar with the API
  2. Properties API - Core property workflows
  3. Authentication Setup - Secure API access
  4. API Reference - Explore all available operations

Building applications and integrations:

  1. API Reference - Understand all available methods
  2. Properties API - Property management operations
  3. Installation Guide - Setup and configuration
  4. Authentication - Security implementation

Working with property and transaction data:

  1. Properties API - Extract and analyze property data
  2. Quick Start - Get started with data extraction
  3. API Reference - Explore data endpoints

๐Ÿ”ง Common Use Cases

Property Management Workflows

# Complete property onboarding workflow
def onboard_new_listing(property_data, seller_info):
    """End-to-end property listing creation."""
    client = OpenToCloseAPI()

    # Create property
    property = client.properties.create_property(property_data)

    # Add seller contact
    seller = client.contacts.create_contact(seller_info)
    client.property_contacts.create_property_contact(
        property['id'], 
        {"contact_id": seller['id'], "role": "Seller"}
    )

    # Create initial tasks
    tasks = create_listing_tasks(property['id'])

    return property, seller, tasks

Data Synchronization

# Sync properties with external CRM
def sync_properties_to_crm():
    """Synchronize property data with external CRM system."""
    client = OpenToCloseAPI()

    # Get updated properties
    properties = client.properties.list_properties(params={
        "modified_since": get_last_sync_time(),
        "status": "Active"
    })

    # Process each property
    for prop in properties:
        sync_property_to_crm(prop)
        update_sync_timestamp(prop['id'])

Automated Reporting

# Generate daily activity report
def daily_activity_report():
    """Generate comprehensive daily activity report."""
    client = OpenToCloseAPI()
    today = datetime.now().strftime("%Y-%m-%d")

    # Gather activity data
    new_properties = get_properties_created_today(client, today)
    updated_properties = get_properties_updated_today(client, today)
    completed_tasks = get_tasks_completed_today(client, today)

    # Generate report
    return generate_report(new_properties, updated_properties, completed_tasks)

๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Security & Performance

Security Best Practices

  • API Key Management: Never hardcode credentials
  • Input Validation: Sanitize all user inputs
  • Error Logging: Avoid logging sensitive information
  • Rate Limiting: Respect API limits and implement backoff

Performance Optimization

  • Efficient Queries: Use filtering and pagination
  • Batch Operations: Group related API calls
  • Caching Strategies: Cache frequently accessed data
  • Async Processing: Handle long-running operations properly

๐Ÿงช Testing & Development

Testing Strategies

# Example test setup with mocking
import responses
from open_to_close import OpenToCloseAPI

@responses.activate
def test_property_creation():
    # Mock API response
    responses.add(
        responses.POST,
        "https://api.opentoclose.com/v1/properties",
        json={"id": 123, "address": "123 Test St"},
        status=201
    )

    client = OpenToCloseAPI(api_key="test_key")
    property = client.properties.create_property({
        "address": "123 Test St"
    })

    assert property["id"] == 123

Development Environment Setup

# Configuration for different environments
class Config:
    def __init__(self, environment="production"):
        self.environment = environment
        self.api_key = self._get_api_key()
        self.base_url = self._get_base_url()

    def _get_api_key(self):
        env_var = f"{self.environment.upper()}_OPEN_TO_CLOSE_API_KEY"
        return os.getenv(env_var)

    def _get_base_url(self):
        urls = {
            "development": "https://dev-api.opentoclose.com/v1",
            "staging": "https://staging-api.opentoclose.com/v1",
            "production": "https://api.opentoclose.com/v1"
        }
        return urls[self.environment]

๐Ÿ“Š Monitoring & Observability

API Usage Monitoring

import logging
from datetime import datetime

class APIMonitor:
    """Monitor API usage and performance."""

    def __init__(self, client):
        self.client = client
        self.logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

    def track_request(self, method, endpoint, duration, status_code):
        """Track API request metrics."""
        self.logger.info(f"{method} {endpoint} - {status_code} ({duration}ms)")

        # Send to monitoring system
        send_metric("api.request", {
            "method": method,
            "endpoint": endpoint,
            "duration": duration,
            "status": status_code,
            "timestamp": datetime.now()
        })

Health Checks

def health_check():
    """Verify API connectivity and authentication."""
    try:
        client = OpenToCloseAPI()
        # Simple test call
        client.agents.list_agents(params={"limit": 1})
        return {"status": "healthy", "timestamp": datetime.now()}
    except Exception as e:
        return {"status": "unhealthy", "error": str(e), "timestamp": datetime.now()}

Additional Resources


๐Ÿš€ Quick Start

Ready to dive in? Here's your learning path:

  1. Getting Started - Setup and configuration
  2. Quick Start Tutorial - Make your first API calls
  3. Properties API - Learn property management
  4. API Reference - Explore all available operations

Build better applications with proven patterns and best practices from the Open To Close API community.