You update the price of a property, mark a listing as under contract, and make sure all the details in the MLS are accurate. Hours later, you check your website or consumer portals like Zillow and Realtor.com, and the old information is still there. It looks like nothing has changed.

This is one of the most common frustrations agents, brokers, and teams deal with. Clients expect listings to be accurate in real time. They do not understand why a home can show as available online when it already has multiple offers.

From their perspective, it feels like outdated data or sloppy management. The issue is almost always related to how MLS feeds and integrations work.

Why does the delay happen

MLS data does not move across systems instantly. Most websites, CRMs, and consumer portals rely on IDX feeds or the RESO Web API to bring MLS listings. These feeds refresh on a schedule controlled by the MLS and the vendor.

Some MLSs publish updates every 15 minutes, while others only push data once or twice a day. If your market uses a slower refresh cycle, you can expect a consistent delay between making a change and it showing up online.

Even when the MLS pushes updates quickly, integration lag is a factor. Your IDX vendor, CRM, or website plugin may process the data more slowly. Sometimes systems cache data for performance reasons, which can cause information to appear stale.

Temporary failures in the connection to the MLS can also cause the system to skip an update cycle.

The result is familiar. A buyer sees a home listed as available when it is already under contract, and a seller complains that a price change is not reflected online. These problems are not always errors. They are a direct result of how MLS technology works today.

Steps to minimize syncing problems

While you cannot eliminate every delay, you can take specific steps to reduce the problem and keep your listings accurate across platforms.

Know your MLS refresh rate.

Each MLS has its own schedule for publishing data, known as the MLS refresh rate. Some provide near-real-time updates, meaning data is updated almost immediately, while others only update nightly. By knowing your MLS refresh rate, you can set proper expectations with clients and troubleshoot when you see inconsistencies.

Use the RESO Web API when available.

The RESO Web API is a modern solution designed for faster and more consistent updates. If your market supports it, ensure your IDX vendor uses the Web API instead of an outdated RETS feed. The RESO Web API can significantly reduce the delay in listing updates, providing a more accurate and timely experience for your clients.

Check your vendor settings.

Many IDX and CRM systems allow you to configure how often they pull data. If your refresh interval is too low, updates may appear slowly even if your MLS publishes new data more frequently. Review these settings and increase the frequency where possible.

Watch out for caching.

Server-side caching can make pages load faster, but it can also hold back fresh data. Ask your vendor if caching is involved and whether it can be adjusted or bypassed for listing updates.

Understand the portals

Websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia operate on refresh cycles. Even if your MLS and vendor update every 15 minutes, those portals may only refresh a few times daily. Knowing this helps explain to clients why their changes are not showing up on every site immediately.

Consider instant update tools.

Some brokers choose to invest in third-party tools that push updates to websites the moment they happen. These solutions, such as [specific tool names], cost more, but they eliminate much of the lag and provide clients with the most accurate possible experience.

Managing client expectations

Technical fixes are essential, but so is communication. Most buyers and sellers assume that the Internet works in real time. They do not know that feeds refresh on a schedule or that third-party portals update at different speeds.

When you explain the process to clients upfront, you set clear expectations. Let them know that updates on your website will appear sooner than on national portals. Emphasize that your site is the best source for accurate, up-to-date information. This builds trust and positions your brand as the authority.

The bottom line

Mistakes rarely cause delayed updates. They are a normal consequence of how MLS data is distributed and processed across multiple systems. By understanding your MLS refresh schedule, working with vendors who support the RESO Web API, reviewing refresh and caching settings, and exploring real-time tools, you can reduce delays and provide a better client experience. This reassures you that you have the tools and knowledge to manage this issue effectively.

Keeping listings accurate is not just a technical issue. It is also about credibility. Buyers and sellers judge your professionalism based on the information they see online. Taking control of your feed setup and being transparent about what clients should expect will put you ahead of the many agents who ignore this problem.