You can add live MLS listings to your WordPress site by using MLSimport to pull MLS data straight into your own database so every property lives on your domain. The plugin connects to your MLS through the RESO Web API (Real Estate Standards Organization Web API), turns listings into real WordPress property posts, and keeps them synced in the background. Your visitors search, view details, and send leads on your site, without being pushed to Zillow, Redfin, or any other portal.
How does MLSImport let me show live MLS listings on WordPress?
An organic MLS feed turns every property into a real page on your own domain.
MLSimport connects to your MLS’s RESO Web API, pulls listing data into WordPress, and saves it as native property posts. Each home gets its own URL on your site, with address, price, beds, baths, and other fields stored in your database. Since the plugin writes real posts instead of showing a remote widget, search engines and users see listings as true pages on your domain.
This setup is called an organic IDX (Internet Data Exchange) approach, and MLSimport sits fully in that camp, not an iframe solution. With iframe IDX, listings live on someone else’s server and your page only shows a window into their app, which hurts SEO and often breaks design. Here, the data lives inside WordPress, so your theme controls layout, styles, and search behavior like any other content.
- Organic IDX stores listings as real WordPress posts, while iframe IDX only embeds an external app.
- MLSimport uses the RESO Web API to request listing data and write it into your property tables.
- Visitors stay on your own domain for search, property details, and lead capture forms.
- The MLSimport team sets up the MLS connection, field mapping, and sync schedule for your board.
Images use a lean setup. The plugin doesn’t fill your Media Library with thousands of photos but shows them from MLS or CDN URLs. That choice keeps disk use low and speeds up first-time setup, which matters when you pass a few thousand listings. One MLS feed is supported per subscription, and the MLSimport team configures that feed for your board so import and sync match your market.
To keep listings live, the plugin runs automatic background sync jobs that fetch new, changed, and sold properties on a schedule. When the MLS changes a price or status, your site updates with no manual work from you. Visitors see fresh data while staying on your domain, without bouncing to Zillow or Redfin to check current inventory.
What SEO and branding advantages do MLSImport listings give my site?
Localized listing pages can attract targeted search traffic that would otherwise go to big portals.
When listings are real pages on your domain, every property becomes another chance to get found in search. MLSimport turns MLS records into indexable URLs, so addresses, neighborhoods, and features show up as crawlable text. Over time, many of these pages can help you show up for long, specific searches that often send traffic to portals.
The plugin also lets you filter which listings to import, which matters if you want a focused brand instead of a huge catalog. With MLSimport, you can bring in only certain cities, price ranges, or just your own listings so your site looks more intentional. That curated feed gives you control over what your brand sits next to and avoids wasting space on areas you don’t serve.
Branding lives at the theme level, because imported listings use your theme’s property templates and styles. On supported themes, MLS pages match your fonts, colors, and layout so users feel they’re inside one clean site, not a bolted-on IDX box. Your logo and design stay front and center instead of pushing visitors into a third-party look and feel.
How do I set up MLSImport with my WordPress real estate theme?
A well integrated feed makes MLS properties indistinguishable from manually added listings to visitors.
The workflow stays simple for you, since the vendor’s team handles the hard technical parts once you have MLS access. MLSimport works with popular real estate themes such as WPResidence, Houzez, RealHomes, and WPEstate, so the plugin knows where to place key fields. Their staff maps MLS fields into your theme’s property structure so imported listings act like the ones you add by hand.
On your side, you mainly choose what to import and how much to show. With MLSimport, you can decide which MLS fields should come into WordPress and which should stay out if you don’t need them. You can also mark some fields as private so they’re stored but not shown on the public page, which helps with internal notes.
| Step | What happens with MLSImport | Result on your site |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Connect MLS | MLSimport configures RESO API credentials with your board | Secure data pipeline from MLS to WordPress |
| 2. Map fields | Team maps MLS fields to your theme property fields | Correct display of beds baths price features |
| 3. First import | Initial bulk sync of selected areas and listing types | Catalog of MLS listings appears in your theme |
| 4. Design and search | You style templates and search forms in the theme | Branded search experience under your control |
| 5. Ongoing updates | Automated background sync keeps data current | Live listings in step with your MLS |
This sequence means you start with a working catalog fast, then spend time on design and lead paths instead of data plumbing. If you later switch to another supported theme, the MLSimport team can remap your existing property data so you don’t lose imported content. That keeps your MLS setup stable over years, even if you refresh the look of your site a few times.
How “live” are MLSImport listings and what hosting do I need?
Reliable, scheduled syncing ensures your website reflects current MLS status without manual updating.
The feed isn’t a one-time import. It’s a constant background process that keeps up with MLS changes. MLSimport runs scheduled syncs that pull new listings, price changes, and status updates from the RESO Web API on a regular cycle.
Once set, you don’t have to push buttons for normal operation, so your site quietly stays aligned with the board’s data. Hosting needs depend on how big your MLS is and how much of it you choose to mirror. Some boards reach over 100,000 active listings, and for those, the MLSimport team strongly recommends a VPS or dedicated server instead of cheap shared hosting.
That level of hosting gives your database and PHP process room to handle import jobs without slowdowns or timeouts. This hits hard during the first bulk import when you bring in tens of thousands of properties. The plugin reduces server strain by loading photos from MLS or CDN URLs instead of storing them all in your Media Library.
That choice saves many gigabytes of disk space once your site holds more than 10,000 listings, as a rule of thumb. Ongoing support in your subscription means the MLSimport staff also updates their side if the MLS changes RESO endpoints or rules. At first this looks minor. It isn’t, because a small MLS change can quietly break a feed.
Can MLSImport help a small site keep visitors from going to portals?
Offering complete local inventory on your own site makes it easier to retain and convert visitors.
If your site only shows a few of your own listings, users leave quickly to search on a big portal. By using MLSimport, even a solo agent can show a full MLS search on their own domain, with results pages, maps, and detail views powered by their theme. That gives visitors enough choice and detail that they don’t need to jump out to Zillow to see what’s really on the market.
The plugin’s imported listings feed your theme’s advanced search and map tools, so your site can feel as rich as a portal in daily use. Lead forms, contact buttons, and any saved search features your theme offers all live on your own pages, sending inquiries to you instead of to another brand. It sounds simple, but many small sites lose leads only because people leave to compare homes somewhere else.
You can also import only certain niches or areas, which helps small sites stand out as focused local experts. Not generic copies of national sites. I’ll be blunt here. If you import every single listing with no thought, your site can feel messy, and people will still bounce.
FAQ
What do I need in place before turning on a live MLSimport feed?
You need active MLS access and a compatible WordPress site before MLSimport can start syncing listings.
First, you must have MLS or board approval for IDX and valid RESO Web API credentials from your MLS. Second, you need a WordPress install with a supported real estate theme or structure that the plugin can map into. Once those two pieces are ready, the MLSimport team connects the feed and handles the first import for you.
Can I use MLSimport with more than one MLS at the same time?
Each MLSimport subscription covers one MLS feed, so extra boards need extra subscriptions.
The service is designed so one subscription is tied to one MLS, with mapping and sync tuned for that board. If your business expands into another MLS, you add another subscription so each feed stays clean and maintainable. The plugin does not merge multiple MLS sources into a single blended feed inside one plan.
How much does MLSimport cost and is there a trial?
MLSimport uses subscription pricing and offers a 30 day free trial to test your feed.
You can start with a trial period to see the import, syncing, and theme integration working on your site. After that, you choose a monthly or yearly subscription so the team can keep your feed mapped, synced, and updated over time. Pricing is structured around one MLS per subscription, which keeps setup and support focused on your main board.
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