The MLS credentials belong to the MLS member: the agent, the broker, or the brokerage. MLSImport is not a data vendor, cannot apply on your behalf, and cannot hold credentials for you.
Which member applies depends on your MLS. Some boards accept applications from agents, some accept them only from the designated broker, and most require the broker to sign either way.
Who applies
- Agent or member. Many boards let a member request their own feed for their own website, sometimes as a courtesy feed included in membership.
- Designated broker or brokerage. Some boards accept feed requests only at brokerage level, and route brokers to a different platform than members.
- Broker as signing party. Even where the agent applies, the broker is usually required to sign or enable access before the request moves.
Ask your MLS which route applies to your role before starting anything. An agent working through a broker only route waits for an approval that will never arrive.
The most common reason an application sits in a pending state is that the broker has not logged in and completed their part. If yours has stalled with no explanation, check that step before contacting the MLS again.
What MLSImport is and is not
Vendors manage, process, or redistribute MLS data. MLSImport does not do any of that. It connects your WordPress site to the feed your MLS has already approved for you.
That distinction matters on application forms. We cannot register as your vendor, sign agreements for you, apply on your behalf, access your MLS account to find credentials, or ask the MLS to approve anything for you. Every one of those is the member’s to do.
What we can do is confirm your credentials connect, tell you which server your MLS runs and which values to request, and set the plugin up once access is approved.
Building a site for a client
Web developers and agencies are a large part of who uses MLSImport, and the rule does not change. The credentials belong to your client, the MLS member.
- Your client applies, through their board, naming the domain the site will run on.
- Use the real domain in the application, not a staging URL. Approvals are recorded against the site that displays the data.
- The client shares the credentials with you to enter into the plugin, or enters them themselves.
- Applying as a third party vendor is a different route with its own fees on most boards. If your client qualifies as a member, the member route is usually cheaper and faster.
Ask your client to forward the approval email itself, not a summary of it. It names the feed type, the platform, and the domain approved, which are the three things that decide whether a connection will work.
Frequently asked questions
Can you email my broker to approve my access?
No. We do not send approval requests to brokers and cannot apply on your behalf. The request has to come from you or your broker directly to the MLS or the API platform.
Do I need a real estate licence to use MLSImport?
You need MLS approved access, which in most markets means being a member or working under one. A developer without a licence can build the site, but the feed is approved to the member whose listings are being displayed.
My application has been pending for weeks. Can you check it?
We cannot see your application. Contact your MLS and ask for the current status, whether any broker or domain details are missing, and when credentials will be issued. If your trial is running out while you wait, tell us and we will extend it or help you pause.
Can two agents share one set of credentials?
Not usefully. Credentials are issued to a member for an approved domain, and MLSImport connects one MLS per WordPress install. Two agents with two websites need two approvals and two subscriptions.
Related
- MLS approval processes that take time
- What RESO Web API access is and why you need it
- Who can use MLSImport
- Requirements before you buy
Tell us your MLS name and your role and we will tell you which application route your board uses.