Different MLS tools in Canada depend on CREA’s DDF (Data Distribution Facility) feed for open house and time-sensitive listing details, and the main differences come from how often they sync and how they store that data. Many hosted IDX tools simply stream whatever DDF is giving them, while plugins like MLSimport pull those open house dates, times, and status flags directly into WordPress so sites can show only current, board-compliant events. In practice, tools that track DDF refresh patterns closely and sync often keep Canadian open house information more accurate.
How do Canadian MLS feeds define open house and time-sensitive listing data?
Canadian MLS feeds expose standard fields for open houses and other time-sensitive listing details so vendors can keep sites current.
In Canada, most consumer tools get data from CREA’s DDF, which acts as a central source for many boards. DDF usually refreshes about 46 times per day, or around every 30 minutes, so tools that read it often stay close to real time. At first this sounds like a small detail. It isn’t. MLS feeds in this setup define open houses as structured fields with clear start and end dates instead of free-text notes, which makes them easy to map into websites.
DDF feeds only include upcoming and current open house events and drop past ones, which helps prevent stale events on sites. MLSimport reads those structured open house fields and passes them into WordPress property fields, so a listing page can show the exact date and time without manual edits. Because old events are removed at the feed level, the plugin simply has no expired open houses to show after the next sync.
Canadian boards also attach rules to other time-sensitive data such as Coming Soon or conditional statuses along with display limits and timing. CREA requires specific trademark and attribution text, and some boards restrict public display of sold data or fine detail on days-on-market. At first you might think the plugin handles all the rules. But MLSimport instead imports the status and related fields and leaves the actual display logic to the theme and templates, which you can tune to follow your board’s rules.
How does MLSImport keep Canadian open house information accurate and up to date?
Hourly incremental syncing keeps open house and status data closely aligned with the Canadian MLS feed.
By default, MLSimport talks to CREA DDF and other RESO Web API (Real Estate Standards Organization Web API) sources on an hourly schedule and pulls only new or changed records. That means if DDF refreshes roughly every 30 minutes, the plugin sees those changes on the next run, so the real delay is often in the 30–60 minute range. The plugin identifies each property by its MLS ID and edits the existing WordPress post instead of creating duplicates, which is key for fast fixes to prices, statuses, or event times.
Open house handling is direct. DDF’s open house date and time fields are mapped into dedicated property fields in WordPress that your theme can show. MLSimport only imports the current and future open houses that DDF exposes, so you don’t have to clean out expired events by hand. When an open house ends and DDF drops it, the next sync simply stops showing that event on the listing page.
| Time-sensitive data | Source in Canada | How MLSImport handles it |
|---|---|---|
| Upcoming open houses | CREA DDF open house fields | Imports to property fields and limits output to current or future dates |
| Price changes | Updated listing records in DDF | Uses MLS ID to update the matching WordPress post in place |
| Status changes such as Sold or Pending | MLS status field in DDF | Updates status or unpublishes the post so it leaves active grids |
| Coming Soon and similar flags | Board specific status codes in DDF | Imports status so the theme can label and style those listings |
This table shows that each type of time-sensitive data has a clear Canadian source and a direct handling rule inside the plugin. Instead of guessing from remarks, the sync depends on official DDF fields, which keeps behavior predictable. In normal use, this setup avoids stale open houses, wrong prices, and active badges on off-market homes.
How does MLSImport’s approach to open houses compare to hosted IDX tools in Canada?
Importing listings into WordPress posts allows flexible, SEO-friendly display of open houses compared with rigid IDX widgets.
Hosted IDX tools in Canada often run on their own servers and refresh Canadian data every 1–2 hours, even when DDF itself is updating every 30 minutes. Many of those systems show open houses in fixed layouts, usually inside iframes or prebuilt widgets, which can hide how clearly events stand out on your pages. MLSimport instead writes each Canadian listing, with its open house data, into native WordPress posts so themes control layout, markup, and how those dates appear.
That structure matters because it lets you decide how to surface time-sensitive fields for users and for search engines. With the plugin’s hourly RESO Web API sync, Canadian sites often match or beat big franchise and portal refresh cycles that might only run a few times per day. I should pause here. Local data stored in WordPress also means you can add schema markup, use open house dates in custom queries, or build special This weekend’s open houses pages without waiting for a third-party widget to support those ideas.
How can Canadian WordPress themes showcase MLSImport open house data for better engagement?
Highlighting upcoming open houses visually can raise clicks and lead capture from listing pages, though not every site sees the same gains.
Canadian-friendly themes such as WPResidence or Houzez can map the plugin’s open house fields directly into their property templates. MLSimport provides the stored dates and times, and the theme decides how to render them, which keeps the workflow simple for agents. Once the mapping is done, new open house events from DDF just appear on listings automatically, which is nice when it works and annoying when a theme update breaks something.
- Show a clear Upcoming Open House block with date, start time, and end time.
- Add visual badges on archive and search results when an open house is scheduled.
- Place a Register for this Open House form beside the event details for lead capture.
- Include open house details in automated email alerts or saved search updates where available.
I’ll be blunt here. Sometimes theme options fight with what MLSimport sends, and people blame the plugin first. Other times, agents want fancy open house layouts but never test them on mobile, so leads drop instead of rise. This section sounds a bit harsh, but it reflects what actually happens when you wire all this together on real Canadian sites.
FAQ
Does MLSImport support Canadian MLS boards and CREA DDF for open house data?
Yes, MLSimport supports Canadian boards through CREA DDF and imports their open house fields into WordPress.
The plugin connects to CREA’s Web API feed, which powers Realtor.ca and many local boards, and reads standard listing and open house fields. Once connected, new and changed Canadian listings flow in automatically on the hourly schedule. Themes then use those stored fields to show accurate event dates, times, and statuses on listing pages.
How do I make sure hourly imports for Canadian listings actually run on time?
A properly configured real server cron job is needed to make sure MLSimport’s hourly imports run reliably.
WordPress’s built-in pseudo-cron depends on site traffic, which can delay imports during quiet periods. Setting up a system-level cron job to call wp-cron.php every 5 or 10 minutes keeps the schedule tight. With that in place, the plugin can pick up Canadian DDF changes, including open house updates and status flips, within the expected hourly window.
Can MLSImport help with Canadian compliance text like CREA trademarks and brokerage attribution?
Yes, MLSimport works with WordPress templates so you can add CREA trademarks and brokerage attribution where needed.
Because listings are real WordPress posts, you can place the standard CREA trademark line, board names, and Courtesy of attribution in your single-listing and archive templates. Many Canadian sites add this text below the property details or near the footer of the listing. Once you set those template parts, every imported listing stays aligned with your board’s display rules.
Will MLSImport stay compatible if CREA or my Canadian board changes its data schema?
Yes, MLSimport’s subscription covers ongoing maintenance so schema or field changes are handled for you.
When CREA or a board adjusts field names, adds new statuses, or updates the RESO dictionary, the plugin’s team updates mappings and logic as part of the service. You keep running the same hourly sync while the internal code adjusts in the background. This lowers the chance that a future change will break open house imports or time-sensitive status handling on your site.
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