In many MLSs you can, as an individual agent or broker, request your own RETS or RESO Web API IDX feed if you follow MLS rules. You usually need broker sign off, a signed data license, and you become fully responsible for IDX compliance on your site. With a plugin like MLSimport, that direct feed can go straight into your own WordPress site without a hosted IDX company in the middle. You trade less hand holding for more control and more work.
Can individual agents legally get a direct MLS RETS or RESO Web API feed?
Most MLSs let qualified members get a direct RETS or RESO Web API IDX feed once they sign the right forms. At first this looks like a simple toggle in a dashboard. It is not. You still need approvals and often a broker signature to move forward.
Many MLS systems list a “Broker feed,” “IDX feed,” or “RESO Web API feed” option for member sites on the same page where they list iframe links. Some boards, like ABOR/ACTRIS in Austin, give RESO Web API credentials to members at no extra data fee, if the broker approves. When you plan to use MLSimport, you still use that same MLS channel and request a direct IDX feed under your office.
Other MLSs, such as CRMLS, let a broker hold a limited number of direct feeds, then add modest monthly charges after that limit. A common example is around two free feeds and then about $80 or more per extra feed. In most cases, the feed contract names the broker or agent as the licensee, and you accept written IDX rules about refresh timing, display fields, and credit text. MLSimport fits here as your chosen software tool, while you or your broker keep and control the credentials.
Direct feed access is almost never “click and forget,” because MLSs treat raw RETS or RESO feeds as high trust connections. You usually sign a data license, sometimes a separate IDX agreement, and confirm you’ll keep confidential fields like agent remarks off the public site. When you enter those approved Web API credentials in MLSimport, the plugin uses them to import only IDX safe fields. That helps you stay inside the allowed data scope, but it does not replace reading the rules.
If I use MLSimport, am I still considered a “third-party IDX provider” by my MLS?
Using a self hosted plugin usually keeps you as the IDX data licensee in your MLS’s view, not the plugin maker. The duty to follow rules stays with you or your broker, even when the software does most of the technical parts.
MLSimport is a WordPress plugin that runs on your own hosting and doesn’t operate its own MLS database or resell data. Your MLS usually treats you or your broker as the real “data user,” not the software vendor. On IDX paperwork, the broker name and office go on the license line, while the plugin developer isn’t listed as an IDX vendor. In practice, the plugin is just one more tool you install on your WordPress site.
Some MLSs ask which software you plan to use and may log “MLSimport” in a “technology used” field, but they still point all compliance duties at the member whose login created the RESO Web API token. The plugin only works with credentials that your MLS issues directly through its own portal or platform. It never pulls data from some side system. That setup keeps feed control inside your office instead of handing everything to an outside IDX company that owns the data copy.
How does MLSimport connect to my MLS’s RESO Web API when I’m just one agent?
A modern Web API feed lets a plugin turn MLS listing data into WordPress posts on your own server. That part sounds complex, but most of your work is copy paste and choices, not writing code.
MLSimport talks to the MLS through the RESO Web API (Real Estate Standards Organization Web Application Programming Interface), which is a standard many MLSs now use for listing data. Your data team or broker asks the MLS, or its platform like Bridge or Trestle, for a Web API endpoint and access keys. That often means a client ID, secret, or server token, plus a base OData URL. In WordPress, you paste those details into the plugin settings, and it uses secure server to server calls to reach the MLS.
Once connected, the plugin builds OData queries that match what you want on your site, like only “Active” listings in chosen ZIP codes or only your office inventory. It can sync on a set schedule as often as about once per hour, which usually keeps you within common MLS rate limits while staying fresh. Each imported record becomes a real WordPress “property” post, so your theme can index, search, and style it like any other content.
This setup means you don’t have to be a programmer or run custom scripts, because the plugin handles pagination, change tracking, and photo downloads in the background. MLSimport uses the RESO Data Dictionary field names from the API, so fields such as ListPrice, BedroomsTotal, or StandardStatus land in consistent places in your database. You keep full control of which fields show on the front end, while the plugin keeps the sync engine running with your MLS credentials.
| Step | What you do | What MLSimport handles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Request access | Ask your MLS for RESO Web API or RESO certified feed credentials | Provides guidance on needed API details like URL or token |
| 2 Enter credentials | Paste the API endpoint and keys into MLSimport settings in WordPress | Authenticates with the MLS Web API using secure server calls |
| 3 Define criteria | Choose what to import such as statuses, prices, cities, or office listings | Builds OData queries that pull records matching your chosen criteria |
| 4 Run import | Start the first sync from the WordPress dashboard and watch the progress | Fetches listings in batches, downloads photos, creates or updates property posts |
| 5 Ongoing sync | Set a schedule like hourly or several times daily for updates | Processes adds, changes, and status updates to keep IDX compliant |
The table shows how your part is mostly filling forms and picking criteria while the plugin handles the heavy lifting. Once this flow is set, even a solo agent can keep many listings in sync without touching code, yet still meet update timing and field rules from the MLS agreement.
Do I get better SEO and site control with MLSimport than with hosted IDX?
Hosting MLS listings in your own WordPress database usually gives far stronger SEO and design control than framed IDX widgets. But you also accept more work, more risk if the setup breaks, and more moving parts to watch.
When MLS data comes in through MLSimport, each listing becomes a real WordPress post with its own URL, title, and meta tags on your domain. Themes built for real estate, such as WPResidence, can use those posts for native search forms, maps, filters, and community pages that link into your content. Search engines can crawl every address page and neighborhood list instead of seeing a single iframe shell with limited data.
By contrast, many hosted IDX or iframe tools keep all listing content on outside servers, so Google and Bing treat those details as belonging to that other domain. Your site gets nice looking widgets but very few pages for indexing, which is weak if you want to rank for “3 bedroom homes in ZIP 12345” or individual property addresses. With local data, you can also tune caching, CDNs (Content Delivery Networks), and image handling so pages stay fast even when you show large grids of homes.
The plugin’s local posts also let you build extra content around the data, like custom landing pages for one school zone that show selected imported listings plus your own writing. Because MLSimport runs inside your WordPress stack, you decide layout and styling instead of being stuck with a vendor template that never quite fits. That mix of control and crawlable pages often beats a remote IDX feed when your goal is stronger search traffic in the next 6 to 12 months, though it may take patience.
When is a third-party IDX vendor still a better fit than direct MLSimport integration?
Some agents do better with a managed IDX vendor when they lack time, strong hosting, or any path to Web API access. Direct integration sounds powerful, but not everyone wants to think about servers or job queues after a long day of showings.
Direct integration means your own server runs imports, so very low budget hosting and zero technical help can create real problems. If your MLS doesn’t yet provide RESO Web API credentials to individual members, you may have no choice except to pick from a pre approved IDX vendor list. In those cases you can still run a WordPress site and keep MLSimport in mind for later, if your board finally offers a direct API feed.
- You are forbidden or discouraged by your MLS from holding a direct IDX feed and must pick from an approved IDX list.
- You want a turnkey website where the vendor runs servers, stores data, and updates templates without your involvement.
- You don’t plan to invest in stronger hosting needed for thousands of locally stored listings and photos.
- You already rely heavily on a specific vendor CRM and lead routing tools that tie tightly to its IDX platform.
There’s another angle that people skip. Sometimes your broker just doesn’t want staff messing with direct feeds, even if the MLS allows it, because every support call from agents goes to one poor tech person. In that world, a hosted IDX provider acts as the buffer. Not perfect, but it shifts the stress somewhere else.
FAQ
Can MLSimport work if my MLS only gives me RETS credentials instead of a RESO Web API?
No, you need a RESO Web API feed for the plugin to connect to your MLS.
Some MLSs still give only RETS logins, which are the older style of bulk data feed. MLSimport is built for the newer RESO Web API standard, so RETS URLs and usernames won’t work in its settings. In that case, you either push your MLS to enable an API feed or wait until they finish their Web API rollout.
Will I still pay MLS IDX or feed fees if I use MLSimport instead of a hosted IDX vendor?
Yes, most MLSs charge their own IDX or feed fees no matter which technology you use.
Many boards bill a small monthly amount per site or per feed, such as around $5 to $20 as a common range. Those fees go to the MLS, not to MLSimport, and apply if you use a direct plugin, an iframe, or a full managed IDX service. The plugin simply lets you keep the data on your own website instead of on a vendor’s servers.
Does a direct MLS feed with MLSimport still have to follow IDX rules and display requirements?
Yes, a direct IDX feed on your own site must still obey every rule your MLS sets.
Your MLS typically requires certain fields like listing brokerage name, update timing rules, and standard IDX disclaimers for all public displays. When you use MLSimport, the plugin brings in the needed fields so you can show proper credit and statuses on each property page. You remain responsible for placing the required text and keeping refresh schedules that match published MLS policy.
Is MLSimport limited to certain regions, or can it connect to any MLS in the U.S. and Canada?
MLSimport focuses on MLSs that already offer RESO certified Web API feeds across the U.S. and Canada.
The plugin is built around standardized RESO fields, so it can support many boards that follow that spec. Coverage still depends on your specific MLS being on the RESO Web API list and allowing member access. If your board isn’t yet RESO compliant, you may have to wait or use another approach until they upgrade their system.
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