On Real Homes, imported listings become ordinary Real Homes properties. They use the theme’s property post type, its taxonomies, its templates, its search and its agent pages, so the design work you have already done applies to them.
MLSImport supplies the data. Real Homes owns the presentation.
Before you start
Real Homes must be the active theme with its own required plugins active, and the theme dropdown in MLSImport must be set to Real Homes. That setting decides which fields are written, so a mismatch gives you properties that look empty rather than an error message.
Where an imported listing lands
- The listing becomes a property under Properties, editable like any other.
- Price, size, bedrooms and bathrooms go into the Real Homes fields its search, sorting and property cards read.
- Latitude and longitude are written into the theme’s location field as a single coordinate pair, which is what places the pin.
- The public remarks become the property description.
- City, county, property type and status fill the matching theme taxonomies, and feature style MLS fields fill the features taxonomy one term per value.
- Photos are attached one by one as the property gallery, served from the MLS image source rather than copied into your media library.
Because the images live remotely, MLSImport adds the handling that lets them display in the media library and in Real Homes thumbnails with no file on your disk.
What MLSImport sets for you on a new property
On first import only: the property is not featured, the agent chosen on the import task is assigned and set to display as an agent info box, the property label colour is set to the theme’s orange, the size and lot size units default to Sq Ft when not already set, and the per property map is switched off.
That last one surprises people. Imported properties arrive with their individual map disabled, so switch it on in the theme’s property options if you want a map on every listing, or turn it on per property.
These defaults are written once, when the property is first created. Later syncs never revisit them, so changes you make afterwards are safe, and a setting you want on every property has to be fixed in the theme options rather than by re-importing.
Extra MLS fields
Any MLS field you switch on and do not map joins the theme’s additional details list on the property, using the label and the order you set in Select Import fields. Real Homes prints that list in its own details section.
Fields mapped to a meta key are written there instead, and fields mapped to a taxonomy become terms. Ticking Hidden from Public? keeps a field out of the details list while still importing and storing it.
Real Homes agent profiles are not created from the MLS feed. Create your agents in the theme first, then pick one on each import task, otherwise imported properties have no agent to display.
What stays yours to configure
The property page layout, the search form and its fields, the map settings, the agent pages, the enquiry forms, and all styling remain Real Homes settings. MLSImport writes no styles and replaces no templates.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the map missing on my imported properties?
Because the per property map is switched off when the property is created. Enable maps globally in the theme’s property options, or switch the map on for the individual properties that need it.
Can I use the Real Homes property labels on imported listings?
Yes. Labels are a theme taxonomy MLSImport does not write, so what you set stays. Only the label colour is given a default on first import.
Do imported properties work with the Real Homes property comparison and favourites?
Yes. They are ordinary properties of the theme’s post type, so every feature that works on a manually created property works on them.
The size shows in the wrong unit. Where do I change it?
The unit defaults to Sq Ft on properties that do not already have one, and it is a per property value. Set your preferred unit in the theme options before the first import, then correct existing properties with a bulk edit.
Related
- Mapping for WpResidence, WpEstate and Real Homes
- Choosing your theme mode
- Why a compatible theme or Standalone mode is needed
- Title format, property status and owner
Send us the setting you are trying to change and we will tell you whether it lives in Real Homes or in MLSImport.