You keep property details accurate by syncing straight from the MLS(Multiple Listing System) instead of typing by hand. MLSimport talks to the MLS through the RESO Web API, pulls updates on a schedule, and changes your WordPress listings for you. When agents change a price, upload new photos, or flip a home to Pending or Sold in the MLS, your site follows on the next sync. No extra clicks on your side.
How does MLSImport keep listing details and statuses synced with my MLS?
Automated MLS syncing keeps your site’s listing details and statuses lined up with the live MLS feed.
The plugin connects to your MLS using the RESO Web API, then runs scheduled sync jobs so you do not edit listings by hand. MLSimport checks about every hour by default, which works for most markets and keeps changes like new listings and price drops current. You can still slow or speed things later.
On each sync, the plugin reads status fields such as Active, Pending, Sold, Expired, or Withdrawn and applies them to matching properties. Status changes act as real data, so a listing that went Pending in the MLS shows as Pending on your site right after sync. You still choose which MLS offices or agents feed into the site, so you can bring in just your own or your office’s listings.
Off-market handling stays flexible. You can let the plugin remove properties that go Expired or Withdrawn, or keep them as live pages clearly labeled Sold or Off Market. That way you avoid dead inventory in search results, but you still keep past deals as proof of work. Because everything comes from the MLS feed, your site mirrors the source instead of drifting over time.
How are property photos and virtual tours kept accurate and up-to-date with MLSImport?
Direct links to MLS-hosted media keep property photos and tours current without steady manual work.
MLSimport does not copy thousands of images into your Media Library. It reads the photo URLs from the MLS or its CDN and shows them in your theme’s gallery. When an agent adds, replaces, or fixes photos in the MLS, the next sync refreshes those URLs and your site shows the new versions. The plugin also pulls virtual tour and media links into WordPress fields your theme can display as buttons, tabs, or embeds.
The plugin follows the image order from the MLS, so photo reordering appears after the next sync. If the MLS gallery grows from 8 to 20 photos, your page will also show 20 photos after sync, as long as your theme supports that many in its slider. This setup avoids storage bloat on your hosting account while still letting you show full, sharp galleries.
- Photo URLs come from the MLS feed and display in your theme gallery.
- New or reordered images in MLS appear after the next scheduled sync.
- Virtual tour links store in property meta fields your template can show as embeds.
- Images don’t save in the WordPress Media Library, which limits disk use.
How can I control MLSImport’s sync frequency so my site data stays fresh?
Adjustable sync schedules help you balance very fresh data with your server’s limits.
The plugin uses cron-based jobs to run imports on a fixed schedule, with about 30 to 60 minutes as a guide for most sites. MLSimport’s default is about hourly, but you can tune the cron schedule on each WordPress install. Smaller feeds or very busy markets can sync more often, while larger feeds stay at a safer interval. Using a real server cron instead of default WordPress cron is strongly suggested if you pull thousands of listings or more than one MLS.
Each synchronization run is incremental, so the plugin only processes listings that changed since the last job. It does not re-import everything from scratch and hammer your database. Once you find a schedule your host can handle, you let the cron run in the background. No constant babysitting, just steady updates.
How do I ensure MLSImport shows accurate sold and pending listings without confusing buyers?
Status mapping and display rules keep buyers informed while still highlighting your sold and pending work.
The plugin can import full MLS status codes through RESO, then you or your developer map those codes to your theme’s statuses like Sold, Pending, Under Contract, or Off Market. MLSimport does not lock you into one style, so you can match statuses to your design and local rules. For example, with a theme such as WPResidence, you can show a bold Sold ribbon on listing pages while keeping those properties out of normal search results.
Many site owners like to keep sold properties online but hidden from search, and this pattern works well. You can filter by status in your theme or custom queries and build “Recently Sold” or “Under Contract” pages that pull from the same data MLSimport maintains. For Canadian users on DDF feeds, off-market listings are usually removed from the active feed, so the plugin takes them off the active side. You then add your own sold portfolios by hand where policy blocks automatic sold data.
| Goal | MLS status handling | Typical MLSimport setup |
|---|---|---|
| Hide sold from search | Keep Sold posts exclude from queries | Import Sold theme filters them from results |
| Show sold portfolio | Use Sold as filterable status | Create Recently Sold page filtered by Sold |
| Avoid off-market clutter | Delete Expired or Withdrawn | Plugin removes posts when status off-market |
| Highlight pending deals | Map Pending and Under Contract | Show label on cards keep in lists |
| Canadian DDF compliance | Remove closed listings from feed | Use feed for actives add solds manually |
The table shows how status mapping and theme rules work together so buyers are not confused. You still use sold and pending deals as quiet marketing, but in a controlled way. Since MLSimport keeps statuses synced from the MLS, you only decide which stay searchable, which become archives, and how each looks on the front end.
How can I use MLSImport to avoid data errors and stay MLS-compliant?
Using the MLS feed and field controls cuts listing errors and lowers compliance risk.
The plugin reads from official RESO-compliant feeds only, so there is no scraping, copy-paste, or guessed data in WordPress. MLSimport lets you choose which MLS fields to import and which to keep private, so sensitive internal notes don’t show on the public site. You can show a “Last updated” line on property pages that uses the latest time from the feed. Visitors and auditors see data freshness at a glance.
Most boards also ask for certain attribution text and brokerage credits on every listing, and the plugin lets you wire those into your templates. You pull those fields from the feed once, place them in the theme layout, and every new listing that MLSimport imports will show the right credit automatically. Since the data comes straight from the MLS and updates many times per day, you avoid common manual mistakes like wrong prices or missing brokerage names that can bring complaints or fines.
FAQ
How fast do price changes, new photos, or status updates show up after agents edit the MLS?
Changes usually appear on your site within 30 to 60 minutes, based on the sync schedule you set.
MLSimport runs on a cron schedule, so the delay is simply time until the next sync. If you schedule imports every 30 minutes, a price drop or new photos usually reach the site within that window. You can’t be faster than your MLS feed itself, but in most boards a 30 to 60 minute lag fits their rules and feels close to real time.
What happens on my site when a listing is removed from the MLS feed?
Removed or off-market listings are either deleted from your site or kept as labeled archives, based on your setup.
When the MLS feed no longer includes a listing, MLSimport sees that on sync and runs the removal logic you picked. Many users delete the property post so it no longer appears anywhere, which stays clean and simple. Others keep it as a Sold or Off Market page, hide it from search, and use it in a Past Sales section. That pattern depends on your theme and local rules, and sometimes your patience.
Will my manual edits in WordPress be overwritten by MLSImport, and where should I make real changes?
Any field that comes from the MLS feed gets overwritten on the next sync, so real changes must happen in the MLS.
The MLS is the single source of truth here, and MLSimport’s job is to mirror that data into WordPress. If you change a synced field in the WordPress editor, the next import replaces your edit with whatever is in the MLS. That prevents drift but also means you shouldn’t rely on manual tweaks there. Price, beds, photos, or status should change in the MLS system and then flow down.
How does MLSImport handle differences between U.S. and Canadian rules for sold data display?
U.S. sites can usually sync sold statuses directly, while many Canadian sites handle sold portfolios more manually.
In many U.S. boards, RESO feeds include sold and pending data that MLSimport can import and map to Sold or Pending statuses for display or archives. In much of Canada, the national DDF feed doesn’t provide sold details for public IDX(Internet Data Exchange), so the plugin simply drops those properties from the active feed when they close. Canadian agents who want a sold gallery often use MLSimport for their active inventory and then add separate manual sold entries that match their board’s rules.
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