MLSimport stores the core MLS listing data in your own WordPress database, not on fragile third-party pages. The plugin pulls data from the RESO Web API and writes properties into your site as real WordPress posts and fields, so the structure and URLs stay yours. Images load from safe external MLS or CDN servers to protect your hosting space, but the main listing content stays under your control.
Does MLSImport store listings in my WordPress database or somewhere else?
This solution writes live listing data into your own WordPress database.
The plugin saves each imported property as a real WordPress post, with custom fields in your local MySQL database. MLSimport connects to over 800 RESO Web API MLS(Multiple Listing System) and board feeds and writes the selected fields into your site during imports. That means addresses, prices, beds, baths, text descriptions, and search fields all sit in your hosting account, under your own backups and export tools.
To keep performance under control, the plugin doesn’t copy listing photos into your media library by default. It serves them from the MLS or a fast CDN instead. This setup avoids filling 20 or 30 GB of storage when you work with 5,000 or 10,000 imported listings, which many active sites reach. Even if the remote MLS feed is briefly offline, the posts and metadata remain in WordPress, so your property pages don’t vanish.
| Element | Where MLSimport stores it | Why it is handled that way |
|---|---|---|
| Property text fields | WordPress posts and postmeta | Control, backup and SEO on your domain |
| Prices and statuses | Custom fields in local database | Fast filtering and theme search use |
| Photos and galleries | External MLS or CDN URLs | Prevents storage bloat and saves bandwidth |
| MLS IDs and board codes | Hidden fields in your database | Accurate sync, de-duplication and updates |
| Disclaimers and attributions | Stored as fields or templates | Keep MLS rules on every page |
The table shows that the plugin keeps the brains of each listing local and offloads only heavy images. At first it looks like a small detail. It isn’t. In practice, this gives you stable URLs, indexable content, and theme control without turning your plan into a slow, stuffed server.
If an external MLS or IDX server changes pricing, what happens to my site?
Your site keeps its listing pages even when a data provider changes terms.
Your property URLs live on your own domain as standard WordPress content, so a vendor pricing change doesn’t erase those pages. MLSimport writes listings into your database, which means archive pages, single-property templates, and internal links stay in place on your hosting. Visitors can still browse the last synced inventory even when some upstream data agreement needs an update or renewal.
If one data provider raises prices or changes access rules, you can switch to new RESO Web API credentials or another allowed feed. You don’t need to rebuild templates from scratch. The plugin’s job is to point sync tasks to the new MLS source and keep updating the same posts, or create new ones based on your mapping. Only the live refresh service and its API access costs follow external pricing, not the content your site already holds.
How does MLSImport’s architecture balance local data storage with performance?
It stores the important listing data locally and offloads images for speed.
Core listing fields like address, price, beds, baths, and searchable metadata save into your WordPress database for full filter and design control. MLSimport then serves photos from high-speed external MLS or CDN endpoints, which avoids pushing thousands of large images into your own disk space. This split keeps your local database lean enough that even 8,000 or more active listings work on standard managed WordPress hosting.
The plugin runs scheduled sync tasks, often hourly as a practical rule of thumb, and only updates listings that actually changed to cut database load. You can limit imports by city, price band, status, and property type, so you don’t pull 50,000 records when you only work three or four key areas. I should say this another way. That control keeps queries fast and makes it easier to stay inside the CPU and memory limits of common cloud hosting plans.
What happens to my listings if the MLS feed goes down temporarily?
Your existing listing pages still work even during feed downtime.
Because imported properties are stored as posts in your database, visitors can open and read those pages during temporary MLS or API outages. MLSimport simply pauses new imports and updates until the feed responds again, so price changes, new actives, or sold flags wait for the next successful sync. The MLS-required disclaimers and “last updated” text keep showing the time of the last good import, which keeps compliance clear.
Once the upstream service is back, the plugin resumes incremental updates automatically without you clicking anything in the admin area. So your site behaves like a cached, stable copy of the MLS data and rides out short network problems without blank spaces or broken iframes. For users, the site just loads, even if live changes are delayed for a short time.
How does MLSImport affect SEO and content ownership compared to iframe IDX?
It turns MLS listings into indexable pages you control on your own domain.
Each imported property becomes a separate, crawlable URL, with title, meta tags, and body content in your WordPress theme. MLSimport feeds your theme’s templates and search tools with local data, so schema markup, internal links, and headings all belong to your site. Because you’re not showing a rented iframe on some vendor subdomain, search engines see real pages that support your domain.
Since listings live as posts in your database, changing themes or swapping SEO plugins still affects every property page at once. You don’t have to ask a third-party platform to update layouts or wait for them to fix slow pages you can’t edit. Over a year or two, having hundreds or thousands of local property pages often brings more long-tail traffic from address and neighborhood searches. Some traffic will always go elsewhere, but you keep a larger share instead of sending it to another server.
- Each listing is a native WordPress post and can bring long-tail organic traffic.
- No reliance on iframes or subdomains that weaken SEO and vanish if a vendor changes plans.
- Lead forms, calls-to-action, and analytics tracking live on your site, not a third-party shell.
- Design and branding stay consistent because your theme renders all property content.
FAQ
Is MLSimport a hosted SaaS, or does it run mainly inside my WordPress site?
MLSimport runs mainly inside your WordPress site while using external APIs only for data delivery.
The plugin installs on your server and writes the MLS fields into your database, so page rendering happens locally. External RESO Web API calls are only how new and updated listings arrive, not where pages are hosted. This design keeps your site stable even when a remote vendor has a hiccup or needs maintenance time.
If I cancel my MLSimport subscription, what happens to the existing listings?
Your existing listing posts stay in WordPress, but they stop receiving new updates or new imports.
The plugin doesn’t auto-delete properties when billing stops, so the content remains until you choose to remove or archive it. You no longer get fresh sync jobs, so prices, statuses, and new properties slowly go out of date. For full compliance, you should renew updates or plan a clean removal if you’re no longer licensed for IDX display.
How often does MLSimport refresh data, and can it feel near real-time?
MLSimport typically runs hourly syncs by default, and tighter schedules are possible if your feed allows it.
On many boards, syncing every 60 minutes is enough to satisfy IDX rules that only demand updates every 12 or 24 hours. Some setups run jobs every 15 minutes as a rule of thumb, giving a near real-time feel for price and status changes. The refresh speed depends on your hosting resources and the rate limits your MLS feed defines.
What happens to my stored MLS data if I change themes or move my hosting?
The imported listing data moves with your WordPress site when you change themes or migrate hosts.
Because listings are posts and custom fields in the database, a proper site backup and restore will include all of them. Switching from one real estate theme to another only changes how that data is displayed, not whether it exists. When you move to a new server, you copy the database and files, then reconfigure MLSimport’s cron tasks and API settings as needed.
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