Overview
A common question we receive is whether it’s possible to filter out properties that are actively listed on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). While this sounds straightforward, there are significant data limitations that make this feature unreliable—especially for rural and recreational land.
The Core Challenge: Data Matching Limitations
There is currently no accurate way to consistently match MLS listings with county property records.
Here’s why:
Many MLS listings—especially for rural and recreational properties—do not include reliable identifiers.
Listings often lack a valid property address or use vague location descriptions.
In many cases, they don’t include an APN (Assessor’s Parcel Number), which is the key data point needed to match listings to ownership records.
Without consistent identifiers, it becomes extremely difficult to confidently determine whether a property in our dataset is actively listed.
Why Other Tools Fall Short
Some platforms (like DataTree) offer filters to exclude MLS-listed properties—but these come with trade-offs:
These filters tend to work reasonably well for residential homes or infill lots, where addresses are standardized.
However, for rural land, they are often highly inaccurate due to the same matching issues outlined above.
In practice, this can lead to:
Incorrectly excluding properties that are not actually listed
Missing properties that are listed but not properly identified
Why We Don’t Offer This Filter
At any given time, only a small fraction of properties in your dataset are actively listed on the MLS.
Because of this:
Attempting to exclude them using unreliable data would likely remove more good records than necessary
The end result would be less accurate and less useful data overall
Rather than introducing a feature that could degrade data quality, we prioritize accuracy and completeness.
Key Takeaway
While excluding MLS-listed properties may seem valuable, the lack of reliable matching data—especially for rural land—makes it impractical and potentially harmful to data quality. For this reason, we do not currently offer this feature.
💬 Questions or need help?
If you have any questions, concerns, or run into issues with ownership data, our support team is here to help.
📧 Email us at: [email protected]
We’re always happy to assist.🤠