Have you ever noticed that a property can show a different number of Days on Market (DOM) on the MLS compared with another real estate website? This is not necessarily an error. Different websites may use different methods to calculate and display listing time.

The MLS calculation may not be the same as a consumer website’s calculation. An MLS typically calculates DOM based on the listing history and the MLS's specific rules regarding when a listing begins, pauses, or resets its market time. Other websites may receive listing data from the MLS but apply their own formulas to that information.

For example, websites may differ in how they handle:

• Listing status changes: Some sites may continue counting days while a property is temporarily off the market, while others may pause the count.
• Withdrawals and relistings: A new listing number does not necessarily mean that a website will consider the property "new" to the market.
• Price changes: A price reduction generally does not restart the property's market time, although the way it is displayed may vary from site to site.
• Changes in listing brokerage or agent: Some websites may treat a change in listing information differently when determining market time.
• Data refresh timing: Websites receive and update MLS data at different intervals, so the information displayed may not always update at exactly the same time.
• Historical listing information: Some websites may combine information from multiple listing records or other data sources when presenting a property's market history.

As a result, the DOM displayed on one website should not necessarily be expected to match the DOM displayed on another website.

What Should You Rely On?

For purposes of listing activity, reporting, and MLS statistics, the MLS's calculation and definitions are the authoritative source for MLS data. Consumer-facing websites may use the same underlying listing information but process or display it differently.

Your Value as a Real Estate Professional

Explaining the differences in DOM isn’t unlike answering consumer questions about estimated property values.  If a client asks why the Days on Market shown on a public website differs from the number shown in the MLS, the simple explanation is: different websites can use different rules and data-processing methods to calculate market time.

Understanding these differences can help real estate professionals explain listing history accurately and avoid confusion when comparing information across websites.