How listing sync works
What Manor Keeper can publish today, what requires a partner approval window, and what landlords are responsible for keeping current. Note: Direct sync to Zillow, Apartments.com, and other platforms is coming soon.
What works today
- Public vacancy pages: Every property gets a stable URL where prospects can view details and apply. Share this link in every rental post.
- XML listing feed: A machine-readable endpoint that external networks can pull. The feed updates automatically when you change property data.
- Instant updates: Changes to rent, description, photos, or availability appear immediately on your vacancy page and feed—no re-posting required.
- Listing cycles: Each time a unit is marketed, it gets a separate cycle that tracks its own view count and application count for performance measurement.
Required information
To publish a complete listing that meets rental network requirements and attracts serious applicants, you need:
- Full property address (including unit number for multifamily)
- Monthly rent amount
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Written description (at least 50 characters)
- Minimum of 3 photos (JPEG or PNG format)
- Pet policy, parking, and utilities information (in description)
Note: The XML feed will return a 404 error if no unit has a description. Ensure all marketed units have complete information.
Landlord obligations
As the listing publisher, you are responsible for:
- Legal authorization: Use only photos and marketing copy you are legally allowed to publish. Do not use property images from other listings or copyrighted materials without permission.
- Accuracy: Keep rent, lease terms, and availability dates current. Stale or misleading information wastes applicant time and may violate consumer protection regulations in your jurisdiction.
- Fair housing compliance: Follow all federal, state, and local fair housing laws. Do not include discriminatory language or preferences in listings. Prohibited criteria include race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability.
- Local advertising requirements: Some markets require landlord license numbers, registration IDs, or specific disclosures in rental advertisements. Check your city and county requirements before publishing.
- Timely removal: Mark listings as filled or cancelled promptly when a unit is no longer available to prevent inquiries on already-rented properties.
Manor Keeper provides the tools to publish and syndicate your listing data, but you remain the publisher of record and are responsible for the accuracy and legality of the content.
Manual publishing channels
Three free channels reach a large share of active renters:
- Craigslist: High-intent renters actively searching by city and neighborhood. Post under "Housing offered → Apts/Housing for rent" with your public vacancy link.
- Facebook Marketplace: Broad reach through housing search and social feeds. Post under "Homes for rent" and share in relevant local groups.
- Nextdoor: Hyperlocal network for neighbor referrals. Post under "For Sale & Free → Home for Rent" with your vacancy link.
For all manual channels, copy your description and photos from the Manor Keeper public vacancy page to ensure consistency. Always include your apply link so prospects can submit applications directly.
Partner feeds and syndication
External rental networks like Zillow, Trulia, Apartments.com, and similar platforms can pull your listings automatically through the XML feed endpoint Manor Keeper provides.
Important: Direct ingestion by major listing networks requires a partner approval process that typically includes:
- Enrollment application with the network's rental programme
- Technical review of feed format and required fields
- Test environment validation with sample listings
- Production cutover window (usually 1–4 weeks after approval)
Partner programmes often require additional structured data not yet available in Manor Keeper, including geocoordinates (latitude/longitude), available date, minimum and maximum lease terms, security deposit amount, and specific amenity codes. These fields are on the roadmap for partner integration support.
Do not wait on partner approval to begin marketing. Publish your public vacancy page and post to manual channels immediately. Partner syndication is a later optimization, not a prerequisite for finding applicants.
How feed updates work
When you change property or unit information in Manor Keeper:
- The change saves to the database immediately.
- The public vacancy page reflects the new data on the next page load (no caching delay).
- The XML listing feed reflects the new data within 10 minutes (feed cache time-to-live).
- External networks that pull your feed will see the update on their next scheduled pull (frequency varies by partner, typically every 1–24 hours).
This means rent changes, description edits, and photo updates propagate automatically to all channels reading from your feed. You do not need to manually update each platform when something changes.
Listing cycle tracking
Manor Keeper separates each vacancy marketing effort into distinct listing cycles. When you market a unit in March 2025, that is one cycle. When the same unit becomes vacant again in March 2026, that is a separate cycle with its own statistics.
Each active listing cycle tracks:
- Public page views: How many times prospects loaded your vacancy page while the listing was active.
- Applications submitted: How many completed applications were tied to this listing cycle.
- Manual channel attestation: Timestamps for when you posted to Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Nextdoor (landlord-entered, not automatically verified).
The ratio of views to applications helps diagnose marketing effectiveness. Low views with normal conversion suggests the listing is strong but distribution is thin—add more channels. Many views with few applications often points to pricing or listing copy issues.
Common questions
- Can I use the same vacancy page URL across multiple platforms?
- Yes. The public vacancy page URL is stable and designed to be shared in every rental post, text message, email, and social media channel you use.
- What if I need to change the rent after I've already posted?
- Update the rent in Manor Keeper. Your vacancy page and XML feed will reflect the change immediately. For manual posts (Craigslist, Facebook), you will need to edit those posts individually or delete and re-post.
- Why does my feed return a 404 error?
- The XML feed requires at least one unit with a description. If all units have blank descriptions, the feed will return 404. Add a description to any unit you want to market and the feed will become accessible.
- When should I close a listing cycle?
- Close a listing cycle when the unit is rented and you stop marketing it. This stops counting new views and applications against that cycle. Open a new cycle the next time the unit becomes vacant.
- Do I need partner approval to use the XML feed?
- No. The feed endpoint is available immediately. Partner approval is only required if you want a specific rental network (like Zillow or Apartments.com) to automatically pull and display your listings on their platform.