Free tool
MLS character counter for listing remarks.
Paste your remarks and pick your MLS limit. See exactly where the text would be cut, trim it to the last full sentence, fix characters that MLS systems garble, and get a fair housing word check at the same time.
Checked on your device. Nothing you paste is sent or saved.
Struck-through text is past your limit. Many MLSs cut it off or won't save the listing.
What it counts
Characters, both ways
With and without spaces, plus words. Line breaks are counted as 1, with a second total for systems that count them as 2.
Where the cut falls
Everything past your limit is struck through, so you see what buyers would miss. One click trims to the last full sentence.
Characters that break
Curly quotes, long dashes, emoji and non-breaking spaces from Word or Docs can turn into junk on portals. One click makes them plain.
Questions agents ask
How many characters are MLS remarks?
It depends on your MLS and the field. Public remarks limits commonly fall somewhere between about 250 and a few thousand characters, and headlines are much shorter. Check the limit shown on your MLS input form, then set it here (or type a custom number).
Do spaces and line breaks count?
Spaces almost always count. Line breaks usually count as one character, but some systems store them as two. If your text has line breaks, the counter shows both totals.
Why did my apostrophes turn into strange symbols?
Text copied from Word or Google Docs often uses curly quotes and long dashes. Some MLS and syndication systems garble them (for example into "’"). Use "Make MLS-safe characters" to switch them to plain ones before you paste.
What happens if I go over the limit?
Most MLSs won't save the listing, and some cut the text off silently. The counter strikes through everything past your limit, and "Trim to the last full sentence that fits" shortens it cleanly.
Does this send my text anywhere?
No. Counting and checking happen in your browser. The page is served with a security rule (connect-src 'none') that stops it from sending anything, and nothing is saved except the limit you picked.
Want remarks written this way from the start?
Glisten writes MLS remarks from your facts and photos with this check built in, and touches up the photos too (light, color and straightening only). Try it on 3 photos, free, no card.
Not legal advice. This free checker is an educational aid. It looks for words and phrases; it can't judge context, the photos, or where and to whom an ad is shown, which also matter under the Fair Housing Act (24 CFR 100.75). A clean result is not a guarantee, and a flag is not a finding. State and local laws protect more groups than federal law, and MLS rules vary. When in doubt, ask your broker or a fair housing attorney.
Sources: 24 CFR 100.75 (discriminatory advertisements) · 42 U.S.C. 3604(c) · HUD, "Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under §804(c) of the Fair Housing Act" (memo, 9 January 1995) · NAR fair housing resources · REALTOR® Code of Ethics, Article 10.