A transaction starts with a seller, and ends with a buyer. Everything in between is theoretically flexible—though for many years, not much has changed, as sellers have relied on agents to list properties directly on local MLSs, which subsequently syndicate properties to consumer portals that have the most reach with buyers. Today, the industry faces…
Late last year, Bright MLS General Counsel Brian Schneider was doing what millions of people do every day—asking AI large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini for information on real estate listings. But Schneider’s motives were very different from the average consumer. As part of a regular review process, Schneider was checking…
After two brutal years in the housing market, hopes were high that 2026 would see a gradual rebound. But those hopes haven’t materialized as potential buyers see misalignment between their incomes and active home listings, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). As of March 2026, 74.9% of U.S. listings…
Redfin has launched what it is calling Redfin Early Access, a new search category featuring homes “buyers won’t find on other major real estate sites,” which include both Compass Coming Soon listings through a previously announced partnership as well as properties listed through the company’s brokerage. According to a release from the portal, the category…
Fierce portal giant competitors Zillow and Realtor.com have announced a new collaboration where, beginning this summer, Zillow Preview pre-market listings will also be available on Realtor.com®—listed as “Realtor.com Preview” listings. The move, being hailed by the portals in a release as setting “a new standard for pre-market transparency,” will allow buyers to see more homes…
MARIS (Mid-America Regional Information Systems)—an MLS serving real estate professionals across Missouri and Illinois—has announced significant growth in both listing inventory and geographic coverage. In 2026, MARIS stated it has experienced unprecedented expansion in listing activity, with total active inventory reaching 71,153 listings across all property types. This growth is supported by MARIS’s growing regional…
Agents have long done some version of pre-marketing—reaching out to their networks, posting on social, circulating a “Coming Soon” to their database. But what hasn’t existed, until now, is a way to make those listings publicly visible: open to every buyer and searchable by anyone. Zillow Preview changes that. Rather than keeping pre-market listings behind…
In a matter of weeks this quarter, all the major brokerages partnered with portals to pre-market their listings. Compass routed its pre-market listings to Redfin; Zillow formed its own coalition—with Keller Williams, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, RE/MAX, United Real Estate and Side—as it launched Zillow Preview. And eXp Realty announced a “Coming Soon” partnership with Realtor.com®,…
Compass is big—historically big. That is something that no one in the industry is disputing. After its acquisition of Anywhere and all that company’s brands, Compass International Holdings (a new parent company overseeing all these new subsidiaries) oversees somewhere in the range of 80,000 agents, who collectively closed half a million transactions last year. What…
“Premarket listings.” It’s the new industry catchphrase, thankfully replacing “commission lawsuits,” but, alas, it comes with its own controversy. The practice of promoting a property to potential buyers and agents before being listed on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) has also made its way into the courtroom, most prominently via a tussle between Compass and…
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