The National Association of Realtors said it does not set a national policy for “coming soon” listing statuses and leaves those decisions to local multiple listing services.
“NAR respects the rights of individual brokers to make their own business decisions and does not comment on specific brokerage practices or business models,” the trade group said in a statement provided to HousingWire. “NAR does not have a national policy regarding coming soon statuses. Listing statuses are matters of local discretion, with each MLS determining the appropriate statuses for its marketplace.”
The group noted that brokers and agents who choose to participate in an MLS must follow that MLS’s policies and rules.
“Brokers and agents who choose to participate in an MLS agree to comply with that MLS policies and rules, which are designed to benefit consumers and their marketplace,” NAR said.
NAR framed MLSs as delivering “pro-competitive and pro-consumer benefits,” including broad market exposure, access to available properties for sale and equal access to the public.
“We will continue to protect and advance the rights of Americans to own real estate and to support consumers throughout the home buying and selling process,” the association said.
The statement comes on the heels of an announcement that Compass International Holdings will syndicate Compass coming soon listings to Redfin starting March 16, with written seller consent and opt out. Listing agents get first claim on leads for 24 hours, and buyers at CIH brands can access Rocket Preferred Pricing. Although this partnership was not mentioned in NAR’s statement.
Why This Matters for Housing Professionals
The statement underscores that decisions about “coming soon” practices — such as how long listings can remain off-market and what marketing is allowed — are being set and enforced at the local MLS level, not by NAR nationally. That means brokerages and agents need to track and comply with varying rules across different markets, and policy changes on pocket listings or limited-exposure listings will generally happen through local MLS governance rather than through NAR.
