Over the past year, a few of my clients have asked me what is coming soon real estate marketing and how it works. If you have paid much attention to the real estate market lately, you have probably noticed “Coming Soon” on the occasional yard sign or certain Zillow listings.
The coming soon real estate sign rider has become a more prominent feature on many for sale signs.
On the surface, the ‘coming soon’ can appear like any other similar message referring to products for sale or businesses about to open. But when it comes to real estate listings, the ‘coming soon’ means several things that the average buyer or seller may not be aware of.
The argument is still out on whether a coming soon listing has a place in the market. Some argue it can be beneficial for specific clients.
Many other real estate professionals believe the negatives far outweigh the positives for the vast majority of clients.
Whatever the final word, sellers need to be aware of how coming soon may affect their sales so they can make an informed decision about how their home is marketed.
Let’s take a deep dive into everything you need to know about coming soon real estate.
What is a “Coming Soon” Real Estate Listing?
A coming soon listing is a listing that may not be added to the MLS or Multiple Listing Service. The standard of professional Realtors is to list each home for sale on the MLS to encourage healthy competition and ensure market data is as accurate as possible.
Listing on the MLS also guarantees unparalleled exposure for each listing because just about every buyer, seller, and Realtor is using the MLS. When you put your home on the MLS, the world now knows your property is available to purchase.
Through the local MLS, new listings are circulated to millions of potential prospective buyers every day.
Other terms used to describe a coming soon listing include off-MLS listings, pocket listings, office exclusives, off-market homes, and exclusive listings. The most common description, however, is pocket listings.
The Right and Wrong Way of Coming Soon Real Estate Listings
When it comes to coming soon real estate, there is a right way and a wrong way to sell your home if you want the most money possible. Coming soon real estate listings that are not marketed through the local MLS are blatantly disregarding what is best for home sellers.
Brokerage firms that use a coming soon real estate sign, open houses, social media, and other means of advertising to procure home buyers in-house are not doing what’s best for their clients. When the housing market is hot, these sellers lose out on the bidding frenzy accompanying many houses.
Yes, folks, the odds of having a bidding war drop substantially with coming soon real estate listings not marketed correctly.
Homes Can Be Marketed as Coming Soon Real Estate Listings in MLS
Getting a head start on marketing is a good thing, but there is a right way to do it, and that’s through the realty listing service (MLS). Most MLS boards around the country allow member agents to market homes with a coming soon status.
Typically, there are a certain number of business days a home can be a coming soon listing before it becomes having an active status. Usually, it will be anywhere from 7-14 days.
When you sell your house, this is how you want your real estate broker to market coming soon real estate. By doing so, all the buyer’s agents who have clients will have a shot at selling the home. There is an equal housing opportunity that will enhance your ability to put more money in your pocket.
Pocket listings with just a coming soon real estate sign do not foster that outcome. There is no level playing field for all the agents who have potential buyers. More and more MLS boards have instituted coming soon real estate rules agents need to follow.
Coming Soon Marketing—Understanding the Pros and Cons
Cons of a “Coming Soon” Listing
I will give you the cons of marketing your home as a coming soon listing first, as I genuinely believe it does a disservice to many sellers who have not thought through the ramifications of doing so.
Often, consumers are convinced to try marketing gimmicks by fast-talking real estate agents looking out for their wallets and not what’s best for their clients.
Coming soon real estate listings can undoubtedly be one of them. It is just another way that some real estate agents will trick home sellers with things that don’t benefit them.
When you sell a home, you’ll want to avoid real estate agents that do what’s best for themselves. Most of the time, members of The National Association of Realtors will not participate in activities that don’t serve the client’s best interest.
Realtors must follow what’s known as the code of ethics.
1. Limited Exposure With Coming Soon Real Estate Listings.
If you had the choice between advertising your home for sale in a neighborhood periodical or national television, both for free, which would you choose?
The national television, hands down. You know that exposure is key to drumming up interest in your home. Letting a thousand people know about your sale vs. 1,000,000 people is going to produce different results.
The MLS is the place to list a home used by most real estate agents and their clients. Even with the rise in popularity of internet real estate sites like Zillow, the MLS is still the gold standard for marketing a home.
It is difficult to understand why most sellers would choose to forgo the MLS. For most who do so, chances are they have no idea what is happening or what they are missing out on.
They trust their agent, which has steered them away from the standard real estate sales process out of self-interest. These agents circumvent the traditional selling process in hopes of a double commission.
2. Fewer Offers With Limited Exposure.
While it can be fast and convenient to sell to the first person who inquires about a listing, most sellers are hoping for the best offer more than anything else. But when a listing does not go on the MLS, the number of people seeing it is significantly reduced.
Instead of encouraging multiple offers for various parties, a ‘coming soon’ listing ensures that only a limited number of potential buyers will even be aware of the listing.
This is why so many for sale by owners fail – they have limited exposure instead of exceptional marketing.
Most sellers are hoping for a bidding war because it can drive the price up higher than it would be otherwise. While bidding wars are not always possible, a ‘coming soon’ listing is sure to lessen the chances of a bidding war happening with your home.
Multiple offers mean more money in your pocket – something you’ll probably give up if you choose to let your real estate agent market your home as a coming soon listing.
Would you rather have one offer or five offers when selling your house in a hot market? Obviously, the latter is how to get the best terms and conditions you want. By agreeing to market as a coming soon property, you will probably be leaving money on the table.
If you want to command the most money for your home 'coming soon' marketing is NOT the way to do it!Click To Tweet3. You Risk Dual Agency.
Unfortunately, so many real estate clients are unaware of the concept of dual agency or how harmful it can be. Dual agency benefits your Realtor, plain and simple. Do not expect it to help you. The reasons are easy to understand. When you allow dual agency, your real estate no longer represents you exclusively anymore. They become a neutral party in the transaction. By law, because they are a neutral party, the agent is no longer allowed to give you any advice.
You have just lost your fiduciary in what is probably your most significant asset. Sounds great, doesn’t it? You are paying your real estate agent quite a bit of money. The only person they should be representing is you!
If the agent finds a buyer for your home, one of two things should happen. The agent should either remain as a seller’s agent or refer the buyer to someone else.
Dual agency has been banned in some states as it is a conflict of interest. In most sales, the seller wants to sell their home for the most they can, while the buyer wants to pay as little as possible.
How can a real estate agent work with both parties and satisfy conflicting goals? In short, they can’t! Don’t accept dual agency.
You’re also bound to hear from a less than ethical real estate agent that there is nothing wrong with dual agency. Unfortunately, the agents live by the mantra, “if it’s good for me, then it’s good for everyone else as well.” Not the kind of agent you want!
Not all coming soon listings are necessarily going to lead to dual agency. But they create the ideal circumstances for dual agency to occur.
4. Coming Soon Real Estate Listings Skew Real estate Appraisals.
One of the most insidious aspects of coming soon listings is how they can skew real estate appraisals. A real estate appraisal is based on the sales of similar properties in your area. It is a vital part of the whole real estate process, allowing everyone to be on the same page about the actual value of each home that goes up for sale.
But coming soon real estate listings are often not included in appraisals. Some banks won’t accept coming soon listings as comparable sales. The banks will not take them because they did not receive the same exposure as other homes.
As the name “comparable” suggests, coming soon listings are not comparable to other listings because of their minimal marketing. It is possible they might not be considered an “arm’s length” sale if they were not available to the entire market.
Pros of a “Coming Soon” Real Estate Listing
1. Increased Privacy For The Seller.
When selling homes, there will always be a small percentage of the population that does not want detailed information about the sale made public.
Not listed on the MLS does offer the advantage of increased privacy. The seller can control who sees the listing because it is not going on the universally accessed MLS listing service.
The listing can only be shown to private groups that have been screened by the listing agent or Zillow users.
Sometimes a home may not be in excellent showing condition, and they only want a select few looking at it. Celebrities sometimes prefer to keep their lives private and will market with less exposure.
2. Limited Foot Traffic Through The House.
Some clients prefer to have as little foot traffic going through their homes as possible. By limiting the number of potential buyers who can see the property, you are pretty much guaranteeing that fewer buyers will walk through the door.
If you want fewer people visiting your home, the best way to do it is through a more private sell which is what coming soon listings encourage.
3. You May Get a Discount on The Commission.
Some real estate agents will offer to discount their commission if the home sells before it officially goes on the market. Since the sale happens immediately, the agent profits and may agree to pass that benefit on to the seller.
The agent would not have the same marketing expenses in this scenario. Just be careful that the agent is not attempting to represent a buyer as well, which can create dual agency. Your agent should remain a seller’s agent!!
4. There Might be a Buyer Who Always Wanted Your House.
Some homes in a city or town resonate with people. They will say to themselves, “if that home ever comes on the market, I want it!” It’s possible that there could be a buyer searching for a home to purchase and you’re coming soon sign stops them dead in their tracks.
Seeing the “coming soon sign” may stop them from buying another home and missing out on yours.
5. The Listing Agent is Likely to be The One to Sell The Property (Pro For The REALTOR, Not Necessarily The SELLER)
The main benefit of a ‘coming soon’ listing is for the listing agent. By limiting the exposure of the listing, the agent almost guarantees they will be the one to sell the property. Few other agents will learn about the property, dramatically decreasing the competition faced by the listing agent.
The potential for “dual agency” increases significantly, where the agent represents both the seller and the buyer of the property (if you allow it). A dual agent cannot serve the best interests of both buyer and seller—the seller wants the highest sales price, the buyer wants the lowest sales price—but can collect a double commission. The benefits of dual agency are all for the agent.
What About Zillow Coming Soon Listings?
Zillow has also jumped on board with the “coming soon” real estate listings. On their platform, agents who advertise with Zillow can use this feature. Essentially, Zillow shines a bright light on those real estate agents who spend money advertising with them.
Zillow allows listings to be marketed as pocket listings for up to thirty days before they hit the market. All leads are funneled directly to the listing agent.
Again, this kind of marketing can put a seller at a disadvantage for the unsuspecting homeowner who has placed trust with their real estate agent. You are not only NOT exposing the home to the masses, but you are dramatically increasing the odds of dual agency.
The goal of every real estate agent should be to get their seller client the absolute best terms and conditions. Coming soon, however, in most cases is going to circumvent that possibility. I would call it legal shenanigans!
An unexplained pocket listing hurts the client’s best interests. It is a self-serving marketing activity that benefits the listing agent. The basis for the MLS has been to share information with as many people as possible freely.
Exposure to the MLS ultimately leads to more eyeballs on a property, increasing the odds the seller gets better terms for their home.
Of course, Zillow doesn’t care. From their inaccurate online estimates to posting properties that are not for sale, Zillow does whatever benefits them.
A Better Marketing Strategy Than Coming Soon
Most homeowners who put their homes on the market look to maximize what they net from the sale. One of the best ways of doing so in a seller’s market is to defer the showings.
By delaying the showings, you list your home for sale in the MLS but don’t let buyers in the door for a certain amount of time, typically 4-7 days.
By doing so, you are getting the word out to all the buyers. You avoid the buyer who looks at the home immediately and makes an offer that first day. While the offer may be solid, the seller misses out on other buyers who may also have been interested.
By deferring showings, you dramatically increase the odds of having multiple offers and a bidding war on the property. You are giving all the buyers in the marketplace an opportunity to see the house.
By following the deferred showing strategy, you can also, at the same time, put your coming soon for sale sign up the day the home enters the MLS. You are getting the best of both worlds by doing so.
So to be clear – coming soon, properties are NOT the same as deferred showings.
Laws are Trying to Catch Up With Coming Soon Marketing
Many states and counties are trying to adapt to the arrival of coming soon properties. Laws are being implemented that require Realtors to discuss the realities of the coming soon listing and verify that the seller is still interested in limiting the marketing of their home.
These laws are designed to force agents to act in the best interests of their clients. The only reason they should choose a coming soon real estate listing is that it will accomplish the goals of their client—not because it works to their benefit.
The fact that laws are being implemented to force these agents to do their duty is clear that the ‘coming soon’ listing is of questionable value. There may be situations where it fits, but in the majority of sales, it is not the way to go if the client wants to get the best price for their home.
There are, in fact, some MLS boards that have already made coming soon listings illegal. I would not be surprised if more follow suit.
Final Thoughts
Failing to act in the client’s best interest and not discussing the pros and cons of a limited marketing plan such as ‘coming soon’ advertising can violate state real estate license laws and regulations, MLS policies, and the Realtor Code of Ethics. These are the kind of behaviors that give real estate agents a bad reputation and sullies the industry as a whole.
Every client deserves to see the whole picture when it comes to any marketing strategy. More often than not, a pocket listing may not lead to optimal results.
The bottom line is real estate agents should always be looking out for what’s best for their clients, not themselves.
Additional Helpful Home Selling Resources
- Maximize your curb appeal before selling – get some helpful guidance via Lynn Pineda on how to make your property look its best before hitting the market.
- Spring home selling advice worth reading – if you sell a house in the spring, you will enjoy these tips via Luke Skar.
- What stays and what goes in a home sale – When you sell your property, it is essential to understand what is a fixture and what isn’t. Learn what to know via Paul Sian.
- Best projects when you are selling your house – when selling a home, there are specific improvements that make a difference. See what they are via Petra Norris.
Use the above home selling resources to make the best decisions when selling your home. Each article comes from a top real estate expert in their respective market.
About the author: The above Real Estate information on the pros and cons of coming soon real estate listing was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-625-0191. Bill has helped people move in and out of many Metrowest towns for the last 35+ Years.
Are you thinking of selling your home? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise!
I service Real Estate Sales in the following Metrowest MA towns: Ashland, Bellingham, Douglas, Framingham, Franklin, Grafton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millbury, Millville, Northborough, Northbridge, Shrewsbury, Southborough, Sutton, Wayland, Westborough, Whitinsville, Worcester, Upton, and Uxbridge MA.
Excellent article Bill and I see the “coming soon” quite a bit with agents who advertise on Zillow. Technically in our MLS that would be marketing before it goes active on MLS and those days on market should count as days on market when the property goes live!
Thanks Sharon. I am so tired of the gimmicks in real estate that line the pockets of agents or companies and don’t do what’s best for the consumer. Coming soon marketing can be just that. It is too bad many agents won’t go through the pros and cons and instead explain it like it the best marketing strategy for selling a home – WRONG!
A good explanation Bill.
Why isn’t MLS setting sound ground rules?
Tina that is a good question. It would be great if more agents did a better job explaining the downsides of marketing this way. So many sellers don’t realize how good the market is right now. Most properties that are priced accurately are seeing multiple offers. Having a pocket listing benefits the listing agent/company not the seller.
Deferred Showing Strategy. I like it. I’m going to have a way to use my “Coming Soon” signs after all. I was mourning the loss as I was 3/4 thru the read. I’m a convert. That dual agency thing always feels wrong just thinking about it. I feel better now. I John Cunningham do solemnly swear to state in my listing agreements that I will NOT participate in dual agency. Client wins this way.
Exactly John. There is no place for dual agency in our business. Every state should ban dual agency as it doesn’t benefit consumers.
Here in the DFW area, we actually DO have a “Coming Soon” category in our MLS, so it’s not only that rider temporarily attached to the sign in the front yard. As the others have conveyed I, too, have mixed feelings about it.
Bill, great article. Although I’m not an agent this really is a good thing to make sellers aware of the possible pit falls. I recently watched a show that featured an agent listing homes for a set fee, any thoughts? Thanks, Bob
Robert I don’t think there is anything wrong with an agent listing homes for a set fee. You can, however, run into problems when you are discounting what the buyer’s agent will receive as a commission. For example, if the typical commission on the majority of listings is X and an agent offers Y on a listing with Y being below market that can actually hurt the seller.
I have used Coming Soon recently to get a house on the MLS market before it was ready for public showing. It is a strict rule that you CANNOT show the property to anyone. Agents can see it is a Coming Soon listing in the MLS and send it to their buyers and it creates interest before the property reaches the market. I do this when there is some work required to be done on the property and also awaiting staging and professional photographs. The last two properties that I listed as Coming Soon both achieved multiple offers with one over full price and the other selling at full price. I was not the selling agent. When inventory is low it is good to let agents know what properties are going to be available rather than wait until the property is ready; they can send to their clients. I am just about to put another property on the market as coming soon which will quickly be changed to Active once it has been cleaned, and professional photographs taken.
Elizabeth what you are describing is not a coming soon listing. Coming soon properties are not in the MLS. Based on your comment it doesn’t sound like you really read the article. What you are describing is deferred showings which I am an advocate for. There is a big difference between “coming soon listings” and deferred showings. The latter benefits sellers, coming soon does not from the perspective of getting the most money for your home.
Bill – in Maryland, what she described is actually how our Coming Soon status works – in the MLS. The home is entered into the MLS, and agents are aware of it and it can be sent to their clients and will appear in automatic searches the agents have set up to send to their clients.
It functions exactly like the deferred showing option you discuss above, except with perhaps two caveats: 1) Time in Coming Soon status doesn’t count against DOM (a big pro), and 2) The listing isn’t fully syndicated at that point to all other search engines (con). I’ve used it like Elizabeth has when there are just a few things to button up but the seller wants the property exposed to the market as soon as possible without it impacting DOM. And very often we have seen great results – my most recent listing was entered Coming Soon with the plan being for about 7 days until it went Active.
Within an hour we had 6 calls requesting that we convert it to Active sooner to allow showings. Which we did. And we got 24 showings in 2 days with multiple offers. So in some states, where the rules are different, it can be effective when used judiciously. Which brings me to your point about dual agency: I agree that in most states the concept of dual agency stinks. And, in fact, I have a personal policy that I will never take both sides of the transaction, ever.
HOWEVER, again, Maryland is different. In our state, agents are not allowed to be the dual agent, only the broker. That may seem like a small distinction, but allow me to explain. For large, non-franchise brokerages like Long & Foster, we have one broker for the entire company, spanning multiple states, and he is the only person allowed to be the dual agent. So in this case, if another agent from my office or even from another office 30 miles away brings a buyer to my listing, technically we are in dual agency because there is only one broker in the transaction.
But in this scenario, I can still represent my seller and the buyer’s agent can still represent the buyer and we can still maintain effective representation for both parties. Now, there are circumstances where an agent can still take both sides, but like I said, that violates my personal policy so I won’t do it.
But we are regularly in dual agency in Maryland with different agents from the same company representing the seller and buyer, and in our state, the way our laws are written, it still works. I do like your content, but in some circumstances a little clarification is required when a specific state’s laws differ. Thanks for producing such helpful information!
Brad – we are on the same page on both coming soon listings and dual agency. It is just that the terminology differs. The coming soon listing that everyone has a problem with is when the agent keeps it as a pocket listing without informing the consumer of the drawbacks for doing so. What you describe as how coming soon listings work in Maryland is very different. The difference being it is in MLS. You are correct that is a deferred showing here and in many other places.
In regards to dual agency – what you are referring to in Maryland is what many states call designated agency. Two agents from the same company each representing a respective buyer and seller. Again, this is very different than single agent dual agency where one agent is trying to represent both which is impossible.
One person can’t offer buyer agent and seller agent services when each party has conflicting goals.
Dual Agency is the State of Maryland, simply means that the Broker is the Dual Agent – The listing agent is not the Dual Agent! If the listing agent does write an offer on his listing he/she is still representing the Seller – The Buyer is told that they can have a Buyer’s Agent represent them or the listing agent can write the offer but they have no representation. Dual Agency is different state by state so making a blanket statement about Dual Agency nationwide should not be done.
Yes Pam – essentially it is illegal for an agent to practice dual agency. What you are describing when two agents from the same firm each represent a buyer and seller is referred to as designated agency in most states. I have no problem with designated agency as each party has someone representing them. The broker of record becomes a dual agent in this scenario in most states I believe.
Hi Bill. I will use coming soon marketing at times. Though, only with a signed listing agreement and with cooperation for all other brokers. I rarely have the coming soon status for more than 3 or 4 days.
Gabe it is funny how a coming soon listing can vary from state to state. What is important is for sellers not to get taken advantage of by their real estate agent!
On the surface, Coming Soon turns into an unofficial Auction to the weary Buyers who are so disheartened in this current market. I am about to witness one in Virginia tomorrow at a house I want with 18 showings on Day 1 Active.
Judy – what you are describing is a coming soon listing done properly. The seller is getting the maximum benefits of marketing as a coming soon property.
Coming soon where the listing agent reaps all the benefits by locking out buyer’s agents and their clients is a problem.