Is Zillow Banning Off-Market Listings?

By Andrew Duncan

Andrew Duncan is the Founder, CEO and Co-Owner of Tampa’s Best Real Estate Agent Team, The Duncan Duo, the Host of The Duncan Duo Real Estate Show Sundays at 10am on 970AM WFLA. As the team’s Founder, CEO & Co-Owner, Andrew’s focus is on the growth of the company, marketing and promotion initiatives as well as motivating and coaching the team’s agents and leadership.

There is an ongoing conversation in the real estate industry about Zillow’s recent decision to no longer allow off-market listings on its platform. Many other companies are starting to adopt similar policies. At the center of the debate is a fundamental question: Should homes be marketed as “coming soon” or “off-market,” or should all listings be required to appear on the MLS for the sake of transparency and equal access?

In my view, problems arise whenever an industry attempts to dictate what is best for the consumer instead of allowing consumers to make their own informed choices. We have seen this happen before in real estate. Every time the industry tries to control the process under the claim of protecting consumers, it risks disconnecting from their actual needs.

There are valid reasons some sellers may prefer to market their homes outside of the MLS. As long as sellers fully understand the trade-offs involved, they should have the right to choose. Assuming that every consumer must follow the same process because it is “in their best interest” underestimates their ability to make informed decisions. This mindset can be especially dismissive of experienced and high-net-worth sellers, many of whom are fully capable of evaluating their options and determining what works best for them.

The idea that every listing must appear in the MLS does not always reflect a desire to serve consumers. In some cases, it resembles older industry models, such as cooperative commissions, that were designed to protect institutional structures. It is worth questioning whether these policies genuinely serve consumers or if they are intended to maintain revenue streams tied to the number of licensed agents rather than the number of successful transactions.

This debate is ultimately not just about how and where a property is listed. It is about who gets to decide what is in the consumer’s best interest: the industry or the consumers themselves. You can call me at 813-955-1079 or email me at andrew@theduncanduo.com. I look forward to hearing from you.