Redfin is asking Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) to revise its rules to allow a formal premarketing phase for listings in the Seattle area, arguing that current policies limit how sellers can test pricing and demand before going fully live on the MLS, according a blog post written by Joe Rath, the head of industry relations at Redfin’s parent company Rocket, on Thursday.

NWMLS’s rules currently do not allow for premarketing, preventing brokers from publicly marketing a home before it appears in the MLS. Redfin says that restriction conflicts with what many of its sellers want: a short “runway” period to gauge interest on a public platform before committing to a full launch.

The request comes ahead of a new Washington state law on private listing networks that takes effect in June. The law will require agents to market homes to the general public and all brokers at the same time. Redfin’s position, according to Rath, is that premarketing is compatible with the statute as long as the listing is publicly available to any buyer or agent, the seller gives informed consent for the premarketing and that brokers have access to the listing information. 

Redfin’s proposal is to create an explicit premarketing status within NWMLS. Under that framework, a listing would be filed with the MLS and visible to all member agents, preserving cooperation, while the seller and listing agent would retain more control over how the property appears publicly and when it transitions to fully active status. 

Across the country, many MLSs have some sort of coming soon status, which may or may not be part of the IDX data feed the MLS sends to sites like Redfin and Zillow, allowing for sellers and their agents to pre-market a property within the MLS prior to the listing going active. 

In the post, Rath noted that large MLSs including Bright MLS, MRED in Chicago, Unlock MLS in Austin, Canopy MLS, Realtracs and MLS PIN have already adopted seller-choice frameworks that incorporate some form of premarketing or coming soon status. Those policies generally aim to balance anti-pocket-listing rules with seller preferences to “test” the market.

“I’ve had sellers who just want a little runway before going fully live. Premarketing gives them that space to test the waters, get feedback, and feel confident in their next move,” Redfin agent Macartney McQuery is quoted as saying in the post.

The post highlighted a Tacoma case in which McQuery used a coming soon listing on Redfin.com for a unique 1800s home with few direct comparables. Redfin argues that the premarketing period allowed the seller to gauge interest and refine timing before listing the property in the MLS.

According to the blog, Redfin leaders have held “productive conversations” with NWMLS leadership, who have signaled a willingness to consider the proposal. Any change would likely require NWMLS to adjust how it defines public marketing and to clarify how its rules align with the new state law.

“Policies that give sellers more flexibility can encourage more homeowners to list, which can help increase inventory and give buyers more options,” Rath wrote in the post.

This post comes after Compass International Holdings (CIH), the parent company of Compass, the Anywhere Brands and @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, along with Rocket-Redfin, penned an open letter urging MLSs to adopt policies that support pre-marketing and phased marketing distribution and to cease penalizing or punishing agents for carrying out “seller-directed marketing plans.” 

The letter came just a few weeks after the companies entered into a mutually exclusive deal to publish Compass coming soon listings on Redfin.

Compass and NWMLS are currently embroiled in a legal battle over NWMLS’s listing policy, which requires listings to be entered into the MLS within 24 hours of the listing being publicly advertised and does not have an exemption for office exclusive properties. Earlier this month, NWMLS filed a counter claim against Compass alleging that the brokerage’s “three-phase marketing program” is a deceptive scheme that hides listing data from the public and violates Washington’s Consumer Protection Act.

This article was written by Brooklee Han and generated with the assistance of HousingWire Automation. It was reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication. The system helps convert company announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.