Buoyed by this week’s events, Compass International Holdings, Rocket, and Redfin sent an open letter to multiple listing service (MLS) leaders urging them to adopt policies to support tiered listing distribution and end fines for agents that implement “seller-driven marketing plans.”
“Once a seller makes an informed decision, it is the real estate professional’s job to faithfully implement it,” the letter reads. “These choices can have a significant impact on a seller’s financial results, so they must be able to carry out their customer’s instructions without fear of fines, discipline, or professional retaliation.”
“The informed decisions of sellers must always be respected. MLSs may not override the judgment of their clients or interfere with the fiduciary duties of professionals representing their clients.” “When a real estate professional acts with integrity, gives clear advice, and implements the marketing plan a seller has chosen for their property, that agent is doing exactly what the professional wants.”
In a three-page letter obtained by Inman late Wednesday, Compass and Redfin cited the National Association of Realtors’ Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP) as the source of the dispute, saying the requirement to list properties on the MLS within one business day of public marketing “created the problem” the rule was intended to solve, and pointing to the increasing proportion of home sellers opting for office-only properties.
CCP has an exemption for office-only products, also known as pocket listings. In this case, the listing broker submits the listing as the exclusive office of the MLS and prevents it from being shared with other MLS participants or subscribers. Nationally, office-only numbers are difficult to track. But the year after the Chinese Communist Party took effect, economists estimated that share doubled to 4%.
In April 2025, Bright MLS estimated that the share had doubled again to 8%. However, 90% of these properties transitioned to standard active properties before being sold.
“The stated goal was to prevent listing from the broader market from being withheld,” the letter said. “Instead, the opposite has happened: office-only listings have increased as sellers who want more control over their marketing schedules have chosen to remove their listings from the MLS entirely.”
Compass and Redfin said the increased share of office-only products and the surge in pre-marketing partnerships launched in the past month are evidence of the need for greater marketing options. The letter also noted that Zillow’s decision to make listing access standards more lenient leaves room for listing agents and their clients to properly market upcoming listings on the company’s platform and other platforms such as Redfin, Realtor.com, and Homes.com without fear of having their listings banned.
Listing access standards no longer mention a 24-hour timeline or a requirement for listings to appear on Zillow. Zillow said it continues to ban listings that start on its private listing network, but Compass considered the adjustment a win.
“Under the new policy, properties meet Zillow’s standards by ‘making them broadly accessible to the public in a manner that provides open access,’ which may include display on a public website, mobile app, or internet real estate portal,” the letter says. “MLS is currently one path to public marketing, but it is not the only path.”
Compass and Redfin said this series of events should serve as a signal to MLSs to incorporate a “seller selection framework” into their rules.
Compass and Redfin highlight BAREIS MLS, BrightMLS, Canopy MLS, HAR, MLS Listings, MLSPIN, MRED, Realtracs, SFAR MLS, The MLS/CLAW, Unlock MLS as examples of MLSs that are meeting the needs of consumers and agents with tiered marketing options, ARMLS, CRMLS, FMLS, Georgia MLS, NWMLS, OneKey MLS, StellarMLS — To maintain stricter rules.
“[They] “These MLSs have increased their unwillingness to change, choosing to threaten, impose fines, disciplinary actions, and retaliate against real estate professionals who adhere to seller-driven marketing plans. These MLSs are a clear minority in an industry that is rapidly moving toward seller-selection,” the letter said.
“Seller choice is working. [These MLSs] We incorporate a seller selection framework into our rules. “Sellers who submit listings to the MLS are provided with documented options for when and how their listings are distributed to the full market,” the letter added. It strengthens both by giving sellers a place where their choices come into play. We urge all MLSs to follow their lead. ”
The companies concluded their open letter by pledging to “defend” agents who face fines, sanctions, or other retaliation for “respecting seller choices.”
“To our real estate professionals: If you are penalized by an MLS for servicing a client, please let us know immediately. We will fight to change the rules that penalize sellers for respecting their choices,” the letter said. “If your MLS or broker imposes fines, sanctions, or retaliation against you for implementing a seller-directed marketing plan, contact your broker immediately.”
“Compass International Holdings and Redfin have your back. We support you, we protect you, and we support agencies that put their clients first,” he concluded. “It’s time for our industry to put clients first, and we are collectively committed to dismantling any systems that stand in the way of that mission.”
The letter comes amid a heated debate over consumer choice, listing data ownership and distribution, and market transparency, and Levkin and his allies are taking the wave of pre-marketing platforms sweeping the industry — the launch of Zillow Preview with Keller Williams, REMAX, HomeServices of America, United Real Estate and Side — as a signal that the war is being won.
Mr. Refkin said as much Wednesday after Compass announced it had voluntarily dropped its antitrust lawsuit against Zillow.
“Our goal has always been to give homeowners more options to decide when, where and how to sell their home,” he said in a written statement. “We are pleased to see that other agents are beginning to recognize the strong consumer demand for more choice in how they sell their home. Homeowners deserve more choice, not less.”
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Read the full letter below.
