Darryl Davis is concerned about the gap between what “Seller’s Choice” means in press releases and what’s actually happening at the kitchen table. Here’s how to show sellers the benefits of pre-marketing and broader exposure.
In a previous article, I wrote about why the phrase “seller’s choice” is the industry’s favorite phrase to justify the wave of private listing strategies currently sweeping the country. When I said I supported seller choice, supported private listings, and was critical of clear cooperation policies, I meant it all.
It wasn’t the practice itself that worried me. There was a gap between what “Seller’s Choice” meant in press releases and what was actually happening at the kitchen table.
The concern is simple. If sellers are guided into a decision without being shown both the benefits and trade-offs, they are not making a true choice. They are following the recommendations. That’s the conversation I want to have in the industry.
A note on terminology: When we use “private listings” in this article, we broadly refer to pre-market strategies, such as true private listings that are not publicly available and are coming soon, as well as preview listings that appear on the portal but have limited visibility. The trade-off argument applies equally to both.
Sellers who consider both sides of this decision and still choose to list privately have made a real choice. Scripts were given to sellers who only saw one side of the story.
What does an informed seller choice actually look like?
Sellers need to understand two things before signing a listing agreement: what they can gain from a private or pre-market approach and what independent research has shown as potential trade-offs. This is not a securities company investigation. Third-party data from sources that have no financial stake in the approach Seller chooses.
The table below summarizes what both sides of the conversation look like. This is not a policy proposal. It’s the floor. minimum.
All sellers have the right to see both columns in plain language at their kitchen table, before they put pen to paper, before signing a listing agreement involving the private or pre-market stages.
Pre-Market Strategy and Complete MLS — What Every Seller Should See
What should the standards be?
An honest conversation at the kitchen table might go something like this:
“There are real benefits here: less confusion, fewer strangers in the home, and one person handling all buyer conversations. The trade-off is that limiting who sees the home early on can affect how much you compete on price. Some sellers decide these benefits are worth it. Others want full exposure to the market from day one. I want you to make that decision on both sides.”
This is a conversation that agents can actually have. Respect the seller’s intelligence, respect the legitimate merits of the strategy, and make sure trade-offs are on the table before decisions are made.
Agents who have this conversation build something their one-column competitors don’t: clients with real choice. And true choice, informed, respected and supported, is the only version of seller choice that actually protects agents and consumers at the same time.
Darryl Davis is the CEO of Darryl Davis Seminars. Connect with him on Facebook and YouTube.
