Coming soon listings are changing the rules of the home search

Over the past six months, “coming soon” listings have made a major comeback across the housing industry. But where those listings actually appear — and who gets to see them — can vary widely depending on an agent’s brokerage and, in many cases, the rules set by the local MLS. That patchwork has created very different experiences for buyers and sellers. And when it comes to whether coming soon listings ultimately help or hurt consumers, agents across the country don’t exactly agree. “There is a lot of confusion,” Keith Brand, a broker at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago, said. “When I’m working with a first time buyer who is just entering this world of finding properties, when they ask where to look on their own, there is no straightforward answer anymore.” HomeServices of America’s coming soon listings syndicate to Zillow, while coming soon listings at other brokerages, like eXp Realty, do not, showing up instead on ComeHome.com and Homes.com. However, coming soon listings for both firms now appear on Realtor.com. Sound the alarm In addition to general confusion that this fragmentation causes, agents also told HousingWire that they are dealing with buyers that are concerned ...