What's a Private Listing?

Also know as a “pocket listing,” a private listing is simply a listing that isn’t disseminated to the public.  Agents with private listings can reach out to their network of agents and buyers in order to sell it.  They can’t advertise it or post it on public portals like StreetEasy and Zillow or send it to other agencies’ internal listing systems.

The major advantage of a private listing is the privacy.  Sometimes sellers aren’t ready for their neighbors to know they are selling, or they are high-profile individuals and want to avoid gawkers coming into their home.  It’s also used to get a listing on the market sooner, while the sellers and agent prepare it to go public (and perhaps test the pricing).

The downside?  The best way to get the highest price for a property is to get it in front of as many potential buyers as possible.  The privacy might cost sellers money.  

That might be okay, depending on their goals.  It’s up to the sellers to decide after consulting with their agent on the pros and cons.