Traditionally, most homes for sale appear on all the major real estate portals the day they list. While this gives the home maximum visibility on day one, it also puts pressure on sellers to nail a one-shot listing—or risk making a bad first impression.
But now many sellers also have a new option: a soft-launch, “coming soon” approach that allows them to start marketing their home before it’s listed everywhere. Options like Redfin Early Access can give sellers additional time to prepare their home, gauge buyer demand, or test pricing before a broad debut. Sellers who value added privacy for their household can also use a “coming soon” strategy for more control over how widely their home is marketed.
And for savvy buyers, it’s a way to discover new homes before they hit all the sites.
Many consumers are still unfamiliar with this choice and how it works. A recent Redfin survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that half aren’t very familiar with the option to market homes selectively before advertising them broadly. Here’s what you need to know.
What buyers should know
If you are shopping for a home, do not assume every real estate site shows the same homes for sale. What you see depends on where you look, so include multiple sites in your search to ensure you’re seeing all available homes in your area.
For instance, Redfin Early Access allows buyers to find homes on Redfin before they’re listed on other sites. This includes Coming Soon homes from Redfin and all the brands under Compass International Holdings, as part of the companies’ exclusive national partnership. These homes won’t be found on other search portals—so if you’re not on Redfin, you may be missing out. And when nearly a third of homes nationwide go under contract within two weeks, seeing a home early can make a difference.
“When my client and I went for a pre-inspection at a home she liked, she realized it wasn’t the one,” said Lily Karvouni, a Redfin agent in Maryland. “During the inspection, I got an alert about a new Redfin Early Access listing. Within 30 minutes, we were at a private showing, and the Early Access home checked boxes that the other home didn’t. Because we were able to see the property so quickly—before it was widely available—we had the opportunity to move fast and submit a strong offer that worked for the seller.”
Anyone can browse Redfin Early Access listings on Redfin.com—no Redfin account required. Simply enter your desired location in the search bar to view available homes. Early Access listings are clearly labeled in the search results, or you can filter your search by selecting “Early Access / Coming Soon” under the Status filter to see only homes that haven’t yet been officially listed.
What sellers should know
Sellers increasingly have options in how their home comes to market, whether with a broad debut across all real estate sites, or with a soft launch “coming soon” approach. With many markets shifting in favor of buyers, sellers need to make a strong first impression—and that starts with getting the price right from the beginning. Redfin Early Access helps sellers gauge buyer demand and test their price without accruing days on market or tracking price changes.
Redfin’s research shows that prospective home sellers have strong interest in listing strategies like Redfin Early Access. More than four in five (83%) prospective sellers say they are interested in a ‘coming soon’ approach to listing their home. And 88% of homeowners planning to sell in the next three years say they’re interested in collecting feedback on price and interest from prospective buyers before listing widely. It can also be a practical option for sellers who want to generate interest while still preparing their home for a broad online debut, whether they’re finishing repairs, staging, or waiting for professional photography.
“I had clients who found their next home before selling their current one, but to win it, they agreed to give the seller post-closing possession,” said Dan Close, a Redfin Premier agent in Chicago. “That delayed when they could move out of their current home, but they still wanted to capitalize on Chicago’s peak spring market. Listing as ‘coming soon’ on Redfin let us generate demand while they were still a few months out from being able to move into their new home. Within one weekend as ‘coming soon,’ we had overwhelming interest, scheduled one full day of showings, and received multiple offers above asking with the flexible closing date they needed to streamline their move. We couldn’t have done that if the listing was on every portal.”
In addition to getting premium placement on Redfin.com and exposure to the tens of millions of people who visit the site each month, Redfin Early Access listings are marketed to relevant buyers through targeted email and social media campaigns.
What does Redfin think?
Redfin supports consumer choice and flexibility. Decisions about how a home is marketed should be made by homeowners and the real estate professionals they hire to represent them. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some homeowners value privacy. Others want maximum exposure on day one.
Got questions? Get in touch with a Redfin real estate agent who can guide you through the local market.
