03/18/2026
This feels like a major overreach by a state governing body. I have mixed feelings about “pocket listings”. For those of you who don’t know, a pocket listing is generally considered to be when an agent knows about a property for sale but the property owners don’t want it marketed publicly for whatever reason. Sometimes the owner doesn’t want a relative to know other times they think they can get a better offer for an “private” listing.
There generally is no formal record of a pocket listing and NAR generally discourages the practice.
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill Monday banning "pocket listings," requiring all properties to be marketed publicly rather than to a select group of buyers. Washington becomes the toughest state yet on private listings, as several others eye similar measures.
