03/20/2026
Great post by my business associate, Julie Nelson - Austin Market
Real estate is getting … interesting right now.
In just the last 10 days, we’ve seen some big moves around “coming soon” listings:
👉 Compass partnered with Redfin for exclusive pre-market exposure
👉 KW aligned with Zillow, which is notable given their long-standing position there
👉 Several large brokerages joined Zillow’s preview strategy
👉 eXp expanded coming-soon distribution across Realtor.com, Homes.com, and Google
This isn’t about one company being right or wrong. This is an industry chess match playing out in real time.
Step back and look at the pattern ... one company makes a move. Another responds. Then another adjusts. Compass pressures Zillow. KW responds. Others expand distribution.
Now here’s the part most people are missing.
Consumers don’t use just one site. They check Zillow, then Realtor.com, then Redfin, then Homes.com. Traffic stacks. People go where the inventory is.
But there are only so many deals to go around. Every deal that happens inside one ecosystem is a deal that doesn’t happen somewhere else. That’s where the real competition is.
You’re also seeing very different strategies around “coming soon.”
• Some are pushing listings out to the widest audience possible
• Some are holding them tighter, creating a sense of exclusivity first
eXp’s position is pretty straightforward. If a home is being marketed, get it in front of as many buyers as possible, subject to MLS rules and seller approval. It’s an open distribution approach inside the same competitive landscape.
So what does this actually mean for you?
IF YOU’RE A SELLER,
ask where your home is actually going to show up and how many real buyers will see it. Not the marketing spin. The actual exposure.
IF YOU’RE A BUYER,
make sure you’re not relying on just one source. You may only be seeing part of the picture.
IF YOU’RE AN AGENT,
• Are you making decisions based on what’s best for your client?
• Or just following your company’s strategy?
After 26 years in this business, here’s what I’ve seen hold true.
When more qualified buyers see a home, sellers tend to get stronger results. When exposure is limited, the opportunity pool gets smaller.
There are exceptions. If you’re Madonna, privacy and security matter more than exposure. Different strategy.
For most people, the goal is simple. Create as much opportunity as possible and let the market do its job.
There’s a lot of noise right now. A lot of opinions. A lot of positioning.
Strip it down and it comes back to one thing. What actually creates the best outcome for the client. That’s the only side that really matters.
