Courtney Poulos, Founder of SERHANT. CA and Team Lead at ACME | SERHANT., is challenging the real estate industry to rethink private listings by focusing on what best serves sellers. While acknowledging that some sellers prioritize privacy over price, Poulos argues that the current approach to off-market listings may unnecessarily limit exposure and potentially reduce sale prices.
Poulos points out that sellers who choose private listings are often required to sign acknowledgments that keeping a home off the market could mean fewer showings or a lower sale price. She also notes that many buyers are not yet working with an agent and are browsing online, meaning every channel a listing is excluded from represents a missed opportunity. “I still feel like access is important, and we should not fracture,” she said.
Her proposal is a middle path: if a seller wants to stay off large consumer listing websites, the listing could still be shared in a system accessible to every licensed agent, not just agents within a single brokerage. This would keep the home out of public view while reaching as many agents as possible who may represent qualified buyers. Poulos believes more buyers lead to a better chance at a higher price, and the key is that all agents play by the same rules and can see each other’s off-market listings.
She also advocates that once a listing is in the MLS and available to other agents, there should be no time limit on how long it can be marketed off-market. Some homes are highly specific and may not sell quickly, and sellers should be able to continue private marketing for as long as they choose. “The MLS needs to take its handcuffs off of us,” she said.
Poulos further questions who benefits when a listing is marketed only in-house. She notes that keeping a listing within one brokerage can increase the chance that the same brokerage represents both sides of the transaction, which can be financially attractive for the brokerage. While not necessarily wrong, she says sellers deserve a clear understanding of the tradeoff. If the goal truly is serving the seller, she sees little reason a private listing should not be visible to every licensee.
Such a shared system does not broadly exist today. Until it does, Poulos encourages sellers considering a private sale to ask their agent direct questions: Will my home be visible to agents outside your brokerage? How many buyers’ agents will realistically see it? What might I be giving up on price compared with a full public launch? For sellers of higher-end homes on the Eastside of Los Angeles and beyond, she believes the best strategy starts with the seller’s goals and works backward.
Sellers preparing to list can find more guidance in the ACME | SERHANT. Buyer and Seller Toolkit. More information about Courtney Poulos is available online.
The implications of Poulos’s proposal extend beyond individual transactions. A shared off-market system could reshape how brokerages compete, potentially reducing the advantage of in-house networks and giving sellers greater leverage. For the industry, it raises questions about MLS rules and the balance between privacy and market efficiency. For consumers, it underscores the importance of asking detailed questions about exposure before agreeing to a private listing. As the debate continues, Poulos’s perspective places the seller’s outcome at the center of the conversation, urging a reevaluation of practices that may prioritize brokerage interests over seller success.
