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ost sellers are unaware of the intricacies of Multiple Listing Services (MLSs) and private listing networks, but they want their agent to get their listing in front of as many potential buyers as possible. A recent survey by Zillow found that nearly 90% of respondents believed all for-sale listings should be viewable for free on public consumer websites, while over 80% wanted their home listed on such a site.

    The survey revealed that most sellers don't understand what MLSs or private listing networks are. Only around a quarter of 18-44-year-olds and a third of 45-54-year-olds knew exactly what an MLS was. Private listing networks were even more unknown, with fewer than one in five respondents expressing certainty about their meaning.

    Agents may recommend using private listing networks to sellers, but they don't always explain the difference between these platforms and the MLS. In fact, nearly two-thirds of respondents who sold a home in the past five years said their agent recommended listing on a private network. However, when asked what was most important in a listing agent, 52% of respondents prioritized getting their home in front of the largest pool of interested buyers.

    The survey also found that more sellers ultimately choose to list their homes on the MLS, even if their agent recommends using a private network. Among all respondents, 39% preferred listing on a public consumer website, while 31% preferred a private network. However, after being shown data suggesting that homes listed on the MLS sold for more than those not listed on it, over half of the private network group changed their minds and preferred the MLS.

    Consumers want their homes to be seen by as many potential buyers as possible. The survey found that 81% of respondents believed it was "somewhat" or "very" important that listings be publicly viewable for free on consumer real estate websites. A higher share, 86%, agreed that all for-sale home listings should be viewable for free.

    Zillow leadership has been vocal in its support of the Clear Cooperation policy, which requires agents to add a listing to the MLS within one day of publicly marketing the property. Zillow's CEO, Jeremy Wacksman, believes that private listing networks are "terrible for both consumers and for agents" and are "anti-transparency." He argues that the vast majority of sellers want their home on the internet and that transparency benefits everyone in the marketplace.