M
idwest Real Estate Data (MRED) CEO Rebecca Jensen launched a passionate defense of the MLS’s private listing network (PLN) this week, calling it “one of our most human‑centered innovations.” In an open letter to the 50,000‑member organization, she argued that private listings give sellers and agents the flexibility needed during life‑changing events such as divorce, death, disability, displacement, or downsizing. “The PLN lets us respond with compassion and options, not threats and strict fines,” Jensen wrote, noting that MRED’s rules require any publicly advertised listing to be entered into the MLS within 24 hours, but impose no arbitrary “Coming Soon” timelines or rigid media submission requirements.

    Jensen backed her points with 2024 data from MRED’s Chicago‑area coverage. Private listings sold in an average of 13 days versus 22 days for traditional listings, achieved 97.5 % of the list price compared with 95.4 % for public ones, and saw only a slight rise in double‑ended transactions (6.7 % vs 6.6 %). Listings spend nine to 17 days in the PLN before going active, and only 3.5 % of private listings sell within a day of becoming active. Moreover, just over two‑thirds of brokers who use the PLN once return to it.

    The letter came as Zillow rolls out its new listing‑access standards, which mandate that publicly marketed listings be widely available. Enforcement of these standards is in effect everywhere except the Chicago region, where Zillow cited a “unique situation” involving MRED’s long‑standing PLN. When asked for comment, Zillow said it supports private listings for legitimate reasons—privacy, safety, or other personal concerns—but emphasized that such cases are the exception, not the norm. “When a listing is made public, it should be accessible to every consumer and every agent. Anything less creates an uneven playing field,” the company added.