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growing trend in the real estate industry has sparked debate over the merits of private listings, with some brokerages touting them as a competitive edge. However, a recent report from Bright MLS sheds light on this phenomenon, revealing that office exclusives may not be the game-changers they're cracked up to be.

    The study, which analyzed 100,000 listings in the Mid-Atlantic region between September 2024 and February 2025, found that private listings account for nearly 8% of overall properties – a significant increase from the 2% share just three years ago. But here's the kicker: most office exclusives eventually end up on the MLS anyway.

    According to Bright MLS Chief Economist Lisa Sturtevant, nearly 9 in 10 homes that started as private listings were later marketed publicly, with only 13% remaining exclusive throughout the sales process. What's more, these private listings took longer to sell – a median of 37 days compared to just 20 days for standard listings.

    The report also debunked the notion that pre-marketing a home can fetch a higher price. After adjusting for location and property features, Sturtevant found that whether or not a home was pre-marketed had no impact on its selling price. In fact, office exclusives may even harm buyers and sellers by limiting access to information and creating a fragmented inventory system.

    The data suggests that while private listings are growing in popularity, they're not the silver bullet some brokerages claim them to be. Instead, they may be a hindrance to a smooth and efficient real estate market.