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his sponsored column is written by Eli Tucker, a Realtor and Arlington resident. If you'd like to work with him in Northern Virginia or the D.C. Metro area, you can reach out directly at [email protected].

    Eli's team believes that real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for clients through expert advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.

    The real estate industry is currently embroiled in a heated debate over private/off-market listings, with two distinct opinions on consumer fairness. The Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), introduced by MLS platforms and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in 2019, aimed to bring more fairness and strength to the market by requiring brokers to enter properties into the MLS within one business day of public marketing.

    However, recent class-action settlements led to the dismantling of CCP, resulting in a rapid return to private/off-market inventory battles between agents, brokers, and online platforms. Buyers can no longer rely on a single data source for homes for sale, and must instead gather information from multiple channels.

    Proponents of private marketplaces argue that consumer fairness is about giving homeowners and their brokers the freedom to market their homes in whatever way they believe will produce the best results. They claim that private channels can create better negotiation leverage and sometimes result in a higher sale price due to limited, VIP-like access.

    On the other hand, proponents of CCP believe that consumer fairness is about ensuring buyers have access to a single source of data for all homes being offered for sale. They argue that exposing listings to the full market via public channels will most often generate better results for homeowners and should not be diminished by infrequent use cases.

    The elimination of CCP has raised concerns about fair housing, as private channels can unintentionally discriminate against certain groups. Zillow, a major player in the real estate industry, has responded by publishing its own standards for marketing homes for sale, similar to those of CCP. They threaten to ban listings that violate these standards, setting the stage for a potential showdown between Zillow and anti-CCP brokers/agents.

    In my opinion, while sellers should have flexibility in choosing their marketing approach, the fragmentation of the for-sale real estate market is a net negative for American consumers. I believe that CCP produces the highest net benefit, but its elimination has produced the wrong results.

    If you'd like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don't hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].

    Upcoming pre-market listings include:

    * Reston: 4BR/3.5BA/3,000 sqft end-unit townhouse (1993) – Hollow Timber Ct Reston VA 20194

    * Falls Church City: 4BR/4.5BA/3,000+ sqft end-unit townhouse (1995) – Rees Pl Falls Church VA 22046

    * Rosslyn: 3BR/2.5A/2,400 sqft condo (2022) – 1781 N Pierce St Arlington VA 22209

    * Arlington Ridge/Aurora Hills: 3BR/2.5BA/2,450sqft detached single family (1961) – S Grove St Arlington VA 22202

    * Lorton: 3BR/1.5BA/1,120 sqft townhouse (1981) – Sheffield Village Ln Lorton VA 22079