A
seismic shift is underway in the real estate landscape as Zillow's decision to bar listings that are publicly marketed but not widely available via the MLS has sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Effective May, the home search site will implement its standards, which mirror the National Association of Realtors' Clear Cooperation Policy.

    NextHome Co-CEO James Dwiggins was among the first to applaud Zillow's move, signing on as an official partner just days after the announcement. "Partnering with Zillow to commit to listing transparency is a no-brainer," he said. "It's the right thing to do for homebuyers and sellers."

    Not everyone shares this enthusiasm, however. Keller Williams believes that blanket policies like Zillow's should be handled at the local level. "Our franchisees and agents are best equipped to advocate for the policies that serve their clients," spokesperson Darryl Frost said.

    eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja sees things differently. His brokerage's Exclusives platform, eXp Access, is designed to comply with Clear Cooperation while still providing a lifeline for rare but legitimate cases where sellers require privacy. "It's not a loophole, it's a tool that empowers agents to serve every unique client scenario," he said.

    Coming Soon listings are also getting attention. A Zillow rep clarified that as long as these listings are entered in the MLS and displayable on all sites receiving a feed, they comply with Zillow's standards. If a banned listing is relisted with a different brokerage and put into the MLS within one day of public marketing, it will be reinstated.

    For those who believe their listing has been wrongly excluded from Zillow, Errol Samuelson advises reaching out to customer support. While there isn't an official appeals process, Samuelson assures that the company will review each case on a case-by-case basis.