Zillow and Realtor.com Expand Pre Market Listings in Major Industry Shift
Two of the nation’s largest real estate search platforms, Zillow and Realtor.com, announced a new partnership this week that could significantly change how buyers and sellers interact with pre market listings.
Beginning this summer, Zillow Preview listings will also appear as Realtor.com Preview listings, giving buyers access to homes before they officially hit the market across both platforms. The companies say the move is designed to increase transparency and expand visibility for sellers while giving buyers earlier access to inventory.
According to the announcement, buyers will not need a special brokerage relationship or login to view these listings. The goal is to create broader public access to pre market homes rather than limiting inventory to private networks or select brokerage ecosystems.
The collaboration comes amid ongoing debate within the real estate industry over “private” or “exclusive” listings, where homes are marketed internally within brokerages before appearing on the MLS or public portals. Zillow has been vocal in opposing what it calls “fragmented listing access,” arguing that limited visibility can disadvantage buyers and reduce transparency in the marketplace.
In a joint statement, Zillow CEO Jeremy Wacksman said the market works best when buyers have equal access to listings and sellers receive maximum exposure from day one. Realtor.com CEO Damian Eales echoed similar sentiments, noting that the companies prefer listings reach the widest possible audience for the benefit of both buyers and sellers.
The companies also stated that participating agents and brokerages will receive the same benefits across both platforms, including potential revenue sharing opportunities tied to qualified buyer connections. Preview listings will reportedly be available at no cost to sellers or agents through participating brokerages.
The partnership represents another major development in the evolving battle over listing distribution and consumer access. Over the past year, companies including Compass, Zillow, Redfin, Homes.com and others have taken increasingly public positions on how listings should be marketed and shared online.
Industry observers say the agreement between Zillow and Realtor.com could place additional pressure on brokerages and MLS systems to rethink how pre market and coming soon inventory is handled moving forward.
Notably, Zillow stated that the Preview program will be available in most U.S. markets, though a separate approach is still being explored for the New York City market through StreetEasy.
