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California-based proptech leader RealScout has launched RealScout Exclusives, a solution that enables brokerages to manage and distribute exclusive listings to agents and their clients through a branded platform.
RealScout Exclusives include data-driven buyer matching, automated new listing alert emails, and flexible privacy and control settings. The matching feature is based on real-time home search activity, and the alert feature is based on ongoing engagement data that connects homebuyers with listings that are the best fit for them. RealScout said the platform is designed to keep brokers in compliance with industry regulations, including the National Association of Realtors’ Clear Cooperation Policy.
A mock-up of RealScout Exclusives’ agent dashboard.
The company has been perfecting its exclusive listings technology since 2019 with Howard Hanna Real Estate Service’s “Find It First” platform, which enables homebuyers to search Howard Hanna listings before they’re added to the MLS and distributed to larger portals, like Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and Homes.com. Howard Hanna CEO Hoby Hanna said RealScout’s technology has been a “true success” for agents and consumers.
“RealScout’s platform matches both our exclusive and new inventory to our buyer clients in real-time, creating exposure and urgency,” Hanna said in a written statement. “This gives our buyers a competitive edge by giving them access to listings faster while allowing our sellers to control how their listings are shared and distributed.”
Andrew Flachner
RealScout CEO Andrew Flachner said powering Howard Hanna’s platform has given RealScout invaluable time to refine its exclusives offering “well before current market shifts,” including industry consolidation and battles over consumer and listing data, which is at the center of the debate over Clear Cooperation.
CCP requires listing brokers to list properties in Realtor-affiliated multiple listing services within one business day of publicly marketing them. The policy, which was created to control pocket listings, has always been controversial.
But it’s recently been thrust back into the hot seat, with opponents of the rule saying homesellers should have full control of how their listings are marketed. Meanwhile, proponents say CCP protects homebuyers’ fair housing rights and ensures homesellers get the best outcome. NAR is expected to decide on the policy’s future this month.
“In my 2019 Inman article and T3 Leadership Summit presentation, I predicted how market forces would inevitably create pressure for brokerages to adopt exclusive listings strategies,” Flachner said in a prepared statement. “Whether brokerages decide to engage with exclusive listings or not, they need to be prepared — and our battle-tested solution provides that readiness.”
In addition to Howard Hanna, several brokerages have already been testing RealScout Exclusives with adoption rates of 40 percent to 60 percent. RealScout said brokers interested in RealScout Exclusives can join the company’s waitlist and request a demo. The solution will be $200 per month.
“As the real estate landscape continues to evolve, we needed a solution that allowed us to manage and distribute exclusive listings efficiently within our brokerage,” said Phillip Cantrell, CEO of Tennessee-based Benchmark Realty. “RealScout provides that infrastructure — since our clients are already searching regularly on the platform, it makes perfect sense for our exclusive listings to be there as well.”
