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Douglas Elliman and The Corcoran Group in recent weeks have quietly announced private listing networks within their brokerage firms, as the conversation about private exclusives continues to heat up in the real estate community.
On Monday, Douglas Elliman teased on social media and released internally to its network that the firm would soon be launching “Black Label Private Listings,” an exclusive private listings platform to provide more choice for its clients.
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“Our clients deserve choice in how their home is marketed, whether privately on Black Label or publicly on Elliman.com,” President and CEO of Douglas Elliman Inc. Michael Liebowitz said in an internal statement. “Working with our expert real estate advisors, sellers will find their best path towards a successful sale.”
The internal announcement said that listing a home privately can provide an advantage for some sellers, “including discretion, market testing, and exclusivity for properties where gauging interest before public exposure is beneficial.” The email added that the firm continues to adapt to the changing needs of agents and clients alike in order to be a leading force in the market. Douglas Elliman declined to comment further on its Black Label network.
A few weeks ago, Corcoran Group also quietly launched Corcoran Reserve, a private network for Corcoran agents and clients, “where agent and client can size up market conditions and calibrate a value proposition before going public with a listing.”
“Corcoran Reserve is our exclusive new listing program tailored for the most discerning clients,” Pam Liebman told Inman in an emailed statement. “Off-market listings are certainly nothing new — and while I firmly believe that real success comes from transparency and sharing with each other — there are situations where a different approach is needed, one that offers a more customized experience. That’s where Corcoran Reserve comes in.
“This offering enables listings to be shared exclusively within a controlled environment, providing agents and clients the opportunity to assess market conditions, and, if their clients desire, engage with top agents outside of our network — all while maintaining complete privacy,” Liebman continued. “This soft launch is exclusive to our New York City and East End agents, with plans to extend it to the rest of our network in the coming months.”
Prior to the National Association of Realtors’ announcement last month that the association would be keeping the Clear Cooperation Policy in place while adding a new Delayed Marketing Exempt Listings option for homesellers to keep listings from publicly being marketed on the MLS, other brokerage firms had also started to advertise private listing options.
NAR declined to comment on the growing number of private listing networks in the industry.
Compass, for instance, launched its Compass One client portal and dashboard in February, which connects clients and agents during every phase of the transaction, including before and after, and allows clients access to the brokerage’s high-tech tools and services.
Luxury Presence likewise launched earlier this year Brokerage Listing Networks, a product for creating internal listing networks for brokerages, and just last month, its Private Listings Hub, an invite-only type of luxury listing network.
EXp Realty also has a similar network, eXp Access, which gives eXp agents the ability to view pre-market and off-market listings in the U.S. and Canada.
As industry discussions among agents and clients over private listings have increased, TTR Sotheby’s International Realty also created an internal page on its website about private exclusive listings about six months ago, which firm partner Derrick Swaak told Inman was “simply situational.” The firm has always supported CCP, Swaak said, and typically only discusses exclusive listing options with high-profile or more sensitive clients, but thought the new web page was appropriate, given the trending topic.
The rise in private listing networks, therefore, appears to not be a direct response to NAR’s ruling on CCP and the new marketing option for sellers, but instead a response to what has become a hot topic in a fractured industry.
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