Pre-Market Listings Are Bigger Now: A Playbook for Agents

A buyer spots your listing three days before it shows up on every portal, and asks to see it tonight. Are you ready to answer, or is that message going to sit until Monday?

That is happening more often now. Zillow's early-access program, called Preview, lets buyers see and save homes before they officially list. On September 17, Zillow and Realtor.com confirmed that pre-market listings now show up on both sites at once. More than 400 brokerages have already enrolled, including Keller Williams, RE/MAX and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.

For your agency, this means more buyers seeing your listings earlier, and more messages landing in your inbox before a home is technically for sale. If you're not set up to catch those early enquiries, a faster agency down the street will be.

What Happened?

Zillow launched Preview in March 2026 so sellers could test the market before their home hits the Multiple Listing Service, the shared database agents use to list homes for sale. Buyers browsing Zillow or Realtor.com can see these "coming soon" homes, save them and ask questions early, with no special login and no need to already know an agent.

On September 17, Zillow and Realtor.com announced that Preview listings now appear on both sites at the same time, instead of only on Zillow. Zillow's Chief Product Officer, Christopher Roberts, said the company believes "an open marketplace serves buyers and sellers better than a closed one." Realtor.com's Anna Marie Castiglioni added that showing the same homes on both platforms means "every buyer...gets access to the same homes at the same time."

Zillow's own figures show why sellers and agents are paying attention. Preview listings get noticeably more attention in their first two weeks than a regular listing.

18%more views on Preview listings in the first two weeks

9%more shares

7%more saves

Why It Matters for Your Business

Early interest means early messages. Some of those messages will land at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday, days before the home is even meant to be public. If nobody replies until the next morning, an excited buyer has often already messaged two other agents about similar homes.

Sellers care about this too. Zillow reports that 85% of prospective sellers surveyed said they would be more likely to hire an agent who offers broad pre-launch marketing. That is a strong argument to add to your next listing pitch, if you can back it up.

For example, imagine a family lists their home as "coming soon." In the first two days it gets twenty saves and three messages, one from a buyer who says they can view it any evening this week and are ready to make an offer fast. If that message sits unanswered over the weekend, the agency loses a buyer who was ready to move.

What You Should Do Now

1. Check if your brokerage supports Zillow Preview, and enroll if it does, so your coming soon listings get the wider reach.
2. Add a "coming soon" section to your own website, so early buyers can also message or call you directly, not only through a portal's contact form.
3. Set an instant reply for early enquiries. Anything mentioning "coming soon" or "before it lists" should get an answer in minutes, not hours.
4. Tell your team that early messages are hot leads, worth the same urgency as an enquiry on a home that is already live.
5. Track where each early enquiry comes from, whether that's Zillow, Realtor.com or your own site, so you know which channel to lean on next time.
6. Mention pre-market reach in your listing pitch to sellers, in plain words, since many sellers now expect it.

Portal-only marketing

• Leads only reach you through the portal's contact form
• No record of who viewed the coming soon home
• Sellers only hear "we'll list it on Zillow"

Portal + your own site

• Buyers can message or call you directly, right from your site
• Every visit and enquiry shows up in one dashboard
• Sellers can see the extra reach your own site adds

How Bykorp Can Help

We build websites with a coming soon page that captures buyer details directly, so early interest doesn't only go to a portal's inbox. We also build AI chatbots and automation that reply to every early enquiry in minutes, day or night, on your site and on WhatsApp, using your real listing details.

• A coming soon page on your own site, built to collect enquiries, not just views
• An assistant that answers price, availability and viewing questions the moment a buyer messages
• One dashboard showing every early lead, from every channel, in one place

See how we work with agencies on our real estate page. For getting your reply speed right, read our guide on how to reply to property enquiries fast. To see every lead and viewing in one view, read our Monday dashboard guide.

Key Takeaways

• Zillow Preview pre-market listings now appear on both Zillow and Realtor.com, reaching more buyers before a home officially lists.
• Preview listings get 18% more views, 9% more shares and 7% more saves than a normal listing in their first two weeks, per Zillow.
• Most surveyed sellers say they're more likely to hire an agent who offers wide pre-launch marketing.
• Add your own "coming soon" page so early buyers can reach you directly, not only through a portal.
• Reply to early enquiries within minutes and track where each one came from.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Zillow Preview listing?

A Zillow Preview listing is a home shown to buyers before it officially appears on the Multiple Listing Service, the shared database agents use to list homes for sale. Buyers can view, save and ask about a Preview listing early, with no special account needed. Zillow and Realtor.com now show the same Preview listings on both sites.

Do I need to join Zillow Preview to benefit from pre-market marketing?

No, agents don't need to join Zillow Preview to benefit from pre-market marketing. Any agency can post a "coming soon" page on its own website, share it on social media and start collecting buyer messages before a home is on the MLS. Joining a portal program adds extra reach, but your own site can start today.

How fast should I reply to a coming soon listing enquiry?

Agents should reply to a coming soon listing enquiry within minutes, with the same urgency as any live listing enquiry. Early buyers are excited and often messaging several agents about similar homes at once. An instant reply confirming the details, followed by a personal message soon after, keeps the lead from booking elsewhere.

Will pre-market listings help me win more seller listings?

Pre-market listings can help agents win more seller listings, because many sellers see broad pre-launch reach as a reason to choose an agent. Zillow reports that 85% of surveyed sellers said they would be more likely to hire an agent offering this kind of exposure. Mentioning it in your listing pitch is worth doing.

Do I need my own coming soon page if I already use Zillow Preview?

Yes, agents still benefit from their own coming soon page even when using Zillow Preview. A portal listing sends leads through the portal's own form, but your own page lets buyers reach you directly and lets you track every visit. It also gives sellers proof of the extra marketing you offer.

Sources

• Zillow: Zillow Preview listings are now live on Realtor.com
• Real Estate News: Zillow, Realtor.com make 'commitment to openness' with Preview

Want a coming soon page that captures leads instead of losing them to a portal? Message the Bykorp team and we'll suggest a simple setup within a day.