The short answer: An off-market home is sold without public portal marketing. Under the National Association of REALTORS® Clear Cooperation Policy, a listing that's publicly marketed must go into the MLS within one business day. Since 2025, sellers can choose an office exclusive or a delayed-marketing listing to stay off public sites, after signing an acknowledgment of the reduced exposure.
Why sellers choose privacy
- Discretion. No public photos, price history, or days-on-market count.
- Control. You choose who sees the home and when.
- Testing the market. Learn what qualified buyers think before going public.
The rules today
Clear Cooperation Policy
Adopted by NAR in 2020, it requires that once a property is publicly marketed, it's submitted to the MLS within one business day. Public marketing includes signs, open houses, and sharing a listing broadly with other brokerages.
Office exclusive
The listing is shared only within the listing brokerage. It isn't visible to other MLS participants or on public sites.
Delayed marketing
Added in March 2025 under NAR's Multiple Listing Options for Sellers policy. The listing is entered in the MLS and visible to agents, but withheld from public portals for a period that each local MLS sets.
In both cases, the seller signs a disclosure acknowledging that limited exposure may affect the result. Local MLS rules vary, so confirm the current options for your property.
The trade-off, honestly
Fewer eyes on a home can mean fewer offers. For some homes, privacy is worth that. For others, broad exposure produces the best result. The right choice depends on the property, the price point, and what matters most to you.
For buyers and investors
Off-market opportunities reach the people who are already known to the agents who hold them. Clear criteria and a real relationship are how you hear first.