BIC TIP #1157: Can I Show It Yet?

You just signed a listing, it is not quite ready for the market, and a buyer is already asking to take a peek. Can you let them in? Stephen Long says the answer is generally no. If the property is headed to the open market, you cannot give anyone an unfair advantage by letting them see it before everyone else can.

No Sneak Peeks for Open Market Listings

When a listing is going to the open market, every buyer deserves the same opportunity to access it. Letting one buyer in early gives that buyer an advantage over everyone else, and it can work against the seller by limiting competition.

So if you are taking a listing to the open market, you need to wait until everyone can see it.

Coming Soon Means No Show

Coming soon status has a simple rule built right in. Stephen puts it plainly: coming soon means coming soon, no show. The seller cannot show it. You cannot show it. No one can show it until the no-show period has expired.

And if, at any point during that no-show period, someone does get to see the property, you need to remove that status so everyone gets the same opportunity. You cannot keep advertising it as coming soon after giving someone a private tour.

The Office Exclusive Exception

Stephen notes that the only time something like early access could potentially work is with an office exclusive listing that is never going to the open market. In that case, the property is being marketed privately by design.

Office exclusives come with their own requirements and disclosures, so talk with your broker-in-charge before you go that route.

The Practical Takeaway

If a listing is heading to the open market, no one gets an early look. Coming soon means no showings by anyone, and if someone sees it during that period, the coming soon status has to go. The only exception is an office exclusive that will never hit the open market. Treat every buyer fairly, and your seller benefits from the full market.