Our Approach
For decades, organized real estate has dictated how homes are marketed and sold in the United States. These entities profit from controlling access to listings and information, limiting both competition and consumer choice.
At Compass, we believe homeowners should have the freedom to decide how to market and sell their home. Every seller deserves a strategy that aligns with their goals, timing, and comfort level.
That's why we created the Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy —giving homeowners the same advantages as real estate developers and professional homebuilders.
ROBERT REFFKIN — FOUNDER & CEO, COMPASS
THE COMPASS 3-PHASED MARKETING STRATEGY
Three distinct phases crafted to align with your goals, your timing, and your vision — so you go to market on your terms.
Phase 01
Market your home to Compass's network of 340,000 top agents and their clients — building buyer interest without exposing the property to days-on-market risk or public price drops.
Test aspirational pricing privately before going to MLS
Invite competitive offers from buyers who pay a premium for early access
Full visibility on Compass.com — transparent, not hidden
Phase 02
Publicly launch on Compass.com and Redfin.com to reach 60 million buyers with premium placement in search results — all without accruing days on market.
Your listing prioritized in search results and ranked higher on Google
All buyer inquiries go directly to your listing agent
Receive engagement insights lost when you go live on other platforms
Phase 03
Go Active on the MLS and all major portals — armed with real data from Phases 1 & 2 to strategically launch for maximum demand and the best possible price.
Launch with agent and buyer feedback already in hand
Position for best possible price and terms
Full market exposure at the right moment
Marketing by the Numbers
Higher closing price
Faster to Contract
Less Likely to Drop in Price
Why it Matters
1
Extend your marketing runway by controlling when the property is put on the MLS and portals, helping minimize public days on market or price drop history. Excessive days on market and price drop history can devalue your property in the eyes of buyers.
2
Some third-party sites block buyers' ability to contact the listing agent directly. These leads are sold to other agents who may be unfamiliar with your home and may not represent the buyers in a way that results in a sale.
3
Automated home valuations on third-party sites use outdated algorithms and incomplete data, often mispricing homes and negatively shaping buyer expectations before you even list.
4
Portals can add their own assessments and information to a listing, which may not accurately reflect the true condition, value, or desirability of your property.

On Compass.com, every home search displays the exact number of available properties — including Compass Private Exclusives — providing equal visibility and opportunity for every consumer and brokerage regardless of any buyer characteristic.
Not being on the MLS to start helps more sellers and is good for competition. While a one-stop shop like the MLS or portals may seem convenient, in the long run, it hurts competition and limits consumer choice.
At Compass, we believe the same principles that drive a healthy economy should also define how homes are bought and sold. That's why we're building a more open, competitive marketplace — one that gives homeowners and agents real options, greater transparency, and smarter strategies.
At Compass, we believe every homeowner deserves control over how their property is marketed and the freedom to protect its value. The choice should always belong to the homeowner — not organized real estate.
*Findings are descriptive statistics and compare the average of Compass residential listings that went active on a MLS and were pre-marketed as a Compass Private Exclusive and/or Compass Coming Soon vs. the average of Compass residential listings that went active on a MLS but were not pre-marketed as a Compass Private Exclusive and/or Compass Coming Soon from January 1, 2024 – December 31, 2024. Source: Compass data. For 2024, Compass pre-marketed listings are associated with an average 2.9% increase in the final close price versus Compass listings that went directly to the MLS. The estimated effect has a 95% confidence interval ranging from 1.9% and 3.9%. Compass Coming Soon listings that sold off the MLS are identified as having a close date in 2024, were pre-marketed as a Compass Coming Soon, and were on the MLS for less than one day. The results provided are based on current data and methodologies, and should not be interpreted as definitive predictions of future outcomes. Compass makes no warranty, representation or guarantee as to the accuracy of these results or any actual outcome of using the Three Phase Marketing Program. Results may vary. Correlation does not necessarily equal causation.
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