A coming soon listing strategy is a pre-marketing period where your home is entered into Bright MLS as “coming soon” before it’s actually available for showings, giving buyers and agents a heads-up while you finish preparing the house for market. It works best in Maryland, DC, and Virginia, where Bright MLS and NAR have specific rules that make it legal and effective. Not every part of the country allows this kind of pre-marketing, so if you’re outside the DMV, check with your agent first. When it’s done right, a coming soon campaign builds demand before the “For Sale” sign even goes in the yard, the same way a movie studio builds buzz with trailers weeks before opening night. That’s the whole idea: create excitement, not showings, and set your home up to hit the market with momentum already behind it.
What is a coming soon listing strategy?
A coming soon strategy is a formal pre-marketing period built into Bright MLS that lets sellers announce a home is on its way to market without opening it up for showings yet. Think about how a big movie doesn’t just show up in theaters unannounced. Weeks in advance, you’re seeing trailers and ads building anticipation. Your home deserves the same treatment. Instead of flipping a switch and going live with zero lead-up, a coming soon period lets us generate awareness, line up interested buyers, and create demand before day one on the open market.
What are the Bright MLS rules for coming soon listings?
There are three rules that govern every coming soon campaign I run, and they exist to keep everything above board. First, the property must be entered into Bright MLS as coming soon within 24 hours of any public marketing. You can’t start posting about a home before it’s officially in the system. Second, there can be no showings during the coming soon period. This phase is strictly for building buzz, not touring buyers through the house. Third, a home can only stay in coming soon status for a maximum of 21 days. Once that window closes, the home is required to go active on the market, ready or not. Knowing these rules matters because violating them can create real problems with your listing and your agent’s standing with the MLS.
How long should a coming soon period last?
I typically recommend 10 to 12 days, even though Bright MLS allows up to 21. The full 21-day window sounds appealing, but in my experience it’s too long. You want enough time to get the word out and let buyers and agents get excited about what’s coming, without dragging it out so long that people lose interest or get frustrated waiting for the home to actually open up. Ten to twelve days hits that sweet spot: enough runway to build real demand, not so much that momentum fizzles before the home is even showable.
What are the five steps to a strong coming soon campaign?
The five steps I use are entering the home in Bright MLS, running sponsored social ads, networking with likely buyer’s agents, activating your sphere of influence, and sending a direct mail piece.
Step one: get it into Bright MLS.This is non-negotiable and it’s the trigger for everything else. Once your home is entered as coming soon, that information gets pushed out to tens of thousands of buyers and agents. At this stage your home usually isn’t ready for full professional photography, so I typically use one to five teaser photos. Avoid the temptation to post too many images, or any that aren’t flattering, while the house is still being prepped.
Step two: sponsored social media ads.I run targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram aimed at people who are likely shopping for a home like yours. The goal isn’t to sell the house yet. It’s to create awareness and get people watching for it.
Step three: network with the agents most likely to have buyers for your home.Here’s a fact worth knowing: more than 90% of home sales are co-broked, meaning there’s a separate agent representing the buyer and one representing the seller. A serious coming soon campaign identifies and reaches out to the agents most likely to have a buyer for your specific home. Notice I didn’t say every agent, or even the top-producing agents. I mean the right agents. At Compass, I use a tool literally called the Network Tool that pulls up the most comparable recent sales in your area and identifies exactly which buyer’s agents and seller’s agents were involved. There’s a strong chance one of those agents specializes in your neighborhood or still has a buyer from a deal that didn’t quite work out.
Step four: activate your sphere of influence.Most agents, myself included, have built relationships with thousands of past buyers and sellers over the years. I make sure every one of those contacts knows about new listings coming to market. Often they’re interested themselves, or they know someone who is. I also encourage my sellers to post about their upcoming listing on their own social media. You genuinely never know where your buyer is going to come from.
Step five: direct mail.Pairing a direct mail piece with a coming soon announcement, especially one that teases an upcoming open house, creates real excitement. People like getting an invitation to something coming soon, whether that’s a home or an event.
Does the coming soon strategy work everywhere?
No, this strategy only works where the local MLS allows it, and in my market that means Maryland, DC, and Virginia. If you live outside the DMV, coming soon marketing rules vary widely by region, so it’s worth checking with your agent before assuming this approach applies to your sale. In the areas I serve, following the Bright MLS rules closely is what makes this strategy both effective and fully compliant.
FAQ
Can buyers tour a home during its coming soon period?
No. Bright MLS rules prohibit showings while a home is in coming soon status. That period is strictly for pre-marketing and building interest.
How soon does a home need to be entered into Bright MLS once marketing starts?
Within 24 hours of any public marketing activity. That’s one of the three core Bright MLS rules for coming soon listings.
What happens if my home is still in coming soon status after 21 days?
Bright MLS requires the home to go fully active on the market at that point, whether it’s ready or not, which is exactly why I recommend a shorter 10 to 12 day window.
Do I need professional photos before going coming soon?
Not yet. I usually suggest just one to five teaser photos at this stage, saving full professional photography and video for when the home officially goes live.
Is a coming soon strategy available if I’m selling outside Maryland, DC, or Virginia?
It depends on your local MLS rules. Many parts of the country don’t allow coming soon marketing, so check with your agent before planning around this strategy.
Ready to talk strategy for your home?
A well-run coming soon campaign can build real demand before your home ever hits the open market, but it only works if it’s executed correctly and compliantly. If you’re weighing your options, start with myguide to selling a homeor learn more aboutwhy sellers choose to work with me. When you’re ready to talk specifics,contact medirectly.
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