PocketListings.net BLOG

You may have already gone the extra mile and inquired About Us on our site and seen a little blurb about our vision and our two co-founders, but did you know I, Alex Clark, have made it a mission of mine to not only put power back in the hands of realtors, but simplify the way our “listings” are shared…especially within your own sphere of influence, and across county/state lines.

It’s not a new phenomenon that most agents not only sell property with agents they already know, but more and more we’re finding the buying and selling clients are in some way connected…it was a friend of a friend of a friend that told them about a property, or Joe’s aunt Mary told Sid’s cousin Sam, and Sam contacted you the agent for more information about a property. Jane came into your listing, it wasn’t right for her, but you heard that Charlie has something “off market” that might work for her. You show it to her, she buys it. The point is, we are all connected, in some way or another, and we’re going to put these connections to work for you.

If you are friends with us you already know we’re working on version 2.0 of our website, and you already know we’re tackling the argument that “pocket listing doesn’t get a property enough exposure, so it won’t sell”, but we’re tackling a whole bunch of the other arguments as well:

-Pocket Listing is illegal…that’s the one that makes us laugh the most. It is NOT illegal, it is just not advised by your Realtor or board of Realtors because they want to “own” that listing and be guaranteed a commission. You, as a seller, can refuse to list your home on MLS anytime, anywhere. (We’re not advising this, but you should know you have that option.)
-“Pocket Listings are for Dodgy, Con-Artist Types of People”…if you could see the list of real estate PROFESSIONALS (all licensed and in good standing in their communities) that are signing up, posting to, and contacting other real estate pros on our site, you’d quickly insert foot into mouth. In San Francisco we already have many of the “top of the top” Producers using our site.
-”Everybody should just list everything on MLS”…in an ideal world, this would be the case. But in state like New York, they don’t have an MLS! And no matter how much you try to fight it, pocket listings have always existed and always will. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place agents and brokers shared all of their “not on MLS” listings so you, the agent/buyer/seller, could have a chance to get in on that action? We think so.
-”The point of pocket listing is to do just that, keep it in my pocket and keep it quiet….” Go right ahead, keep it in your pocket, but try posting it on our site with a very, very brief description like, “Two bed home with pool, views, modern, in best location Los Angeles,” and see what happens. Let the inquiries come to you, then you determine what additional information, if any, you’d like to share.
-”I would never use your site, because the point of a pocket listing is for me to double end it….” Careful with these, but stay tuned.

Like I’ve said countless times, we are in this for you (buyer, seller, agent, broker). If you have a suggestion, contact us, we might be able to make it happen. Remember, just because it’s “not on MLS” doesn’t mean it can’t be sold.

Think of it this way…there is what’s on MLS, and there is everything else…we will be everything else. We are not for everybody. Our site is for those real estate professionals that want to do more deals, and know how the game is played. It’s that simple.

So help us help you by joining PocketListings.net, using it, and telling your colleagues. We are going to help brokers, agents, buyers, and sellers unlock the world of off market or “not on MLS” opportunities that are out there. We promise.