NEW YORK, NY — May 28, 2025 — Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume, announced today the rollout of its redesigned Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy Client Disclosure Form, building off the previous disclosure form launched in 2024. The updated disclosure form continues to help sellers better understand their options to pre-market their homes with the Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy, before listing publicly through a local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and incorporates new language that reflects industry changes. The form also clarifies that the listing will not appear on the MLS or public portals until Phase 3, and that sellers are under no obligation to accept offers during Phase 1 (Compass Private Exclusive) or Phase 2 (Compass Coming Soon).
“We continue to advocate for homeowners' right to choose how, when, and where their home is marketed,” said Compass CEO and Founder Robert Reffkin. “This enhanced seller disclosure form builds off of Compass’ disclosure form launched in 2024 and represents another step we’re taking to promote greater transparency and professionalism in our industry, while ensuring every one of our clients has a clear understanding of how the Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy works as well as intentional absence of public portal exposure during Phase 1 and Phase 2 as part of a strategic rollout.”
In a competitive real estate landscape, the Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy is designed to give every homeowner more choice, control, clarity, and better results. By launching in three distinct phases, the strategy enables homeowners to test pricing and build interest, ensuring their home makes its strongest public debut. This approach also protects the home from premature exposure, price reductions, and extended days on the market, which can damage the home’s perception and value. With Compass, a homeowner’s seller journey is strategic, flexible, and entirely on their terms.
The Compass 3-Phased Marketing Client Disclosure Form outlines key benefits for clients to consider, including:
The ability to market a property without accumulating days on market or price drop history, which can impact perceived value.
The option to test an aspirational price or validate a pricing strategy while signaling that the home is coming soon.
Time to complete staging, painting, or other preparations while still generating early buyer interest.
Greater privacy, with the option to limit visibility of photos and personal information until the listing is shared publicly.
A strategic opportunity to build buyer demand ahead of a broader market debut.
The disclosure form also outlines potential risks for clients to consider. By choosing to market their home as a Compass Private Exclusive or Compass Coming Soon and not listing it on the MLS, sellers acknowledge that their property will not be distributed to other brokerage firms or public real estate websites. As a result, this may limit the number of potential buyers who see the property, reduce the volume of showings and offers, and could impact the final sale price. Sellers are reminded that they can instruct Compass to list their property on the MLS at any time, and that they are under no obligation to accept an offer while the property is in the off-MLS phase. Compass is fully committed to Fair Housing laws, and this disclosure reinforces the importance of marketing strategies that comply with all local, state, and federal requirements.The Compass 3-Phased Marketing Client Disclosure Form outlines key benefits for clients to consider, including:
The ability to market a property without accumulating days on market or price drop history, which can impact perceived value.
The option to test an aspirational price or validate a pricing strategy while signaling that the home is coming soon.
Time to complete staging, painting, or other preparations while still generating early buyer interest.
Greater privacy, with the option to limit visibility of photos and personal information until the listing is shared publicly.
A strategic opportunity to build buyer demand ahead of a broader market debut.
The disclosure form also outlines potential risks for clients to consider. By choosing to market their home as a Compass Private Exclusive or Compass Coming Soon and not listing it on the MLS, sellers acknowledge that their property will not be distributed to other brokerage firms or public real estate websites. As a result, this may limit the number of potential buyers who see the property, reduce the volume of showings and offers, and could impact the final sale price. Sellers are reminded that they can instruct Compass to list their property on the MLS at any time, and that they are under no obligation to accept an offer while the property is in the off-MLS phase. Compass is fully committed to Fair Housing laws, and this disclosure reinforces the importance of marketing strategies that comply with all local, state, and federal requirements.
“Our goal is to empower agents to deliver the best possible experience for their clients,” said Compass President Neda Navab. “By helping our clients make fully informed decisions and offering them strategic choices that best fit their needs, we’re raising the bar for what consumers should expect from their real estate advisor.”
The form was previously mandatory in some states and optional in others. The form is now required to be reviewed and signed by all seller clients before any pre-marketing activity begins. The form is open-sourced and available now for agents, brokers, and consumers at https://www.compass-homeowners.com/
