It's been YEARS since we've seen a statewide change that will have this BIG of an impact on how we sell homes in Washington.
Our Northwest Multiple Listing Service, or NWMLS, announced on Monday, August 31st, 2026 that we will essentially have "Coming Soon" listings in WA for the first time ever. They're rolling out this feature tomorrow, Friday, September 4th, 2026! This new pre-active listing status is called "First Look," and will allow Seller's & Listing Teams the opportunity to start marketing a home prior to listing it as Active. This is the first time we've had the opportunity to pre-market homes in Washington State, although most other states have been doing this for years.
Let us be clear, this doesn't mean that agents are allowed to hoard pocket listings and secretly market them to a select audience. A core principle of our real estate law & ethics here in Washington (and across the country; see the Federal Fair Housing Act, and Washington State Human Rights Commission) is to market all properties fairly & equally. All properties must be entered into the NWMLS as either "First Look," or Active before an agent can begin advertising that home.
The key difference with "First Look" is it allows Seller's and Listing Teams the option to build buzz around a listing, gather market feedback, and finalize their listing launch for up to 21 days without accumulating days on market or publishing a price history on public IDX feeds.
Here's a quick overview:
First Look is similar to “Coming Soon” options available in other states
Washington’s Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) announced on Monday 8/31 the introduction of First Look:
“A new optional listing status that gives Seller's and Listing Firms additional flexibility to market a property before it’s ready for Active Status.”
First Look is completely optional
Seller’s and Listing Firms may still input a property directly into Active status. First Look properties are input just like any other property.
Can you tour a First Look home?
Seller's decide whether to allow showings while listed as First Look. If a property is still undergoing preparations like paint or constructions, showings may not be allowed.
How is a First Look home seen online?
Seller's can choose if they’d like their First Look listing broadcasted publicly through IDX feeds, or kept to limited marketing to just licensed real estate brokers. *Subject to fair marketing requirements
What this means:
A listing can stay in First Look status for up to 21 days, but it can be moved to Active status earlier.
Price changes and time in First Look status are not displayed on IDX feeds. This gives Seller’s and Listing teams a chance to gather market feedback & adjust their launch strategy before listing a home as Active.
What this does not mean:
Listing brokers are not able to promote or advertise listings before they are entered into the MLS. This does not allow for the advertisement of hidden or “pocket listings." We are proud to be part of the NWMLS & share it’s firm stance that housing opportunities should be shared freely & equally.
Our market has been very finicky this year, we are very excited to implement this new option into our sales strategy. There have been several times this year where Seller's have wanted to try out a higher list price than we recommend. We've seen this repeatedly lead to lower online views, fewer showings, and increased days on market which ultimately reduces the Seller's' net proceeds. This new "First Look" will give us the opportunity to try out the seller's price for a couple weeks and monitor the market's reaction without the negative impact of a substantial price reduction, or increased days on market. This will also give our clients additional time to dial in their home without sacrificing valuable market time or exposure. Perhaps they need to finish some touch up paint, or minor repairs. They'd be able to do this while we market their home under the "First Look" status.
This announcement came as a bit of a shock as there wasn't much chatter around the subject before the NWMLS's press release on Monday. This week we've had a lot of conversations about "First Look," and the reactions we've seen from industry professionals have been completely mixed. Just about half of the professionals we've talked to are thrilled about this new change, and the other half hate the idea!
Changes, both big and small, always face a tumultuous start in the real estate world, but they ultimately settle in just fine as time goes on. The internet, online showing scheduling, buyer brokerage agreements, and discount brokerages all caused massive ripples when they were first introduced, but now they're a part of our everyday lives, and we don't hardly bat an eye at them.
We're excited to see how this can benefit our clients. We see it as our professional duty to understand & utilize all new features, products, and now listing statuses to best represent our clients!