As private listings become more common in Los Angeles real estate, one brokerage leader is challenging the way the debate is framed. Courtney Poulos, founder of SERHANT. CA and team lead at ACME | SERHANT., argues that the question should not be about rules and procedures but about what gives sellers the best possible outcome. Her proposal, which she acknowledges does not broadly exist today, would allow sellers to keep their homes off public consumer websites while still sharing the listing with every licensed agent, not just those within a single brokerage.
Poulos, whose profile is available through her Courtney Poulos agent page, points out that sellers who choose an off-market sale are often asked to sign a written acknowledgment that keeping a listing off the market could mean fewer showings or a lower sale price. She also notes that many buyers are not yet working with an agent, browsing online and watching the market until something catches their eye. Every channel a listing is kept out of, she says, is a chance to miss those buyers. “I still feel like access is important, and we should not fracture,” she said.
Her middle path is straightforward: if a seller wants to stay off the large consumer listing websites, the listing could still be shared in a system that every licensed agent can access. That way, the seller keeps the home out of public view while reaching as many agents as possible who may be representing qualified buyers. More buyers, she believes, give a seller a better chance at a higher price. The key, in her view, is that everyone plays by the same rules, with all agents able to see each other’s off-market listings. She also believes that once a listing is in the MLS and available to other agents, there should be no time limit on how long it can be marketed off-market to those agents. Some homes are highly specific and may not sell quickly, and sellers should be able to keep that private marketing going for as long as they choose. “The MLS needs to take its handcuffs off of us,” she said.
Poulos further argues that it is fair to ask who benefits when a listing is marketed only in-house. Keeping a listing within one brokerage can increase the chance that the same brokerage represents both sides of the transaction, which can be financially attractive for the brokerage. That is not necessarily wrong, she says, but sellers deserve a clear understanding of the tradeoff. If the goal truly is serving the seller, she believes there is little reason a private listing should not be visible to every licensee.
Until a shared system exists, Poulos encourages sellers considering a private sale to ask their agent direct questions: Will my home be visible to agents outside your brokerage? How many buyers’ agents will realistically see it? What might I be giving up on price compared with a full public launch? For sellers of higher-end homes on the Eastside of Los Angeles and beyond, she believes the best strategy starts with the seller’s goals and works backward. Sellers preparing to list can find more guidance in the ACME | SERHANT. Buyer and Seller Toolkit.
The implications extend beyond one brokerage. As private listings grow in popularity, the real estate industry faces pressure to balance seller privacy with broad market exposure. Poulos’s proposal highlights a potential shift toward a more inclusive off-market system that could change how agents cooperate and how sellers evaluate tradeoffs between privacy and price. For now, her advice underscores the importance of transparency and informed decision-making in a market where off-market strategies are increasingly common.
