SWMLS Subscribers will find much of this guidance familiar.

If the National Association of REALTORS®' newest guidance on Office Exclusive listings and pre-marketing sounds familiar, that's because Southwest MLS has already been putting many of these principles into practice.

When SWMLS implemented Multiple Listing Options for Sellers in late 2025, Subscribers gained four distinct listing options designed to give sellers more flexibility while preserving the transparency, cooperation, and consumer benefits of the MLS.

Now, NAR has released a comprehensive guidance resource that reinforces many of those same concepts, including seller choice, informed consent, required disclosures, and the broker's role in recommending the listing strategy that best serves the client's goals.

Click the image below to view & download NAR's Pre-Marketing Guidance PDF.

Reinforcing What SWMLS Already Offers

The new guidance doesn't introduce sweeping changes for SWMLS Subscribers. Instead, it affirms many of the policies and practices already built into the SWMLS listing options.

For example, both SWMLS and NAR emphasize:

• Sellers, not brokers, choose the listing strategy after receiving professional guidance.
• Listing options should align with each seller's marketing goals, privacy needs, and timeline.
• Required seller disclosures help ensure informed decision-making.
• Office Exclusive listings are intended for sellers who do not want public marketing.
• Compliance with the Clear Cooperation Policy remains essential whenever public marketing occurs.

Four Options, One Goal: Serving the Seller

SWMLS already provides a range of listing options that allow brokers to tailor a marketing strategy to each client's needs:

• Active (A) for immediate public exposure and showings.
• Coming Soon (CS) for generating interest while preparing a property.
• Delayed IDX/Syndication (DIS) for sellers who want showings while delaying broader online distribution.
• Office Exclusive (OE) for sellers whose circumstances call for maximum privacy and no public marketing.

The new NAR resource expands on when each option may be appropriate and provides practical guidance brokers can use during listing presentations and seller consultations.

BROKER COMPLIANCE CHECK

Stay in compliance with MLS Rules, which includes the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP).

OFFICE EXCLUSIVE LISTINGS

1. What if the property is publicly marketed?  
   Submit to the MLS within one business day so it is available to other MLS Participants.  
2. What if I want to tell a broker or agent outside my firm about the listing?
   ✓ Secure authorization from your seller.  
   ✓ Engage in one-to-one broker-to-broker communication
   ✓ Ensure the receiving broker does not market the property—including a showing—as that would trigger CCP submission requirements.  
   ✓ See 1:1 Broker Communications resource for more information and guidance. 

A Good Opportunity for a Refresher

Even for experienced brokers, the guidance serves as a helpful reminder that listing options begin with a conversation. Every seller has different priorities, and your role is to explain the available choices, outline the benefits and tradeoffs of each, and document the seller's informed decision.

For SWMLS Subscribers, this is less about learning a new policy and more about reinforcing the thoughtful approach already built into the Multiple Listing Options for Sellers framework.

HANDOUT

Click the image below to view & download.

MULTIPLE LISTING OPTIONS BROKER KIT

Click the image above to view resources to share with your office & clients.

Questions?

Contact SWMLS Support at 505-842-1433, option 5 or support@swmls.com