159 Pinney Road: originally listed as a Private Exclusive while the home was being prepared for the Open Market.
You've maybe seen a lot of press about a controversial real estate term, “Private Exclusives.” Here's some background on what it actually means.
In January 2026, Compass International Holdings acquired Anywhere Real Estate Brands — locally, that's Coldwell Banker Realty, Century 21, Sotheby's International Realty, ERA Real Estate, and others.
What is a Private Exclusive?
It's Compass's name for an “Office Exclusive Listing,” which has existed for decades. The difference now is scale and technology: agents across the Compass International Holdings brands can now see these listings in a shared platform, Home Platform, rather than learning about them only through one agent at a time.
Under National Association of Realtors rules, these listings cannot be publicly marketed on the MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, or other public sites while they are in this phase. They are shared only inside the Compass network, to Compass agents and their clients.
In the end, the decision is up to the seller. It's their property.
Why would a seller choose this?
They don't want the home publicly on the market, for privacy or personal reasons, and are looking for a private sale.
The home isn't quite ready for maximum public visibility yet. For example: I sign a listing agreement, the exterior is fine and we can get photos, but the owner still has work to do inside. We list it as a Private Exclusive to let agents and their clients know, “hey, this home will be coming onto the market.” Once the inside work, staging, and photos are done, the home is listed on the MLS publicly as “Coming Soon,” and marketing continues until it goes active.
A recent example in Worthington
This phased approach is exactly what we used for a recent Worthington sale: Private Exclusive first, then MLS Coming Soon once the home was staged and photographed, then active with a 3D tour, floor plan, and professional video.
The result was 17 showings, a packed Thursday night open house, 6 offers, and $52,000 over list price.
In my experience, homes marketed in phases — Private Exclusive, then Coming Soon, then active — get the higher and best price and terms, because Coming Soon builds demand and competition before the home ever goes fully active.
Why is it controversial?
Office Exclusive listings have existed for decades at most brokerages, sometimes called “pocket listings.” Before, exposure was very selective — an agent had to network one-to-one to learn about a listing, or the listing agent might sell it to one of their own buyers.
Compass has made that inventory much more visible inside its own network, and marketed it as homes “you will not see anywhere else.” Competing brokers argue that gives Compass agents and their clients an unfair advantage. Critics have also raised concerns about whether limited-access listings risk fair housing objectives, because not every buyer sees every home at the same time.
That debate is ongoing, and it's worth knowing about — but it doesn't change the basic rule: a Private Exclusive is a seller's choice, with a signed disclosure that they understand they're trading broad, immediate exposure for privacy and timing control.
How do you find Private Exclusive listings?
They aren't searchable on the public portals. They can only be viewed by Compass International Holdings clients who have a search — called a “Collection” — set up in Home Platform, and only if a home matches that criteria.
Home Platform was released in July 2026 to more than 4,000 agents at Coldwell Banker Realty, Corcoran and Sotheby's International Realty, with nearly 50,000 expected to have it by the end of September. Franchise agents, such as those at Century 21 and franchised Coldwell Banker offices, are due to get it beginning in the first quarter of 2027.
Clients will be able to view Private Exclusives from across the Compass International Holdings brands.
Even if you're not looking to buy or sell right now, I can set up a Collection with your criteria, with no obligation. Reach out and let me know.
