Captivate Buyers and Sell Faster: Why Listing Your New Eastside Home on the MLS Matters

5 Reasons To List Your New Eastside Home on the MLS

Updated June 2026: The data caught up to this post.

I wrote this article in 2023. Since then, private and off-market listings have become the biggest fight in residential real estate, and the research now exists to settle it.

Zillow analyzed 10 million transactions and found that sellers who skipped the MLS left more than $1 billion on the table in just two years. The typical off-MLS seller lost about $5,000, and in some markets the loss reached $30,000. A separate study by Bright MLS and Drexel University across five states found that homes listed on the MLS sold for 17.5% more than comparable off-MLS homes, over $53,000 for the typical seller. Privately marketed "office exclusive" listings also sat nearly twice as long, a median of 37 days versus 20, and almost 90% of them ended up on the MLS anyway after the private phase failed to produce an acceptable offer.

One more thing I tell every New Eastside seller who hears the "test the market privately" pitch: a private listing is not a test. A real test requires the whole market, and a private listing shows your home to a sliver of it. You also should not need a test. A good agent walks in with the data already in hand: the comparable sales, your building's history, what's pending, and what expired and why. If a price is above what the data supports, the private market will not rescue it. It never has.  I cover this and other seller questions on my FAQ page.

My position in 2023 was that your home belongs on the MLS, in front of every buyer. Three years and two major studies later, nothing about that has changed except the size of the evidence.

Ginger Menne, Baird & Warner, New Eastside and Lakeshore East

Originally published in 2023

1. Increased exposure: By listing your home on the MLS, it becomes accessible to a wide network of real estate professionals, including agents and brokers. This increased exposure helps attract more potential buyers to your property, increasing your chances of a quicker sale.
2. Larger buyer pool: The MLS enables buyers' agents to easily find and showcase your property to their clients. This expands your reach to a larger pool of qualified buyers actively seeking homes in the New Eastside neighborhood.
3. Higher accuracy level: The MLS enforces strict rules and regulations for property listings, ensuring that the information provided is accurate and reliable. Buyers can trust the listings they find on the MLS, boosting their confidence and interest in your property.
4. Collaboration and networking: Listing your home on the MLS allows you to tap into a network of real estate professionals who actively work together to assist buyers and sellers. This collaboration leads to increased exposure and potential offers for your home.
5. Time and cost savings: The MLS provides a centralized platform for real estate listings, reducing the need for constant in-person showings. This saves you time and effort while potentially resulting in quicker sales and better offers.