Redfin has launched Redfin Early Access, a new search category on Redfin.com and its app that surfaces pre-market and “coming soon” listings that are not yet broadly available on other major real estate sites, the company said in an announcement Monday.
The new category aggregates two kinds of inventory: Redfin Coming Soon listings that appear only on Redfin and pre‑market listings from Compass International Holdings’ portfolio of brands, made available under the companies’ national partnership, announced in late February.
Redfin is launching Early Access as many homeowners signal they want a lower‑pressure way to enter the market. In an April Redfin survey of 1,000 U.S. homeowners, 83% of prospective home sellers said they are interested in listing their home as “coming soon” before it goes live more broadly, according to the release.
Among homeowners who plan to list in the future, 84% said greater certainty that their home would sell would make them more likely to list and another 84% said a more private first step is appealing. Two‑thirds (66%) said having a clearer sense of what their home would actually sell for would motivate them to list, and 56% cited the ability to test pricing as a benefit of a “coming soon” approach, according to Redfin.
“A lot of homeowners want to sell, but are not ready to commit to full exposure,” Redfin’s chief of real estate services Jason Aleem said in the announcement. “Giving sellers more control over how they enter the market gives them more confidence. Redfin Early Access lets sellers test the market before going all-in, while giving buyers a first look at homes they won’t find on other major sites. That’s good for sellers, good for buyers and good for a housing market that desperately needs more inventory.”
Listings in the Early Access category do not accrue days on market and do not publicly display price‑drop history. Redfin said this structure gives listing agents and their clients room to test list prices and refine strategy without adding visible days on market or multiple price cuts that can stigmatize a listing once it goes fully live.
Early Access listings receive premium placement in Redfin search results and are flagged with special icons so buyers can distinguish them from standard active listings. Any visitor to Redfin’s site or app can browse Early Access properties in search results, favorite and share homes and connect with the listing agent to learn more or schedule a tour. Buyers can also save searches and receive instant alerts when new Early Access listings match their criteria.
Redfin said a recent internal analysis estimates that giving homeowners more flexibility to test the market with tools such as Early Access could increase housing inventory as much as 12%.
Redfin feels this move will help formalize per-market and coming soon inventory in a distinct search category — and to plug in supply from a national partner like Compass — underscores how portal operators are trying to differentiate their listing feeds and capture earlier‑stage demand.
This article was generated using HousingWire Automation and reviewed by a HousingWire editor before publication. The system helps convert company announcements and industry data into HousingWire-style news coverage.
