Off-MLS listings run on a private conversation and a form nobody rereads. The guidance is weeks old, it is specific about what the seller has to be told, and the burden sits with you rather than with them.
NAR clarified what a broker must do before listing a home as an office exclusive or using a status like Coming Soon. No new rules — it ties the office exclusive exemption to the Multiple Listing Options for Sellers policy. Two lists came out of it.
“Secure a signed seller disclosure form confirming the seller’s understanding of the options and the MLS benefits being waived or delayed.”
A dated document with a specific list of what has to be on paper is rare in this business. Most agents doing office exclusives are relying on a conversation and a seller who said they wanted privacy, and that is not what this describes. Check your own form against the second list before the next one, not after.
Some states have gone further — Washington and Connecticut have passed or are weighing laws requiring public marketing unless the seller opts out in writing.