Pocket Listings - The Secret Listings

With the Houston market as hot as it is and inventory at near record lows, pocket listings are becoming more an more common. So, you might be wondering just what is a Pocket Listing? A Pocket Listing is a listing that doesn't show up on the MLS.
The homes are sold by real estate agents in private, off-market transactions and are never seen by the buying public. It's not a new term, the practise has been around for years and is usually requested by the sellers for privacy reasons. The listing agent enters into a listing agreement with the seller and then the agent tells other Realtors about the listing. The home gets shown and a contract is offered without ever being offered publicly. Once the home is under contract, the agent posts it for recording purposes. This is the reason some new listings on har.com show up as pending or option pending the very day they are listed.