Real Estate Coming Soon Listings: Build Buzz Before Public Launch

Published: February 17, 2026 | Author: Cole Neophytou | Category: Marketing Strategy | Reading Time: 11 minutes

Introduction

You have a hot listing. The seller is ready to go. But there's a problem: the home needs staging, photography, and cleaning. If you list publicly now, you'll miss the first showing wave.

Most agents list publicly, then scramble to get photos and showings scheduled. It's reactive.

Great agents use "coming soon" status strategically. They build buzz before public launch, pre-generate buyer interest, and then drop the listing into an active market where buyers are waiting.

In this guide, I'll show you exactly how to use coming soon listings strategically to maximize buzz, pre-qualify buyers, and generate multiple offers on day one of public launch.

What Is a Coming Soon Listing?

Coming soon is a pre-public listing status. The home is listed in MLS with a "coming soon" designation, but it's not available for public showings yet.

Key distinction:

• Coming Soon: Visible on MLS to other agents, not visible on Zillow/Redfin to buyers
• Active: Visible on MLS and all public sites

Coming soon creates a unique opportunity: Agent-to-agent visibility without public competition.

Why Coming Soon Works: The Psychology

Coming soon creates scarcity psychology.

When a buyer sees 500 homes on Zillow, they feel abundant choice. Prices matter less. Sellers have negotiating power.

When an agent sees a "coming soon" home on MLS, the agent feels exclusive access. This home will be public soon. If I don't act now, I'll compete with 500 other listings and 50 other agents.

This drives agent-generated showings and interest before the home is even publicly listed.

The Data:

• Coming soon listings generate 30-40% of their showing requests in the first 48 hours
• Coming soon homes that transition to active receive 2-3x more initial interest than homes listed directly to active
• Coming soon homes are 15-20% more likely to receive multiple offers
• Coming soon homes sell faster (30-45 days vs. 45-60 days average)

The scarcity and exclusivity drive behavior change.

The Coming Soon Strategy: 7-10 Days

Here's how to execute coming soon strategically:

Day 1: List on MLS with Coming Soon Status

Create the MLS listing with:

• Professional photos (at least 20)
• Video walkthrough
• Detailed description
• Coming soon activation date (7-10 days out)
• Note to agents: "Showings begin [date]. Express interest in advance."

This immediately signals to agents that this home is coming. Agents will:

• Save it to watch lists
• Run comps on it
• Identify potential buyers
• Prepare to show it

You've just created anticipation.

Days 2-3: Generate Agent Interest

Email all agents in your MLS:

Subject: "New Coming Soon Listing - [Address] - Exclusive Preview"

Body:
"I have a new listing coming to market on [date]. This home is [key features]. This is a competitive neighborhood—it will generate multiple offers quickly.

I'm holding a broker preview on [date/time]. Agents who preview in advance are more likely to have qualified buyers ready. Sign up here: [link]

Details:

• [Key feature]
• [Key feature]
• List price will be [X]
• Target market is [buyer profile]

Looking forward to working with you."

This drives agent engagement. Agents want early access. They want to bring their best buyers.

Days 4-7: Host Broker Preview

Hold a private showing for agents (no buyers yet):

1. Timing: Early morning or lunch hour (when agents can attend)

2. Duration: 2 hours maximum (not all day)

3. Capacity: Limit to 15-20 agents (creates scarcity, not a cattle call)

4. Format:

   • Walk through the home with the agent (you, not the seller)
   • Talk about buyer profile
   • Discuss pricing strategy
   • Answer questions

5. Follow-up:

   • Email agent thank-yous with links to buyer questionnaire
   • Ask agents to identify likely buyers
   • Create agent-to-agent feedback loop

Days 5-10: Build Waiting List

As agents preview, they identify buyers. Create a waiting list:

"Agent: John Smith
Buyer: [Name]
Profile: First-time buyer, $400-450k, 3-bed, West neighborhood
Showing scheduled: [Date/Time]"

This waiting list becomes your day-one showing schedule. When you go active, you have 10-15 scheduled showings already booked.

Most agents starting from zero have 2-3 showings on day one. You'll have 10-15.

Day 8-10: Pre-Launch Buyer Campaign

Create buzz among your past buyer clients:

Email: "This home is perfect for [specific buyer type]. It checks all your boxes. It goes public [date]. If interested, let me know ASAP and I can get you an early showing."

This generates additional buyer interest before public launch.

Day 11: Transition to Active

Change MLS status from "coming soon" to "active." Now the listing is:

• On Zillow, Redfin, Google
• Visible to all buyers
• Public

But you already have:

• 10-15 pre-scheduled showings
• Agent waiting list ready to convert to offers
• Multiple interested buyers

Result: First 48 hours of public listing are chaos (in a good way). You get 20-30 showings, multiple offers, and competitive bidding.

The Coming Soon Timeline: Real Example

Let's use a realistic example:

Thursday, Feb 20 (Day 1):

• List property as "coming soon" on MLS
• Post on your social media: "Coming soon - something special"
• Email agents inviting to broker preview

Friday, Feb 21 (Day 2-3):

• 12 agents register for broker preview
• 8 agents attend (4 couldn't make it)
• Agents identify 7 potential buyers

Saturday, Feb 22:

• Agent calls: "My buyer wants to see it Saturday evening"
• You schedule private showing: 5pm Saturday

Sunday, Feb 23:

• Another agent: "My buyer available Sunday morning"
• You schedule: 10am Sunday
• Another: 2pm Sunday
• Another: 4pm Sunday

Monday-Tuesday, Feb 24-25:

• 3 more showings scheduled
• You're not even public yet
• 8 showings pre-scheduled

Wednesday, Feb 26 (Day 7):

• You announce: "Listing goes active tomorrow"
• Agents who haven't shown yet scramble to schedule today
• 4 more showings
• 12 total pre-scheduled showings

Thursday, Feb 27 (Day 11 - Go Active):

• List goes public
• Immediately get 15-20 public inquiry requests
• 12 pre-scheduled showings
• Schedule 8-10 additional showings from public interest

Result: 30+ showings in first 3 days of active listing

Compare to: Listing directly to active (no coming soon):

• First 3 days: 8-12 showings

The coming soon strategy gives you 2.5-3x more showing activity.

Coming Soon Best Practices

1. Don't Oversell the Home Before Launch

Use coming soon to build anticipation, not to generate disappointment. When agents show up to preview, the home should exceed expectations, not disappoint.

If you say "This is the most amazing home in the neighborhood" and agents walk in to see it needs work, you've destroyed credibility.

Instead: "This home needs a few updates, but has incredible bones and priced for it. Perfect for a buyer willing to add value."

2. Pricing: Don't Signal Your Price Until Day 1

During coming soon, agents ask: "What's the list price?"

Don't tell them until listing day. You want them to make their own valuation. If you say "$500k" and their estimate is $510k, they'll be disappointed. If they estimate $490k, they'll feel lucky.

Instead: "Price will be revealed when we go active. Give me your estimate and we'll see who's right."

3. Use Coming Soon for Last-Minute Preparation

The entire point of coming soon is that the home isn't ready for public yet. Use this time for:

• Professional staging
• Photography (if not already done)
• Repairs (if minor)
• Deep cleaning
• Landscaping/curb appeal

Don't use coming soon if the home is already photo-ready. The timing doesn't make sense.

4. Communicate the Activation Date Clearly

Every email, every preview, every conversation should include: "This listing goes active on [date]."

This creates urgency. Agents know if they don't act now, they'll compete with the whole market.

5. Manage Agent Expectations on Multiple Offers

Some agents will tell their clients: "This will have multiple offers." Others will tell their clients: "Plenty of supply, we can negotiate."

You control the narrative. In your broker preview, say:

"This home is priced right and the market is favorable. I expect multiple offers within 48 hours of going active. If you have a buyer, schedule early. Day-one showings have the highest conversion to offers."

Now agents are creating urgency with their clients. Your clients benefit.

Coming Soon + Video = Supercharger

Video is already powerful. Video + coming soon exclusivity is explosive.

Create a video walkthrough and only share it with preview agents:

"Here's an exclusive video walkthrough. Share with your clients to pre-qualify before showing."

This accomplishes:

• Agents show video to their buyers before scheduling (pre-qualification)
• Only pre-qualified buyers are showing up at viewings
• You waste less time on non-serious buyers
• Showing efficiency is higher
• Conversion rate (showing to offer) increases

Using Coming Soon for Problem Homes

Coming soon is especially powerful for homes that need positioning:

Example 1: Needs Repairs
"This home is coming soon. It needs [specific updates]. This is priced below market to reflect needed work. Repair-minded investors, this is your opportunity."

Coming soon allows agents to position the home appropriately before public launch.

Example 2: Controversial Feature
"Coming soon. This home is located near [highway/industrial area]. But the price reflects that. It's perfect for buyers who want the location for [specific reason]."

Coming soon lets agents prepare their buyers for any controversial features.

Example 3: Unique Property
"This is a unique property—[description]. It won't be for everyone, but for the right buyer, it's perfect. Coming soon to market."

Coming soon creates buzz around uniqueness rather than just dropping it on the market cold.

The Coming Soon Seller Conversation

Some sellers don't understand coming soon. They want to go live immediately.

Your script:

"Here's the advantage of coming soon: We list on MLS for 7 days. Agents preview the home. They identify interested buyers. When we go active publicly, we already have 10-15 scheduled showings. That's called buyer momentum.

If we go active immediately, we get maybe 3-5 showings on day one. It feels slow.

The downside: We're not public for 7 days. But in that time, agents are working hard to generate buyer interest. It's a better strategy.

Here's the data: Coming soon homes sell X% faster and receive Y% more offers than homes listed directly to active. It's worth 7 days of preparation."

Most sellers understand this when presented as strategy, not delay.

Coming Soon Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Using Coming Soon As Delay Tactic

If the home is already ready, don't use coming soon to "wait for the market to improve." That's not strategy; that's hope.

Only use coming soon if:

• Home needs final staging/photography
• You want agent buzz time
• You're managing multiple listing timing

Mistake 2: Forgetting to Activate

Some agents list as coming soon and forget to change it to active on the promised date. This destroys your credibility with agents.

Set a calendar reminder. Change it on time, every time.

Mistake 3: Not Following Up With Interested Agents

Agents preview the home and say they're interested. Then you never call them back. They move on. When you go active, they're not interested anymore.

Follow up daily:

• Agent: "My buyer wants to see it."
• You: "Great! How about Saturday at 5pm?"
• Confirmed.

Every interested agent gets a follow-up call within 24 hours.

Mistake 4: Coming Soon Too Long

7-10 days is ideal. Longer and the novelty wears off. Agents think "This will probably fail if it hasn't listed publicly yet."

Don't do coming soon for 30 days. That's hiding, not strategy.

Mistake 5: No Agent Communication Strategy

You send one email to agents. They don't respond. You assume they're not interested.

Actually, they didn't see the email. Send multiple touchpoints:

• Email on Day 1
• Email reminder on Day 3
• Email reminder on Day 5
• Email "Last chance for broker preview" on Day 6
• Text to top agents on Day 7
• Phone call to top agents on Day 8

Multiple touchpoints increase response.

Technology for Coming Soon Strategy

To execute coming soon effectively, use:

• MLS System: Supports coming soon status (all MLS systems do)
• Automated Email: Emails to agents with preview links, reminders
• Calendar Management: Schedule showings and broker preview
• Video Platform: Share walkthrough video with agents
• CRM: Track agent interest and follow-up

Simple tools: Email, Google Calendar, Loom (for video).

Advanced tools: CRM-integrated broker preview system, automated followup sequences.

Real-World ROI: Coming Soon vs. Direct to Active

Direct to Active (Traditional):

• Days to first showing: 2-3
• Total showings in first 7 days: 12-15
• Total showings before first offer: 20-25
• Multiple offers: 20% chance
• Days on market: 45-60
• Selling price: 97% of list

Coming Soon Strategy:

• Days to first showing: 0 (pre-scheduled during coming soon)
• Total showings in first 7 days: 25-35
• Total showings before first offer: 25-30
• Multiple offers: 60%+ chance
• Days on market: 30-40
• Selling price: 99-102% of list

Coming soon adds:

• 10-20 extra showings
• 40%+ higher chance of multiple offers
• 10-15 faster days on market
• 2-3% higher selling price

On a $500,000 home, that's $10,000-15,000 additional value.

For this, you worked 1 extra week. Worth it? Absolutely.

Conclusion

Coming soon is underused by most agents. They see it as a waiting status. Great agents see it as a marketing opportunity.

Coming soon allows you to:

1. Build agent buzz before public launch
2. Pre-generate buyer interest
3. Create scarcity psychology
4. Pre-schedule showings
5. Control narrative around the listing

Implement coming soon for your next 5 listings that need preparation. Measure:

• Total showings in first 7 days
• Multiple offers received
• Days on market
• Selling price vs. list price

You'll see immediate improvement. In 30 days, coming soon will become your default strategy.

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FAQ

Q: Should I always use coming soon?
A: No. Only use it if the home needs final preparation (staging, photography) or if you want agent buzz time. If the home is ready, go directly to active.

Q: How long should coming soon last?
A: 7-10 days is ideal. Shorter and agents don't have time to coordinate buyers. Longer and momentum dies. 7-10 is the sweet spot.

Q: Will the MLS require a specific activation date?
A: Yes. Set the activation date when you list. Most MLS systems require you to specify the date. Some require you to manually change status; others do it automatically.

Q: What if an agent wants to show during coming soon?
A: Allow it. Create a private showing. This is exactly what you want—agents seeing the home and lining up buyers.

Q: Should I price the home during coming soon or wait?
A: Reveal price when you go active. During coming soon, let agents estimate. When you go active, the revealed price should be reasonable based on agent estimates.

Q: Can I use coming soon to test different prices?
A: Not really. Coming soon is for buzz and prep, not price testing. If you're unsure on price, use coming soon to get agent feedback on valuations, then set price for active.

Q: What if the home gets an offer during coming soon?
A: Accept it if it's good. Change MLS status to "contingent" or "pending" and notify preview agents. Some may have backup offers.

Q: How do I prevent coming soon from looking like the home "can't sell"?
A: Communicate it as strategy. "Coming soon to build buyer anticipation" vs. "Coming soon because it's not ready." The messaging matters.

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Entity Annotations:

• Coming Soon Status (MLS Category)
• Broker Preview (Real Estate Event)
• Agent Marketing (Business Strategy)
• Buyer Anticipation (Marketing Psychology)
• Multiple Offers (Negotiation Strategy)
• Pre-Listing Marketing (Sales Strategy)