Pre-Market Marketing — Keep Your DOM at Zero

  Phase 1: Quiet Market Prep (0% DOM risk)

Goal: Build awareness without triggering any public listing clocks.

  1. Prep and Stage the Property

• Deep clean, declutter, and stage.

• Take professional photos and/or video tours (do not upload them publicly yet).

  2. Build Private Marketing Materials

• Create a property website or landing page (your own domain, not Zillow/Redfin).

• Draft flyers, postcards, and social-media posts (save as drafts).

  3. Pre-Screen Buyer & Agent Interest Privately

• Send private “coming soon” teasers via email to trusted agents or investors.

• Use brokerage “office-only” or internal “coming soon” systems (not public MLS).

• Share in private Facebook or community groups (no public addresses).

  4. Gather Feedback and Adjust

• Invite select buyers for informal previews.

• Use comments to refine price strategy before MLS launch.

🟢 At this point, no public DOM has started anywhere.

  Phase 2: Soft Launch (Very Low DOM risk)

Goal: Create buzz, but stay outside official MLS and large-portal tracking.

  5. Market Through Non-MLS Channels

6. Collect Early Interest

• Encourage buyers to pre-qualify or schedule showings once listed.

• Build a list of “first-to-know” contacts for launch day.

🟢 Still no official DOM; MLS clock hasn’t started.

  Phase 3: The Public MLS Launch (DOM begins)

Goal: Go live everywhere at once with maximum exposure and fresh DOM = 0.

  7. Remove All FSBO or Prior Listings

• Delete any Zillow FSBO or other public listings at least 31 days before going Active in MLS (to reset “Days on Zillow”).

  8. Publish the MLS Listing

• Coordinate with your agent so the listing hits MLS early in the week (Tuesday–Thursday) for best visibility.

• Verify MLS status shows Active, not “Coming Soon” or “Hold.”

  9. Syndicate Automatically to Major Sites

• Once Active, your MLS feed pushes to Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, etc.

• Because this is a new MLS ID, your official DOM and “Time on Redfin” start fresh.

  10. Monitor & Refresh

• Track showings and offers.

• Adjust price or photos as needed — your DOM now reflects only official listing days.

  Pro Tips

•   If you used Zillow FSBO, wait 31+ days after removal before MLS listing to fully reset.

•   Keep documentation of when you removed old listings (in case a portal doesn’t reset automatically).

•   Consider launching with a “Coming Soon” status inside the MLS if allowed; DOM typically doesn’t count until Active.

  Summary