Mike Weaster of Graham and Company Realty Group explains how a Whisper Listing works: "I have a potential client wanting to sell their property. I want to try to sell it prior to listing it on the MLS because, quite frankly, I want to earn both sides of the commission." Weaster says online marketing makes whisper listings easier, and he knows sellers who are so Covid conscience they don't want people coming through their home like they would if it was listed on MLS and area agents would line up in-home tours.
SOLD: Houston Housing Market Continues to Surge
Whisper Listings usually involve creating video home tours for selected clients. Weaster says it could become more popular in the future. "The 'younger generation' sees this is as the way they conduct business. It's as if I say, 'You don't have to come to the house, go online and let me show it to you.'" Weaster himself has some experience with whisper listings. "The way the market is changing with virtual showings, virtual tours...I have actually sold houses where people have made the purchase without the buyers ever being inside the house."
Weaster says in the already tight Houston market, it shrinks the number of homes available to buyers.
photo:GettyImages
House for Sale with a 'Whisper Listing'Photo: OJO+