What Compass Coming Soon on Redfin Means for Chicago

Compass’ “Coming Soon” listings have begun displaying on Redfin, casting a wider net for some offerings in Chicago’s unique Private Listing Network.

The change comes as rival platform Zillow has raised concerns about the private network operated by Midwest Real Estate Data, the multiple listing service for Chicagoland. Relatively unique among MLSs, the Private Listing Network is visible by all Chicago-area agents and accessible by their clients, but listings are generally not sent to websites like Zillow and Redfin.

Announced last week as a partnership between Compass and Rocket, the real estate technology parent of Redfin, the deal will allow Compass “Coming Soon” listings to show up in Redfin’s home search portal. The deal also gives Compass agents lower pricing on mortgages through Rocket.

Compass agents often use the Private Listing Network to display their “Coming Soon” listings, which also appear on Compass’ website. “Coming Soon” means a property is about to hit the public market. Those listings can now appear on Redfin as well, where they appear as “Compass Coming Soon,” a Compass spokesperson confirmed. As of Wednesday afternoon, two Compass Coming Soon offerings are listed on Redfin in Chicago.

“Listings shared through MRED’s Private Listing Network (PLN) will syndicate to Redfin.com and Compass.com as “Coming Soon” listings when a seller chooses that exposure and provides consent,” the spokesperson said.

For now, “Private Exclusives” will remain accessible only for people working with a Compass agent or who physically go into a Compass office, but the companies said Private Exclusives will eventually appear on Redfin as well.

MRED CEO Rebecca Jensen said the decision on where to display “Coming Soon” listings is up to the seller.

“If sellers, brokers, and agents are happy, then MRED is happy,” Jensen said. “MRED’s philosophy is to listen to our brokers’ needs and serve them.”

The agreement taps into Redfin’s nearly 50 million monthly active users, giving the listings broader reach than they have on Compass’ website. But that still lags behind Zillow’s monthly user base that reached 250 million monthly unique visitors in mid-2025, according to a third quarter earnings report.

On a Compass “Coming Soon” listing, the “Request showing” button that connects a user to a Redfin agent is replaced with a box that displays the listing agent prominently and allows the users to contact the agent directly. Jeff Lowe, a Compass agent who sells high-dollar luxury homes downtown and on the North Side, said he prefers that setup over the standard model on Redfin and Zillow that directs leads to the portals’ preferred agents.

“The fact that it’s my information on the listing, if people want to reach out to me, they find me,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t throw a fit about it. That would have been my biggest contention… if my leads were going to Redfin agents.”

Similar to Compass’ website, “Coming Soon” listings on Redfin don’t display days on market or record price changes, which Compass CEO Robert Reffkin has pitched as an advantage for sellers. Critics of Compass’ tactics argue the strategy hides information needed for accurate pricing.

Compass agent Jovanka Novakovic said she has had conversations with her clients about putting upcoming “Coming Soon” listings on Redfin, and they’ve generally been receptive to it.

“Increased exposure without accruing days on market is a good thing,” Novakovic said. “They didn’t really see any drawbacks to it.”

The partnership also extends to Compass’ brands, according to the companies’ press release last week, including Chicago-based @properties Christie’s International Real Estate, which Compass acquired in 2024. In a statement, @properties Chief Brokerage Officer Amy Korr said the partnership was a win for clients and allows buyers to contact listing agents directly.

“Sellers gain additional exposure in the “Coming Soon” phase, while retaining control over how their home is marketed and what information is displayed,” she said. “The listing agent’s info is displayed on their listing, where it should have been all along.”

The agreement puts Redfin and Zillow on opposite sides of the debate over private listings. Zillow has fought efforts by Compass and others to broaden its exclusive offerings and argued private networks distort the market and hurt consumers. The company has crafted rules to block homes that were previously marketed off the MLS from appearing on its websites.

In Chicago, that standoff reached a boiling point late last year when Zillow argued MRED’s private network reinforces “digital redlining,” by hiding homes in majority-white neighborhoods from public view more often than in majority-non-white neighborhoods. MRED fired back, accusing the portal giant of exploiting fair housing concerns to protect its revenue. So far, Zillow has not begun enforcing its listing standards in Chicago.