StreetEasy's Listing Access Standards: What NYC Agents Need to Know

At Zillow and StreetEasy, we believe everyone deserves fair and transparent access to real estate information. That's why we introduced our listing access standards, designed to protect transparency and foster a competitive market for buyers, sellers and agents. As we launch these standards, we want to be clear about how this may impact you moving forward.

StreetEasy's listing access standards

Our standards are guided by one simple principle: If a listing is marketed to some buyers, it must be marketed to all buyers. A listing publicly marketed to some buyers needs to be published on StreetEasy within one business day. Agents who have listings that don't meet these standards will lose access to programs including StreetEasy Experts, StreetEasy Concierge and Zillow Premier Agent in NYC and will not have access to new listing and agent marketing tools StreetEasy is rolling out soon. Additionally, NYC listings that do not comply with Zillow's listing access standards will be blocked from Zillow and Trulia for the life of the listing agreement between that listing broker and seller.

These standards apply to listings that are subject to an exclusive for sale listing agreement between a broker and a seller. They do not apply to rental listings, for sale by owner listings or new development listings as long as the building is being represented by the developer and their sales team, rather than a resale unit being sold by an individual homeowner.

• For agents: These standards allow agents to best serve their clients, where everyone has fair access to listings. A transparent market supports you in providing the best possible service: Your sellers expect maximum exposure for their listing and the best way to deliver that for them is by broadly marketing the listing. Your buyers expect to see all available listings. 
• For sellers: By ensuring listings are widely marketed, sellers benefit from maximum exposure, which research shows typically leads to higher sale prices and a quicker sale. And NYC sellers want broad access: Nearly all NYC sellers (89%) believe all available for-sale listings should be accessible to all home shoppers. They also agree their home is more likely to sell quickly (94%) and that they are more likely to get the price they want for their home (93%) if more prospective buyers can view it. Following these standards help sellers trust that their property is being marketed fairly and reaches the broadest possible audience. 
• For buyers: Buyers gain confidence knowing they have access to all available listings, reducing frustration and increasing trust in the marketplace. This transparency helps buyers make more informed decisions and feel more secure in their homebuying journey. Additionally, limiting who can – and can't see – a listing presents fair housing risks. 

We recognize that a small number of sellers prioritize privacy over maximizing price or getting a fast sale, however for most sellers, broad exposure creates the best outcome – a faster sale for more money. StreetEasy's standards are focused on listings that aren’t truly private – like listings that may be publicly advertised on a brokerage’s website but not entered into StreetEasy for a period of time. We believe listings marketed to some buyers should be available to all buyers and their agents.

How our listing standards will work

StreetEasy's listing access standards go into effect June 30 and email notifications of non-compliant listings will begin May 28. Our goal is to give agents ample time to understand our standards to ensure they maintain access to StreetEasy programs that connect them to the widest audience of NYC home shoppers. 

NYC agents should ensure all of their publicly marketed listings are live on StreetEasy by June 30 to remain eligible to participate in programs including StreetEasy Experts, StreetEasy Concierge and Zillow Premier Agent in NYC. Team Leads are responsible for ensuring their entire team complies with the standards as violations by any team member can result in the suspension of the entire team. 

Starting May 28, Zillow and StreetEasy will each begin notifying agents of any non-compliant listings. Each non-compliant listing will be logged as a single violation and the listing agent will be notified directly on each violation. These notices are intended to inform agents and equip them with the tools they need to stay compliant and effectively support their clients. 

On Zillow, starting June 30, an agent's third non-compliant listing – and any subsequent non-compliant listings – will be blocked from Zillow and Trulia for the life of the listing agreement between that listing broker and seller. Listings that align with the standards will be on Zillow and Trulia, regardless of an agent's past violations. An agent’s ability to post listings on StreetEasy is not impacted by these listing access standards; however agents not following these standards will have limited access to StreetEasy programs.

Throughout June, we'll continue broad communication to agents about how to ensure their listings are in compliance with these standards. As we always strive to do, we'll work to ensure agents and others in the real estate community not only understand our standards but also are empowered to join us in our work to promote a fairer and more transparent marketplace for all. 

What is allowed under the listing access standards

• Office exclusive listings are permitted as long as a homeowner signs a seller disclosure, and the office exclusive is limited within a single brokerage company and shared only amongst agents within that brokerage or 1:1 communication with clients, but not marketed publicly.
• Coming Soon listings published on StreetEasy within one business day of public marketing.
• Posting a sneak peek of a listing on social media or in an email newsletter to buyers as long as it doesn't include details that could approximate a listing, like price and address, and doesn't include a call to action – like an invitation to tour the home or a callout to receive the link to the listing via a direct message. 

What is not allowed under the listing access standards

• Listings that are publicly marketed but not published on StreetEasy within one business day of being marketed. 
• Listings that are shared selectively with buyers who are not already clients of the brokerage, creating an unfair advantage and limiting access for others.
• Listings marketed to consumers on a public-facing platform including on a brokerage's website without being submitted to StreetEasy.
• Publicly marketing that exclusive listings are available if a buyer is willing to work with a specific agent or brokerage.
• Public marketing includes things like display on a broker's website and email newsletters and mailers promoting the home, open houses or virtual tours. 
• A social media post sharing a listing is considered public marketing – and would not be in compliance with our standards – if the post includes things like the following:
  • Call to action around selective marketing of the listing. 
    • Example: A social media post of 123 Main Street with a link to visit the brokerage site, which is gated behind a customer log-in.
  • Listing details which could approximate a listing with an accompanying call to action.
    • Example: A social media post of 123 Main Street for $500,0000 with a call to direct message the agent to tour the home.  

What if a seller wants to keep their listing offline?

Homeowners have many options if they want privacy in the way they sell their home. If a homeowner decides they want to keep their listing completely private, they should be fully informed of the tradeoffs and agree in writing. A listing can remain completely private only if all of the following conditions are met:

• The seller gives written instructions directing their agent not to disseminate the listing publicly.
• The listing is shared only in 1:1 communication between agents within the same brokerage and shared 1:1 to their individual clients.
• The listing itself or the existence of it is not marketed publicly in any way.
• The seller signs a waiver or opt-out form that includes information about the decision as well as potential drawbacks of keeping the home off of the public market or widely online. The form will clearly direct the agent not to publicly market the home.

FAQ

How are the standards being implemented? 
Our goal is to give agents ample time to understand StreetEasy's listing access standards to ensure they maintain access to StreetEasy programs that connect them to the widest audience of NYC home shoppers. Under these standards, any publicly marketed listing must be published on StreetEasy within 1 business day. Agents who have listings that don't meet these standards will lose access to programs including StreetEasy Experts, StreetEasy Concierge and Zillow Premier Agent in NYC and will not have access to new listing and agent marketing tools StreetEasy is rolling out soon. 

Starting May 28, Zillow and StreetEasy will each notify agents of any non-compliant listings. On Zillow, an agent's third non-compliant listing – and any subsequent non-compliant listings – will be blocked from Zillow and Trulia. These notices are intended to inform agents and equip them with the tools they need to stay compliant and effectively support their clients. Throughout June, we'll continue broad communication to agents about how to ensure their listings are in compliance with these standards. 

When do the standards go into effect?
These standards go into effect on StreetEasy on June 30, 2025. Starting May 28, Zillow and StreetEasy will each notify agents of any non-compliant listings. Agents should ensure all publicly marketed listings are live on StreetEasy by June 30 to remain eligible to participate in StreetEasy programs.

Who do the standards apply to?
The listing access standards apply to listings that are subject to an exclusive for sale listing agreement between a broker and a seller. The standards do not apply to rental listings, for sale by owner listings, or new development listings as long as the building is being represented by the developer and their sales team, rather than a resale unit being sold by an individual homeowner.

What do you consider to be publicly marketed? 
Public marketing means promoting, marketing or advertising a listing in any manner, which can mean flyers, social media, public-facing websites or apps, emails, printed mailers, newspapers, open houses, previews, showings, multi-brokerage listing-sharing networks, virtual tours, and brokerage private listing networks to the extent such listing network is publicly marketed and/or accessible to consumers, including those accessible only to a brokerage's clients behind a registration wall. Public marketing is also defined as consumer-facing marketing about the existence of inventory only available by working with a specific agent or brokerage. 

How are you notifying agents? 
We are notifying all agents who have a non-compliant listing via email. 

What is a listing notification and does it require action?
Listing notifications will be sent when we've identified a listing that doesn't follow our standards. These notifications are intended to inform and educate agents so they can make the best choices for their clients. Our intent isn't to restrict access or catch any agent unaware - that's why we'll spend the next few months informing agents on a per listing occurrence. Agents will be notified via email when a listing doesn't follow our listing access standards. 

Will a listing in violation be blocked from StreetEasy?
No. An agent’s ability to post listings on StreetEasy is not impacted by the listing access standards; however agents not following these standards will have limited access to StreetEasy programs and will not have access to new listing and agent marketing tools StreetEasy is rolling out soon. On Zillow, starting June 30, an agent's third non-compliant listing – and any subsequent non-compliant listings – will be blocked from Zillow and Trulia for the life of the listing agreement between that listing broker and seller. 

If I post a listing on social media  and not on StreetEasy within 1 business day, is that considered public marketing and in violation of the standards? 
If a social media post includes the following, it is considered public marketing – and would not be in compliance with our standards:

• Call to action around selective marketing of the listing.
  • Example: A social media post of 123 Main Street with a link to visit the brokerage site, which is gated behind a customer log-in.
  • Example: Agent posts a photo of an image of 123 Main Street and asks clients to comment with the neighborhood name to get a link to the private listing.
• Listing details which could approximate a listing with an accompanying call to action.
  • Example: A social media post of 123 Main Street for $500,0000 with a call to direct message the agent to tour the home.

Alternatively, if a social media post about an upcoming listing does not include the call to action or listing details, it is compliant with our standards.

• Example: A social media post including an image of a home giving an agent's followers a sneak peek before it goes live on StreetEasy. 

What if listing off-market was something my seller client specifically asked for?
Homeowners have many options if they want privacy in the way they sell their home.

If a homeowner does wish to keep their listing fully private - whether for privacy, safety, or another personal reason - we support that. In those cases, the listing never gets publicly marketed (on StreetEasy or anywhere else online) and there is an existing path for these unique sellers. To take this path, the seller should be fully informed of the tradeoffs and agree in writing. A listing remains completely private only if all of the following conditions are met:

• The seller gives written instructions directing you not to disseminate the listing publicly.
• The listing is shared only in 1:1 communication between agents within the same brokerage and their individual clients.
• The listing is not marketed publicly in any way and understands they are opting out of online exposure.
• The seller signs a waiver or opt-out form that includes clear information about the decision, directs you not to publicly market the home and outlines the potential drawbacks of keeping the listing off public platforms.

Do the standards impact sponsored unit listings?
Sponsored units are not impacted under the listing access standards as long as the building is being represented by the developer and their sales team. Sponsored units listed with an agent under an exclusive listing agreement that are publicly advertised need to be published on StreetEasy within 1 business day in accordance with the standards.

Do the standards impact for sale by owner listings?
No. For sale by owner listings are still able to be entered directly onto our sites. These new listing standards apply to listings that are subject to an exclusive listing agreement between a broker and a seller.

Do the standards impact rental listings?
No. Rentals inventory is not impacted under these new listing standards. These new listing standards are limited to homes for sale.

Are coming soon listings allowed under the standards?
Yes, Coming Soon listings are in compliance if the listing is entered on StreetEasy within one business day of public marketing.

Are REBNY Participants Only allowed under the standards?
As long as the homeowner signs a seller disclosure, listings that are shared among agents in the RLS and are not publicly marketed or directly accessible to consumers, are allowed under our standards. 

Are office exclusives allowed under the standards? 
Office exclusive listings are permitted as long as a homeowner signs a seller disclosure, and the office exclusive is limited within a single brokerage company and shared only amongst agents within that brokerage or 1:1 communication with current clients, but not marketed publicly.

Where can I report a listing I’ve seen that I believe is in violation?
Have a question or concern about a listing that might not follow our standards? Let us know here.