Sellers Have Long Been in Control Under CCIMLS’ Clear Cooperation Policy

In a recent Virtual Deep Dive on the Clear Cooperation Policy, CCIMLS highlighted an important truth: sellers have always had options when it comes to how their property is marketed. While some of these tools and features may fly under the radar, they’ve long been part of CCIMLS’s commitment to empowering sellers with control—while ensuring the integrity and accuracy of MLS data remains strong.

Internet Distribution Opt-Out: Sellers can choose to keep their listing off public real estate websites by using CCIMLS’s internet opt-out settings. The listing (or even just its address) will be withheld from IDX feeds and publisher sites, so details remain private and only visible to MLS participants – preserving seller privacy while still meeting Clear Cooperation requirements by having the listing in the MLS.

Private Photos: CCIMLS allows agents to mark listing photos and media as private. Private images and virtual tours will not be distributed to public sites, ensuring the home’s visuals stay within the MLS only – this protects the seller’s privacy (no photos on the internet) while still sharing listing information with other Realtors in the MLS (thus remaining in compliance with Clear Cooperation Policy).

Temporary Off Market (TOM) Status: If a client needs to pause marketing for a period, the Temporary Off Market status can be used without withdrawing the listing. The property remains visible to all MLS members (fulfilling Clear Cooperation by keeping it in MLS) but is not syndicated outside the MLS, and the Days on Market count is paused during this status. The seller gains flexibility to take the property offline publicly while no MLS rules restrict continued showings or marketing when appropriate, and normal listing activity can resume by reactivating the listing with no penalty to DOM or compliance.

Coming Soon Status: This status enables you to pre-market a property within the MLS network before it’s fully active. A Coming Soon listing is entered in MLS (so it’s Clear Cooperation compliant from day one) but won’t appear on public sites and cannot be shown to any buyers (even the listing agent’s clients) until it’s made Active. This gives the seller a private, no-Days-on-Market period to build early interest and adjust pricing or details as needed – with no time limit on how long a listing can stay in Coming Soon. It allows marketing exposure to other REALTORS® and through the MLS client portal without accruing DOM, ensuring the seller can generate buzz while remaining within the rules when they’re ready to go live.