Set Listing visibility to Private and the property is published as a Pocket Listing: shared with every NLS agent, never shown to the public, and needing no listing agreement.
Pocket listings are off-market. You share a property with every NLS agent, but the public never sees it. There is no listing agreement to sign, so a private listing can be live in minutes.
This guide covers making a listing private, what other agents see, and how to find pocket listings from other agencies for your own buyers.
Before you start
- The seller's agreement to market the property discreetly to agents.
- The property details, price and at least one photo, as for any listing.
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Start a new listing
On your dashboard click Listing, then Add listing. Or go to My Listings and click Add Listing.
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Set the visibility to Private
At the top of Add a Property is Listing visibility. Click Private.
A public listing needs a signed listing agreement and anyone can see it. A private one needs no listing agreement, and only NLS members can see it.
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Fill in the listing as usual
Enter the property type, price and title, the bedrooms, bathrooms and sizes, the features and a description. The guide to adding a listing covers every section.
In the compliance section there is no listing agreement to upload. Just tick the listing terms for a private listing.
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Publish
When everything is complete, click Publish listing. It is published straight away as a Pocket Listing. Click View Listing to see it.
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Understand who can see it
The listing page is dark, marked Pocket Listing, and visible to logged-in NLS agents only. Every NLS member can see it, not just your own agency. It never appears on the public property search, and anyone who is not logged in is sent to the login page instead.
A note at the bottom reminds agents that pocket listings have no signed listing or commission agreement, so terms are agreed with the listing agent.
Note Private listings never travel in any outbound feed, to a portal or to a website.
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Find other agents' pocket listings
Ask the AI search, for example show me off-market villas in Marbella, then click Find matches. Off-market results have a dark card and a Pocket Listing badge. Click Make appointment to email the listing agent about a viewing, or share the listing with your buyer by WhatsApp or by email.
There is also a Pocket Listings page with every pocket listing on the network. Filter by area, type, price and bedrooms, then click Apply.
Good to know
- Agree the commission up front. There is no commission agreement behind a pocket listing, so confirm terms with the listing agent before you show it.
- Going public later? Change the visibility on the listing and supply a listing agreement. It will then wait as a draft until the agreement is in place.
- Use Private Remarks for showing instructions and owner preferences. On a pocket listing the whole audience is agents, but the remarks still keep practical details off the main description.
Questions about this
What's the difference between a public and a private (pocket) listing?
A public listing goes on the website and portals, needs a signed listing agreement, and anyone can see it. A private listing, shown as a Pocket Listing, needs no listing agreement and only NLS members can see it. It's off-market: shared with every NLS agent, never with the public.
Watch how · 0:31 in the tutorial Private and pocket listings20 · Private and pocket listingsRead the guide: Control who can share your listingsRead the guide: Mark a listing private or pocketCopy link
How do I make a listing private?
At the top of Add a Property, under Listing visibility, click Private. Fill in the listing as usual; in Compliance there's no listing agreement to upload, just tick the listing terms for a private listing. Then click Publish listing, and it's published as a Pocket Listing.
Watch how · 0:25 in the tutorial Private and pocket listings20 · Private and pocket listingsRead the guide: Mark a listing private or pocketCopy link
Who can see my pocket listing?
Every logged-in NLS member, not just your own agency. It never appears on the public property search, and anyone who isn't logged in is sent to the login page instead.
Watch how · 1:29 in the tutorial Private and pocket listings20 · Private and pocket listingsRead the guide: Mark a listing private or pocketCopy link
How do I find other agents' pocket listings?
Ask the AI search, for example: show me off-market villas in Marbella. Off-market results have a dark card and a Pocket Listing badge; click Make appointment to contact the agent. There's also a Pocket Listings page at thenls.com/members/pocket-listings/ with every pocket listing on the network, filtered by area, type, price and bedrooms.
Watch how · 1:59 in the tutorial Private and pocket listings20 · Private and pocket listingsRead the guide: Mark a listing private or pocketCopy link
