Once a Richmond-area home is publicly marketed, NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy requires the listing broker to submit it to the MLS within 1 business day, and Bright MLS requires entry within 2 calendar days of a fully signed listing agreement. Sellers can still choose Active, Coming Soon, or an office exclusive. The path changes who sees the home, and when.
This guide is for sellers in Henrico, Chesterfield, and the City of Richmond. It isn't legal advice, and it isn't a Bright MLS rules manual. Confirm current statuses and filing clocks with your listing agent, because local MLS rules can change.
What Clear Cooperation requires
NAR's model MLS rule, Section 1.01, Clear Cooperation (Adopted 11/19), says: within 1 business day of marketing a property to the public, the listing broker must submit the listing to the MLS for cooperation with other MLS participants. Public marketing includes, but isn't limited to, flyers displayed in windows, yard signs, digital marketing on public-facing websites, brokerage website displays (including IDX and VOW), digital communications marketing (email blasts), multi-brokerage listing sharing networks, and applications available to the general public.
You can't put a yard sign in the yard, run a public social campaign, or send a public email blast, and then wait a week to file the listing. The 1-business-day clock starts when public marketing starts. See NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy page.
The 4 ways to bring a Richmond home to market
NAR's Multiple Listing Options for Sellers policy took effect March 25, 2025, and had to be implemented by September 30, 2025. It exists alongside Clear Cooperation. It doesn't replace the 1-business-day rule once a listing is publicly marketed. Office exclusive and delayed-marketing listings are exempt options under that policy, and the seller's choice is documented through the required disclosure.
How Bright MLS currently labels and operates each option is a local-rules question. Bright MLS rules effective July 22, 2026, require a listing to be submitted within 2 calendar days after the listing agreement is fully signed. Bright's statuses are Coming Soon, Active, and Office Exclusive, plus a Registered status, which Bright says is coming later in 2026, for homes not yet marketed at all. Coming Soon has no time limit, allows no tours or showings, and doesn't add days on market. For Coming Soon and Active, the seller also chooses whether Bright sends the listing to consumer websites (Internet Yes or No). Confirm today's statuses, Internet-display settings, and clocks with your listing agent.
| Path | Who typically sees it | Portals and public sites | Days-on-market effect | Seller disclosure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public active listing | MLS participants and, if Internet display is on, the public | Often yes, once the feed runs | Active time usually starts when the listing is active | Listing agreement, plus any other required forms |
| Coming Soon | MLS participants, with no tours or showings until it goes Active | Often no, if Internet display is off, until it goes active | In Bright and CVR MLS, days on market don't accrue | Seller direction and the MLS status rules |
| Delayed-marketing exempt (NAR option, not listed by that name in Bright's rules) | Filed in the MLS and visible to agents, per NAR's definition | Held off IDX and syndication for a period the local MLS allows | Confirm how Bright counts time in that status | Required exempt-listing disclosure |
| Office exclusive | Filed with the MLS, but not disseminated to other participants | Under NAR and CVR MLS rules, no public marketing. Bright's 2026 rules allow public marketing without Bright sharing it | Not a public MLS listing | Signed seller disclosure (NAR) and Bright's Office Exclusive form |
Those portal and days-on-market cells are typical patterns, not a guarantee of how a specific Bright filing will display.
Trade-offs for sellers
A public active listing usually reaches the widest buyer pool, including agents and consumers on portals. That can bring more showings and faster feedback on price. It also puts the home in public view, starts the public marketing clock, and can start active market time.
Coming Soon or a delayed-marketing option can give other agents a look before the listing is widely syndicated, if the MLS allows that path. That can help you test interest and get photos and access fully ready. It also means some public buyers won't see the home yet.
An office exclusive keeps the listing inside the listing firm, with no dissemination to other MLS participants. That can fit a seller who wants privacy. It also narrows the buyer pool. Under NAR's policy and CVR MLS rules, publicly marketing an office exclusive triggers the 1-business-day submission rule. Bright's July 22, 2026 rules differ: a Bright office exclusive may be publicly marketed without Bright sharing it, so ask your agent which MLS rules apply to your listing.
No single path is right for every house. The choice depends on privacy, timing, and how you want feedback on price.
Go-live timing
Photos, access, and showing readiness matter more than a particular weekday. If you go live before photos or showings are ready, you can waste the first look.
Syndication from the MLS to consumer portals isn't instantaneous, and the lag varies by portal and by feed schedule. Don't plan around a fixed hour count. Ask your listing agent how that feed currently works, and match showing availability to when buyers are actually likely to see the home.
For seasonal timing, see our best month to list guide. For pricing, see the 2026 pricing guide. Prep and photos are covered in our staging guide. If a prior listing stalled, see our expired listing guide. A broader process overview is in our 2026 selling guide.
A go-live checklist
- Finish photos, measurements, access instructions, and a showing plan before any public marketing starts.
- Choose the listing path (public active, Coming Soon, delayed-marketing exempt if offered, or office exclusive) and sign any required seller disclosure or certification.
- Confirm with the listing agent the go-live date, the Bright or local MLS status that will be used, and whether Internet display will be on or off.
- Confirm, as a practical matter, how and when the listing may appear on consumer portals. Don't assume same-hour publication.
- Decide whether you want a stated offer-review date. That's optional, not a rule, and it doesn't guarantee stronger terms.
- Don't place a yard sign, publish a public social post, or send a public marketing blast until you're ready for the 1-business-day MLS submission clock.
- After go-live, watch showing feedback and, if needed, adjust price or terms with current sales, not on a fixed number of days.
Commission note
Commissions are negotiable and aren't set by law or by the MLS. Listing compensation is set in the listing agreement. Offers of compensation to a buyer's agent, if any, can't be made through the MLS. They're negotiated separately and depend on the agreements the parties sign.
Frequently asked questions
Does Clear Cooperation prevent a seller from doing any pre-market marketing?
Not entirely. Coming Soon, an office exclusive, or, where offered, a delayed-marketing exempt listing can exist under NAR's rules without public marketing. Once you market the property to the public, including a yard sign or public social post, the listing broker must submit it to the MLS within 1 business day. Confirm what counts as public marketing with your agent.
How long is the syndication lag from the MLS to consumer portals?
It varies by portal and by feed schedule, so there isn't a single hour count to plan around. Your listing agent can tell you how the current Bright or local MLS syndication path is working, and that should inform the go-live time and when showings can start. Don't assume portals update at the same moment the MLS filing goes through.
Does Bright MLS have a delayed-marketing listing?
Not by that name. NAR's policy lets each MLS offer a delayed-marketing exempt listing that's filed with the MLS, visible to agents, and held off IDX and syndication for a period the MLS sets. Bright's current rules don't list one. Its Coming Soon and Active statuses with Internet No share the listing with Bright agents but keep it off consumer sites.
Is an office exclusive listing allowed in Virginia?
Yes, as an MLS option. NAR requires every REALTOR® association-owned MLS to offer an office exclusive, filed with the MLS but not shared with other participants, with a signed seller disclosure. Bright MLS and CVR MLS both provide one. Their rules differ on public marketing, so confirm which MLS your listing is filed in and what it allows.
What day of the week should I list my house in Richmond?
There's no universal best day to list. Ready photos, access, and a showing plan matter more than a particular weekday. Match the go-live date to when you can host showings, and ask your agent how portal feeds currently run. For seasonal timing, see our guide on the best month to list a house in Richmond.
If you're choosing a listing path or a go-live date for a Richmond-area home, book a consultation with Daniel Yoon, REALTOR®, eXp Realty to walk through the options and the readiness checklist.
Educational information only, not legal advice. Confirm current Bright MLS statuses, filing deadlines, Internet-display settings, and seller-disclosure forms with your listing agent and, when needed, a Virginia attorney. Check NAR policy text against the current NAR pages.