selllaunch labhow we market a home
The Launch Lab
Where today’s buyers look, how a Compass listing reaches them in three phases, and the marketing that goes into a Boyenga Team launch, with the rules that keep it honest.
Where buyers lookThree phasesLaunch plannerThe marketing kitThe rules
- buyers who found their home online52%NAR, recent buyers
- buyers: photos very useful81%the top-rated website feature
- typical home search10 weeksmedian, NAR
- national median sale-to-list99%see your city in the Offer Lab
where buyers look
Where buyers look, and what they want to see
From NAR’s 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, which surveyed people who bought a home between July 2024 and June 2025 (6,103 responses).
Where buyers found the home they bought
Website features buyers rated very useful
Looking online was buyers’ most common first step, and 20% started by contacting an agent. National figures; a Silicon Valley launch adds the Compass network and the local agents who work with buyers here.
three phases
Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy
A listing can reach buyers in up to three steps, each wider than the last. Pre-marketing is optional: a home can start at phase 1, phase 2 or go straight to the MLS.
- phase 1
Private Exclusive
who sees it: agents in Compass’s network and their buyersOff the MLS and off public sites. Showings are private, there’s no public days-on-market count or price history, and buyer feedback helps fine-tune the price.
- phase 2
Coming Soon
who sees it: the public, on Compass.com and a partner search siteBuyers can find it and plan a visit before it reaches the MLS, still without days on market or price-drop history. Inquiries come to the listing agent.
- phase 3
On the MLS
who sees it: every agent and the public home-search sitesThe full launch to every brokerage and every site that shows MLS listings.
From Compass’s own study of 70,809 closed Compass residential sales listed April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026 (released July 24, 2026). Compass notes that the price analysis covers closed sales only, the speed and price-cut figures are descriptive, results may vary, and correlation does not necessarily equal causation.
launch planner
Plan your launch calendar
Pick the MLS launch date and how long, if at all, the home spends in each pre-market phase. The calendar shows when each phase starts.
your launch calendar
Pre-marketing is optional and starts only after you sign Compass’s seller disclosure. We confirm how the MLS handles each phase for your listing before anything goes live.
the marketing kit
What goes into a Boyenga Team launch
The marketing we put behind a listing, matched to what buyers say they use.
visualswhat buyers see first
Photos, drone, video and a 3D tour
Professional photography, drone and video, and a Matterport 3D tour, shot once the home is prepped and staged.
- 81% of recent buyers rated photos very useful, and 38% said the same of virtual tours (NAR 2026)
- Any digitally altered photo carries the label California requires
reachfinding the right buyers
A property website, targeted ads and email
A custom property website, targeted and retargeted ads, and email campaigns to buyers and agents, from an in-house social media and advertising team.
- 52% of recent buyers found the home they bought online (NAR 2026)
- Housing ads follow the platforms’ housing rules: no targeting by age, gender or ZIP code
networkagents with buyers
The Compass network, before and after launch
A Private Exclusive or Coming Soon puts the home in front of Compass agents and their buyers before the MLS launch.
- Compass reported more than 300,000 real estate professionals in its network in its second-quarter 2026 results
- 27% of recent buyers found their home through an agent (NAR 2026)
visibilitywhat you see
Listing activity you can follow
A shared Compass One dashboard with your timeline, documents and listing activity, run by our operations team.
- Showings, open houses and buyer response in one place
- Compare your market any time in the Offer Lab and Market Pulse
the rules
The rules behind honest marketing
- Altered photos are labeledSince January 1, 2026, a digitally altered listing photo, including virtual staging, needs a statement on or next to it and a link or QR code to the original (Business and Professions Code 10140.8).
- Housing ads can’t pick peopleFederal fair housing rules bar ads that show a preference based on a protected class. On Meta, housing ads can’t target by age, gender or ZIP code and need at least a 15-mile radius; Google’s housing ads can’t target by gender, age, parental or marital status, or ZIP code.
- Drone photos need a certified pilotPaid drone photography falls under the FAA’s Part 107 rules: a remote pilot certificate, a registered drone that broadcasts Remote ID, and FAA authorization to fly in controlled airspace near airports.
- License numbers on marketingFirst-contact marketing such as flyers, mailers and websites must show the agent’s name, eight-digit license number and the responsible broker’s name.
- Team names show the brokerA team name must include a team member’s surname, and the responsible broker must appear at least as prominently, which is why you see the Boyenga Team with Compass.
- Pre-marketing takes your signatureSince March 25, 2025, NAR’s rules let sellers delay public marketing or keep an office exclusive with a signed disclosure. Once a listing is marketed to the public, it goes into the MLS within one business day.
Rules summarized October 16, 2026.
sources
Where the numbers come from
Checked October 16, 2026. NAR figures are national.
- NAR: Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends (2026)Where buyers found their home, website features, first steps.www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/home-buyer-and-seller-generational-trends
- NAR: 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, highlightsSearch length and sellers using an agent.www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers-highlights-11-04-2025.pdf
- Compass: pre-marketing study (July 24, 2026)Sale price, time to contract and price cuts, with Compass’s caveats.www.compass.com/newsroom/press-releases/35lDz5C4kLfLViFV2Ao16w
- Compass: Coming SoonThe three-phase strategy.www.compass.com/coming-soon/
- NAR: Multiple Listing Options for SellersDelayed marketing, office exclusives and Clear Cooperation.www.nar.realtor/about-nar/policies/multiple-listing-options-for-sellers
- California DRE: advisory on AI and altered imagesBusiness and Professions Code 10140.8.dre.ca.gov/Licensees/Advisories/Advisory_2026_03_17_AI_in_California_Real_Estate.html
- 24 CFR 100.75: discriminatory advertisingFederal fair housing advertising rule.www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/24/100.75
- Meta: special ad categoriesHousing ad targeting limits.developers.facebook.com/docs/marketing-api/audiences/special-ad-category/
- Google Ads: personalized advertising policyHousing ad targeting limits.support.google.com/adspolicy/answer/143465?hl=en
- FAA: commercial drone operatorsPart 107, Remote ID and airspace authorization.www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators
- 10 CCR 2773: license numbersFirst point of contact materials.www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/10-CCR-2773
- California DRE: team name FAQsTeam name advertising.dre.ca.gov/files/pdf/faqs/Team%20Name%20FAQs.pdf
questions
Questions we hear
Will my home show up on the big home-search sites?
Once it’s on the MLS, yes: the MLS sends listings to the public sites that take its feed. During a Private Exclusive it stays inside the Compass network, and a Coming Soon is public on Compass.com and a partner search site.
Is selling off-market better?
It can offer privacy or a quiet test of the price, but limited exposure can reduce competition. Pre-marketing is optional, and you decide how long each phase lasts.
Do you use virtual staging?
If a photo is virtually staged, California requires a label and a link to the original. In NAR’s 2025 staging survey, 57% of buyers’ agents said physical staging was more important to their clients, while 38% said virtual staging was less important.
How will I know how the launch is going?
Your Compass One dashboard shows your timeline, documents and listing activity, and we go over showings and buyer feedback with you as they come in.
What does the marketing cost me?
Ask us what’s included. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services.
more to learn
Keep going
- Prep LabCountdown, prep budget and staging checklist.
- Offer LabHow far over or under asking homes are selling.
- Compass Private ExclusivesHow a private launch works.
- Compass + Boyenga ToolkitEvery Compass program in one place.
- Seller PlaybookSelling a home, step by step.
- What’s my home worth?A value estimate from the Boyenga Team.
General information, not legal advice. Survey figures are national and come from the sources listed above. Compass’s study figures are Compass’s own and carry its caveats.
talk to a property nerd
Planning a launch?
We’ll show you the marketing plan for your home, phase by phase, and the dates that fit your move. Commissions are negotiable, and we offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
