When there are fewer properties to sell, we tend to see more brokers promoting "exclusive access to off-market listings". It can be tempting to respond to ads like these. After all, you don't want to miss out on any "private and exclusive" opportunities. 

But keep in mind, ads like these are sales funnels. And they're funneling you into "pocket listings" that line the pockets of the advertising broker -- a broker who receives both sides of the commission by withholding the property from the larger market. 

Yes, private pocket listings are perfectly legal. But it's also fair to question who is benefiting most from private sales, and how private sales are impacting housing availability in the broader community.