Most sellers I work with have the same problem in the last few weeks before they list. The house isn’t quite ready. There’s still painting, staging, a punch list and photo day ahead of them. But they’d love to start building interest now instead of waiting until everything is perfect.
Washington law makes that tricky. A broker can’t market a home to a small, hand-picked group of buyers or brokers unless it’s also being marketed to the general public and all other brokers at the same time, except when that’s reasonably necessary to protect the owner’s or occupant’s health or safety (RCW 18.86.130). Since September 4, 2026, Northwest MLS (NWMLS) has offered sellers a new option for that in-between stage. It’s called First Look.
I’ve used it twice now, once on our own flip. Below is how it works in plain language, the choices you’d make as a seller, and what I learned along the way.
This post is general information based on NWMLS Legal Bulletin 233 and the NWMLS First Look FAQ. It isn’t legal advice, and NWMLS rules can change, so talk with your listing broker about your situation.
What First Look is, in one minute
- It’s optional. First Look is a listing status that comes before Active. You can still go straight to Active if you’d like.
- It lasts up to 21 days. The clock starts when the listing is entered in NWMLS. The listing turns Active automatically at midnight Pacific time on the date you schedule, or sooner if you’re ready. The 21 days can’t be paused, restarted or extended.
- It’s a real NWMLS listing, not a pocket listing. Every NWMLS broker can see a First Look listing and send it to their buyers. NWMLS doesn’t allow private or office-exclusive First Look listings.
- It has the same basics as an Active listing. That means a list price and at least one photo, among other required details.
- Your home has to qualify. First Look is only for homes that have been off the market for at least 60 days. NWMLS counts a listing that was cancelled or expired, a sale that fell through, and a home that sold. More on why that last one matters below.
Your three big choices as a seller
1. Showings: yes or no
You decide whether buyers can tour the home during First Look. If you say no, that means no showings, open houses, broker previews or broker price opinions, and that includes our own team. Prep work is still fine. You, your listing broker and your vendors can be in the house for repairs, cleaning, staging, measuring, photos and video.
No playing favorites, either. If the home is closed to showings, it’s closed to everyone. If you change your mind, your broker can switch showings on before the 21 days are up without making the listing Active.
2. Online reach: broad or targeted
With broad online display, a First Look listing goes out to the thousands of real estate websites that display NWMLS listings. NWMLS calls this the “fail-safe” way to meet the state’s public marketing requirement.
You can also choose more targeted marketing during First Look. In that case, the listing isn’t sent to those websites, but your brokerage can still market it publicly on its own website, partner sites, social media, yard signs, flyers, direct mail and print. You’d sign NWMLS Form 7U to document that choice. The trade-off is real: big home-search sites may keep showing your home as off market or with outdated information, and some buyers may not see that it’s for sale. Either way, brokers can still see the listing in NWMLS and send it to their clients.
3. Offers: now or at launch
You can accept an offer during First Look or wait until the home is Active. That’s your call.
You’ll also decide up front how your listing is advertised online once it goes Active, and whether it shows on NWMLS’s own public search site.
What marketing can (and can’t) happen
- Nothing goes out before the listing is entered in NWMLS. That means no signs, flyers, posts or “coming soon” teasers ahead of time.
- Once it’s entered, marketing can start. Yard signs, flyers, direct mail, print, social media and websites are all fair game, based on your instructions and NWMLS rules.
- Open houses depend on showings. If showings are off, open houses wait until you’re Active.
- It’s labeled clearly. Websites that show First Look listings have to clearly identify the status, so buyers know it isn’t Active yet.
Days on market and price history
NWMLS renamed “Days on Market” to Days Active (and “Cumulative Days on Market” to Cumulative Days Active). Both start at zero when the home moves from First Look to Active.
The days you spend in First Look, and any price change you make during First Look, aren’t displayed on real estate websites that use NWMLS’s listing feed. That history stays inside NWMLS, where brokers and their clients can see it on request. So think of First Look as a fresh start on the public clock, not a way to hide anything.
Early lessons from my first two First Look listings
It’s a great way to gauge the market. We got early feedback on price point, and buyer’s agents were calling for information for their buyers before the listings were “live.” As the listing broker, that let me make adjustments before the photos were in and we were 100% ready.
I didn’t allow showings on either one. One was our own property, and we were still finishing the final bells and whistles. That punch list at the end is real. Creating a great first impression works better when the house is actually finished.
I loved the early marketing. Signs, posts and early feedback all started working for us while we wrapped up.
Photo day matters. If your sign is already up during First Look, get it out of the way when the photographer comes. NWMLS doesn’t allow listing photos to be used to advertise a brokerage, and photo rule violations can come with fines. It’s an easy thing to miss.
The 60-day rule caught us on our flip. We bought that home in an off-market sale, and the sale was reported to NWMLS as sold. NWMLS counts a sold home as off the market, so the 60-day clock started at our purchase, and the home wasn’t eligible for First Look until 60 days after we bought it. We finished under budget and ahead of schedule (amazing!), and we were ready to start the 21-day clock, but we weren’t 60 days past our purchase yet. By the time we were eligible, we were ready to launch, so that listing spent just one day in First Look. It wasn’t as helpful on that project. We also couldn’t publish our open house schedule until we were live, and it would have been nice to advertise it early. If you’re a flipper, check your purchase date against your launch date before you plan on a full First Look.
It’s new, and not everyone is a fan yet. At first, most of the calls I got were from other brokers asking how First Look works. Opinions on it vary, which is fair for something this new. I see it as a big advantage, and I’ll absolutely use it again, with the right seller.
It’s not for every seller. If you’re still living in the home, or you’d like to limit your exposure to the whirlwind of a new listing, going straight to Active may suit you better. First Look has to fit the seller and their goals.
An idea from another agent. Another agent I talked to suggested First Look for buyers who need to sell their current home first. Putting that home in First Look can show the seller of the home they want that they’re ready to move. It’s a clever idea. Just know the guardrails before you try it. First Look is a real NWMLS listing that every broker can see. The home still has to meet the 60-day rule. The 21 days can’t be paused or extended, the listing turns Active on its own unless you change it, and taking it down follows NWMLS’s normal cancellation rules. Talk through the plan with your listing broker before you count on it.
Is First Look right for you?
NWMLS describes a few situations where First Look can help:
- You’re still getting the home ready, but you’d like buyers and brokers to know it’s coming.
- You’d like to tell the home’s story on social media and other channels while you prep.
- The home is truly one of a kind, with few or no comparable sales, and you’d like market feedback before going Active.
- Your listing team needs time to finish the staffing, marketing and pricing plan.
Going straight to Active may be the better fit if the home is ready now, if you’re living in it and would rather keep the commotion short, or if it hasn’t been off the market for 60 days yet.
Quick answers
Is First Look a pocket listing? No. Every NWMLS broker can see it and share it with their buyers.
How long can it last? Up to 21 days. It can’t be paused, restarted or extended.
Do I have to allow showings? No. It’s your choice, and you can switch showings on later.
Can I accept an offer during First Look? Yes, or you can wait until you’re Active.
Will my home show up on the big home-search websites? With broad online display, the listing is sent to the websites that use NWMLS’s feed. With targeted marketing, it isn’t sent to them during First Look. How each site displays it is up to that site.
Does First Look count toward Days Active? No. Days Active starts at zero when the home goes Active.
My listing just expired. Can I use First Look? Only after the home has been off the market for 60 days.
What do I sign? If you choose targeted marketing instead of broad online display, you’ll sign NWMLS Form 7U.
I’m a buyer. Will my saved search catch First Look homes? Not automatically. Existing saved searches don’t include First Look until your broker adds that status.
Next steps
Thinking about selling in the next few months? The best time to decide on First Look is before the prep work starts, so the timing, the photos and the marketing plan all line up. Reach out or call me at 360-317-0113, and we’ll walk through whether it fits your goals.
If you’re still weighing your options, these may help:
- Do I Need a Real Estate Agent to Sell My Home in Kitsap County?
- Can I Be Sued After Selling a Fixer-Upper?
- Complicated Real Estate Situations in Kitsap County: A Practical Guide
Disclosure: One of the two First Look listings described in this post was our own renovation project. The listing broker, Kristel Daugherty, has an ownership interest in that property through Rosie Properties LLC.
Sources: NWMLS Legal Bulletin 233 (Aug 31, 2026), the NWMLS First Look FAQ, NWMLS Rules 2, 10, 119 and 145, NWMLS Form 7U, the NWMLS Data Use Policy, and RCW 18.86.130.
Kristel Daugherty is the Managing Broker of Revival Realty LLC in Kitsap County, Washington. This article is general information only and is not legal advice. NWMLS rules and Washington law can change; talk with your listing broker, and an attorney where appropriate, about your situation. Equal Housing Opportunity.