Delayed Listing Status Explained
Metro MLS offers the Delayed listing status in Flexmls to allow a member’s seller additional time to prepare its home before showings begin. Members requested the status, so they could have a client under contract while the property is not ready for the active market. Questions? Contact Metro MLS’s Data Integrity department at admin@metromls.com or 414-778-5400, ext. 2.
What Can You Do?
For a Delayed listing, you can:
1. Advertise the property once the start term of the contract has begun. You can use signage, advertisements, social media and broker websites to market the property.
2. Search for the property in Flexmls. Members can search for Delayed listings in Flexmls Portals and Hot Sheets. They are not available in Subscriptions, though.
3. Accept offers. Your seller can accept a sight-unseen offer. But even if a potential buyer submits an offer or the seller accepts an offer, showing cannot occur until the Start Showing Date.
What Can’t You Do? 
For a Delayed listing, you cannot:
1. No showings are allowed until the Start Showing Date. No agent previews, broker opens or public showings are allowed. This includes appraisers and inspectors. A listing can be in Delayed status for up to 21 days. If the listing is not immediately available for showings on the Start Showing Date, withdraw the listing.
2. Showings cannot start sooner than what was originally approved by the seller. The Start Showing Date cannot be changed to an earlier date. It can be extended as long as it doesn’t exceed 21 days. If you extend the date, you need to upload a revised form with the seller’s approval and notify Metro MLS immediately by calling the Data Integrity Department between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to extend the listing at 414 778-5400 ext. 2 or email (admin@metromls.com).
Steps for Entering a Delayed Listing
If the property is not available for showings within 48 hours from the start term of the contract, enter the listing as Delayed and upload the Seller’s Authorization to Delay Showings form as the first page with the listing contract.
If you enter a listing as Active by mistake, withdraw the property immediately. Then, copy the listing and enter it as Delayed. Notify Metro MLS immediately to remove the withdrawn listing at admin@metromls.com.
Below are the steps for entering a Delayed listing:
Steps for Entering a Delayed Listing
The listing agent and seller must complete this form. You must upload the form with the listing contract or upload it under the Delayed Form document type in Flexmls.
Seller’s Authorization to Delay Showings (PDF)
2. Enter the listing in Flexmls.
Once you are on the Add Listing screen in Flexmls, you will fill out the General and Address tabs just like usual. To enter a listing as Delayed on the Main Fields tab, click the dropdown menu for Status and select Delayed.
Once you change the status to Delayed, the Start Showing Date field will appear. Using the calendar, select the correct date the property will be available to show. The date will default to the current date.
Reminder: The Start Showing Date cannot exceed 21 days. It cannot be changed to an earlier date, but it can be extended as long as it doesn’t exceed 21 days. If you want to extend the Start Showing Date, you will need to upload a revised form that has the seller’s approval. Notify Metro MLS immediately of the seller’s request to extend the Start Showing Date so we can update it in Flexmls.
You will then need to fill out the rest of the form. Once you are done, click Add Listing in the top right corner.
Additional Resources
Do you want to learn more about the Delayed listing status? Besides reading our Rules and Procedures, we have informative blog posts available to teach our members about the Delayed status.
Changing the Start Showing Date for a Delayed Listing
The Delayed listing status is in place to give sellers additional time to prepare their homes for showings. A property can be in Delayed status for up to 21 days. You can extend the start showing date if it does not exceed 21 days, but you can’t make a listing Active before the date indicated in Flexmls.
Excluded Listings vs. Delayed Listings
Excluded listings and Delayed listings are two different status types but are sometimes used interchangeably by members. What is the difference between the two statuses?
Do Delayed Listings Appear in Subscriptions?
A Flexmls subscription sends an automatic email to your clients when a member adds a listing or edits an existing listing that meets your client’s search criteria. All listing types appear in subscriptions besides Delayed listings.
How Long Can a Listing Be in Delayed Status?
The Delayed listing status is in place to give sellers additional time to prepare their homes for showings. A property can be in Delayed status for up to 21 days.
Can an Active Listing Move into Delayed Status?
Can an Active Listing Move into Delayed Status? No. If you entered the property as active and it should be delayed, withdraw it immediately and copy the listing and add it as a new listing with the Delayed status set.
Can You Show a Delayed Listing?
The Delayed listing status allows the seller additional time to prepare the home if it is not ready for showings. But when a property is in Delayed status, no showings of any kind are allowed until the property moves to Active status.
Can You Advertise a Delayed Listing?
The Delayed listing status allows the seller to offer a sneak peek of its property to potential buyers before it hits Active status. It is a way for the seller to prepare the home for showings while the listing agent starts generating interest in the property.
How to Enter a Delayed Listing in Flexmls
The Delayed listing status is in place to help sellers who need additional time preparing their home for showings. It is not considered a best practice or a tool for agents to use when selling a home.