Most of our deals at LA Luxuries start with a conversation. You can read about that in our guide to off-market homes in Los Angeles. But once an owner decides to go public with a home for sale or for rent, a second rule takes over: be everywhere the right buyer or renter might be looking. The MLS is where that starts. It shouldn't be where it ends.
Here's how we think about it, and why we pair exposure everywhere with relationships with real people on the ground.
The MLS is the foundation, not the whole house
The MLS is how agents share listings with each other, and it's still the single most important place for a home to be. In the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, agents listed 85 percent of sellers' homes on an MLS website. That was the top marketing method by a wide margin.
The same report shows how far beyond the MLS today's buyers look. Fifty-two percent of buyers found the home they bought on the internet, and 46 percent said their very first step was looking online at homes for sale. Agents also listed homes on Realtor.com® about half the time (50 percent) and on their own websites almost as often (49 percent). Social media lagged well behind, at 23 percent.
In other words, the MLS gets a home in front of agents, and the internet gets it in front of everyone else. Every site a home isn't on is a group of people who may never see it.
MLS plus everywhere, never instead of the MLS
This is important, so we'll say it plainly. When we're hired to sell a home and market it to the public, California MLS rules require that it go into the MLS within one business day. That's the Clear Cooperation Policy, and CRMLS applies it to signs, websites, social media, flyers, open houses and more. So for us, "everywhere" always starts with the MLS. Homes we list for rent go on the MLS too.
If an owner wants privacy instead, that's a different path with its own paperwork and limits. We explain it in How to Find Off-Market Homes in Los Angeles. You can't market a home publicly while keeping it off the MLS, and we don't try to.
Where we put a home once it's public
Every home is different, and every owner approves the plan. But a typical public launch for a home we represent can include:
1. The MLS and the big portals
The MLS feeds the major home search sites, including Zillow, Realtor.com® and Redfin, through listing syndication. We check that each one shows the right photos, price, rental terms and contact details, and we fix it when a feed gets something wrong.
2. Rental sites, for homes we list for rent
Renters often search rental sites first. A rental posted through Zillow Rental Manager is shown across Zillow, Trulia and HotPads. A listing on Apartments.com appears across the Apartments.com network, which includes Westside Rentals, a site many Southern California renters know by name. For a luxury rental, being on these sites means the home shows up wherever a serious renter is searching that week.
3. Furnished and flexible-stay platforms
Some owners want a furnished rental between longer tenancies, or while they decide whether to sell. For those homes, and only with the owner's OK, we can use sites like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com and Plum Guide, where travelers and relocating professionals look for a high-end furnished home.
Local rules matter here. In the City of Los Angeles, a stay of 30 consecutive days or less counts as a short-term rental and needs a Home-Sharing registration. Other cities have their own rules. That's why we usually set furnished stays to start at more than 30 nights unless a home is properly registered, and we check each city's rules before anything goes live.
4. Shoot and event sites
A striking home can earn money and get noticed without being rented out. Sites like Peerspace and Giggster connect owners with photographers, production teams and private events by the hour or day. With the owner's OK and the right permits, it's another way for the right people to see the home.
5. Our own website and a site just for the home
Every listing gets a page on laluxuries.com and, for many homes, its own website at its own address, with full photos, the floor plan, video and a direct line to Jordan. A single-home website is easy to share with an agent, a business manager or a family office, and it puts the home first instead of a portal's ads.
6. Instagram and social media
Every post matches the listing and stays on brand. Social media reaches people who aren't searching yet but would move for the right home.
Why exposure alone isn't enough
Here's the part most marketing plans leave out. Posting a home on twenty websites gets it seen. It doesn't get it sold or rented by itself. Somebody still has to pick up the phone, answer the questions, set the showing and follow up.
That's where relationships come in. In that same NAR report, 27 percent of buyers found their home through a real estate agent, and nine percent through a friend, relative or neighbor. Even in an online world, a lot of homes still find their next owner through a person.
So alongside every website, we work the people:
- Top agents. Jordan reaches out directly to the agents who are most active in the neighborhood and price range, with the home's own website and a short, specific note about what makes the home stand out.
- Homeowners we know. Jordan speaks personally with thousands of Los Angeles homeowners. Some are thinking about moving up, moving down or buying a second home. When a home fits, they hear about it from someone they know.
- Past clients and colleagues. Tenants we placed, buyers we helped and the attorneys and business managers we work with often know someone who's looking.
We explain why those conversations matter so much in Why Talking to Homeowners Beats Waiting for the MLS. In a neighborhood like Trousdale Estates, where homes rarely come up, they can matter more than any website. See Trousdale Estates Off-Market Homes.
What owners get from "MLS plus everywhere"
- More qualified eyes, sooner. Every site reaches a slightly different group of buyers or renters, so more of the right people see the home in its first week.
- Fewer surprises. We watch the home on each site, so a wrong price or old photo gets fixed fast.
- Options. If a home for sale isn't moving, a furnished or longer rental can carry it. If a rental gets strong interest, we know right away.
- One point of contact. Every inquiry, from every site, comes back to Jordan. You don't have to manage ten inboxes.
What renters and buyers get
If you're looking, it means you can find our homes wherever you search, and you'll reach a real person when you do. We share the same facts with everyone who asks, and we follow fair housing law in every ad and every conversation. Tell us what you need, and if the home you want isn't public yet, we may know an owner who would talk.
FAQ
Is being on the MLS enough to sell or rent a luxury home in Los Angeles?
The MLS is essential, but it's the start. Buyers and renters search many sites, and a lot of homes still sell or rent through personal connections. The strongest plan is the MLS, plus the major portals and rental sites, plus direct outreach to agents and owners.
Can you market my home on Zillow or social media without putting it on the MLS?
Not if it's a listing we're marketing to the public for sale. Under California MLS rules, once a home with an exclusive listing is publicly marketed, it must be submitted to the MLS within one business day. If you want privacy, we can talk through the off-market options and their trade-offs.
Which websites will my rental appear on?
It depends on the home and on what you approve. A typical rental launch includes the MLS, Zillow (which also shows on Trulia and HotPads), Apartments.com and its network, our own website, and often a single-property website. Furnished homes may also go on sites like Airbnb, VRBO, Booking.com or Plum Guide.
Can I offer my home as a furnished rental in Los Angeles?
Often, yes, but local rules apply. In the City of Los Angeles, stays of 30 consecutive days or less need a Home-Sharing registration, and other cities have their own rules. We check the rules for your address before anything goes live.
Do you still reach out to agents and homeowners if my home is on every website?
Yes. Websites get a home seen. People get it sold or rented. Jordan reaches out personally to active agents and homeowners he knows whenever a home fits what they're looking for.
Let's talk about your home
Whether you're selling, renting out your home, or looking for your next one, the first step is a conversation. Call 323.238.5225, email [email protected], or contact us. To see how our relationships work, start with our guide to off-market homes in Los Angeles.
LA Luxuries Estate Agency · 333 S. Beverly Dr, Suite 104, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
About the author: Jordan Pollack is the broker and founder of LA Luxuries Estate Agency in Beverly Hills. He sells and rents fine homes across Los Angeles and personally manages every client relationship. Meet Jordan.
G-d Bless,
Jordan Pollack, LA Luxuries, DRE 02010832
