RKT
The sneak-preview era of home shopping
Redfin just rolled out Redfin Early Access, a new search category built for the Zillow-scrolling, Saturday-open-house crowd that wants first dibs. The pitch: buyers can browse homes that are only on Redfin, plus pre-market listings from Compass International Holdings brands through an exclusive national partnership.
Why investors should care
For Rocket Companies (RKT), this is less about a shiny feature and more about keeping people inside the Redfin universe for longer. If buyers see more inventory early, and sellers feel like they can test the waters without immediately jumping into the full market circus, that could mean more engagement, more listings, and better odds Redfin becomes the app you open first instead of the one you check last.
The big real-estate chess move
Real estate portals live and die on a pretty simple equation: more useful listings = more eyeballs = more value. This move nudges Redfin closer to being the place where the hunt starts, not just where the hunt ends.
- Buyers get a head start on homes that aren’t everywhere yet
- Sellers get a way to gauge interest before going broad
- Compass gets distribution through Redfin’s audience
Big picture: in a housing market where every edge matters, “first look” can be surprisingly powerful. Sometimes the winner isn’t the house with the best kitchen island — it’s the platform that showed it to you first.