Above, Donny Samson
Amidst the hot topic discussions and controversial decisions surrounding private listings, Donny Samson—CEO of Samson Properties—has expressed his support for Zillow and Redfin’s bans in a recent statement.
“Zillow and Redfin made the right call,” said Samson in a release. “This policy is a win for buyers, sellers, and every professional who believes real estate should be transparent and ethical. Private networks exist to serve brokerages—not the people we’re supposed to represent.”
Samson’s statement presents several arguments as to why the private listing ban from both Zillow and Redfin “reinforces the value of transparency, open access, and competitive fairness in the real estate market.”
Samson’s statement pointed toward recent research from both Zillow, Redfin and Bright MLS analyzing tens of thousands of property sales, which concluded that homes listed through the MLS sell faster and for more money than those marketed privately. A separate Bright MLS study of over 100,000 Mid-Atlantic transactions further confirmed that homes sold off-MLS consistently underperformed in both price and market time.
“When a home is placed on the MLS, it gets the full attention of the market,” he said. “That’s how competition is created. That’s how value is maximized.”
Samson noted that Samson Properties could take advantage of private listings, but choose not to “because our mission is to serve, not manipulate.”
“We believe in full exposure, full access, and full transparency. That’s how we get the best results—and earn our clients’ trust,” he said.
He also criticized counterclaims based on what he characterized as limited, internal brokerage data that lacks transparency and objective methodology.
Samson claimed many private networks are designed to increase brokerage profits by keeping listings in-house in order to have the same firm represent both the buyer and the seller. Those private listings are often about “giving brokerages more control, more commissions and more opportunities to double-end deals,” and they are not in the interest of the seller, he added.
Samson’s statement did acknowledge that there are sellers—approximately 0.1%, according to the release—who have legitimate privacy concerns, such as public figures or sensitive personal situations. He said, however, that there are already existing specialized private networks for these unique circumstances.
Samson also noted that the portal shift toward exclusivity and off-market listings is “regression,” in that it is reversing progress the MLS system has made through the years to create fairness, accessibility and trust.
“Modern real estate should be about inclusion, access and technology-driven transparency—not exclusivity, secrecy and manipulation,” he said.
Samson expressed that in his opinion buyers are the most disadvantaged in these closed-off environments. He said that when listings are kept out of public view, many potential buyers and their agents don’t even know what’s on the market.
“Some argue that exclusivity helps clients, but it really just creates an unfair playing field,” he explained. “Buyers miss out on homes they would have pursued, and many agents are excluded from opportunities simply because they’re not part of a private circle. That’s not how a fair market operates.”
Samson finally emphasized that the decision by Zillow and Redfin “validates what ethical brokerages have known all along: a transparent, open-market approach benefits everyone.”
“This policy draws a line in the sand,” he continued. “It says loud and clear: real estate should be open, competitive, and fair. I support Zillow and Redfin’s decision 100%, and I hope more of our industry follows their lead.”
