BuyerLink™ is By Owner Oregon's buyer call line. When a buyer sees your listing on Zillow or Realtor.com and calls the number shown, our AI assistant answers, confirms which home they're calling about, and sends you their contact details by email, and by text if you've turned on text alerts. As of October 23, 2026, the caller also gets a text with a link to your home's page on byowneroregon.com, so nobody calling about your listing just hits voicemail.
If you're selling your own home in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Bend, or Medford, this guide explains how buyers reach you, step by step. It covers why your phone number doesn't appear on Zillow, how BuyerLink handles a call, what you receive, what the buyer receives, and how buyers' agents reach you through the MLS instead. The same process applies across Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Marion, Lane, Deschutes, and Jackson counties and the rest of Oregon.
Updated October 23, 2026. Based on how BuyerLink works on By Owner Oregon listings today and NAR's 2025 buyer research.
Why Buyer Calls Matter So Much
Most buyers start online. In the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 46% of buyers said their first step was looking online for properties for sale, and 52% found the home they bought on the internet [1]. Seventy percent used a mobile phone or tablet during their search [1]. NAR's 2025 Generational Trends Report found the same pattern across every age group: the most common first step was looking online for properties [2].
That means a buyer who finds your Oregon home on a phone is often one tap away from calling. If that call goes unanswered, or the buyer can't figure out who to contact, they may move on to the next listing. In a slower fall market, every interested buyer counts.
Why Your Phone Number Isn't on Zillow
Sellers often ask why their own number doesn't appear on Zillow, Realtor.com, or Redfin. The answer is an MLS rule, not a By Owner Oregon choice.
Under RMLS rules, the public part of a listing may describe only the property. It can't include broker, seller, or lessor contact information, and other Oregon MLSs have similar rules [3]. Zillow and other sites receive your listing through the MLS feed, which carries only those public sections. So no listing on those sites, from any brokerage, shows the seller's phone number [3].
Instead, the number shown connects buyers to BuyerLink. Our manufactured home MLS page puts it simply: buyer inquiries come through BuyerLink™ and are forwarded to you, and your phone number does not appear on Zillow or other syndicated sites [4]. You can read the full explanation on our page about how buyers reach you.
How BuyerLink Works, Step by Step
Here is what happens when a buyer calls about your listing.
Step 1: The Buyer Calls the Listed Number
A buyer browsing Zillow, Realtor.com, or a similar site sees your home and calls the phone number shown with the listing.
Step 2: The BuyerLink AI Assistant Answers
Our AI assistant picks up and asks whether the caller is calling about one of our listings. It then asks for the MLS number or the property address so it can find the right home.
Step 3: Our System Finds Your Listing
Our system looks up the property in our listing database and identifies you as the seller. If the details match more than one home, the buyer is asked for the full street address. If the property still can't be confirmed, the request is flagged for our team to follow up, rather than being guessed at or dropped.
Step 4: You Get the Buyer's Contact Information
Once the listing is confirmed, the caller's contact information is sent to you by email, and by text message when you've turned on text alerts in your seller portal. The message includes the buyer's callback number so you can call or text them back right away, and the details are also saved in your seller portal.
Step 5: The Buyer Gets a Link to Your Home
When the match is confirmed, BuyerLink texts the caller a link to your home's page on byowneroregon.com. There they can view the property and contact you directly through our platform, using the page's option to contact the seller or request a showing. If you've chosen to show your name and phone number on your listing page, the text can include them too.
Step 6: The Caller Knows What Happens Next
The call doesn't just end. The buyer is told that their information has been forwarded to the seller and that they'll be contacted as soon as possible. The confirmation text reads, in part, that we've passed their message to the seller and the seller will call or text them back shortly.
What Sellers Get From BuyerLink
No missed buyer calls. Every buyer who reaches BuyerLink about your listing is answered and matched to your home, even when you're at work or can't pick up the phone.
Buyer details by email and text. You get the caller's contact information right away, so you can follow up while the buyer is still interested. Turn on text alerts in your seller portal on the Account page so the texts reach you. If you haven't agreed to receive texts, you'll still get the email.
Your number stays off Zillow. Because the public listing carries only the BuyerLink number, your personal phone number isn't published across hundreds of syndicated sites [3][4].
A record of every inquiry. Inquiries are saved in your seller portal, so you can see who called and when, even if you were busy the moment they called.
Less screening on your end. Callers who aren't asking about one of our listings, or who can't be matched to a property, don't get passed to you as if they were confirmed buyers.
What Buyers Get From BuyerLink
A fast answer. The buyer reaches a live AI assistant instead of a voicemail box.
An instant property link. The text with your home's page lets them look at photos and details again and share the listing with a partner or lender.
A direct way to reach you. From your listing page, they can contact you through our platform or request a showing, and they know you've already received their details.
How Buyers' Agents Reach You
Buyers' agents can reach you two ways, and neither one requires a call to BuyerLink.
Through the MLS Listing
When a buyer's agent looks up your home in the MLS, the private remarks and showing instructions, which only licensed agents can see, give them direct access to your contact information [3]. They also include a link to your listing's Agent Tools page. From Agent Tools, an agent can:
- Schedule a showing by picking from the available times on your showing calendar.
- Submit an offer through the offer link.
- Upload transaction documents after an offer is accepted.
Showing requests and offers sent through Agent Tools show up in your seller portal, and you're notified the same way as for other activity on your listing.
By Calling BuyerLink
Some agents still call the number they see on Zillow or Realtor.com. If a buyer's agent calls BuyerLink and gives the MLS number or the property address, their contact information is forwarded to you too, just like a buyer's. Either way, you hear about every agent who reaches out.
Tips for Getting the Most From BuyerLink
Turn on text alerts. Make sure you've agreed to receive texts in your seller portal so buyer details reach your phone right away, not just your inbox.
Call buyers back quickly. BuyerLink tells callers you'll be in touch as soon as possible. A callback within the hour, when you can manage it, keeps that promise and keeps the buyer interested.
Keep your listing page strong. The link buyers receive goes to your page on byowneroregon.com, so great photos and a clear description matter. See our tips on listing photography and writing a listing description that sells.
Consider showing your contact on your page. On eligible packages you can choose to display your name and phone number on your byowneroregon.com listing page, which the MLS rule doesn't restrict because that page isn't part of the MLS feed [3].
Keep the listing current. Price and status changes are unlimited and free, so update the MLS promptly if you accept an offer.
How By Owner Oregon Can Help
By Owner Oregon, brokered by RealtyNet LLC, has helped Oregon homeowners sell since 2001, with 4,700+ homes sold. BuyerLink forwards buyer inquiries on our listings, starting with our Flat Fee MLS packages from $199 to $1,099 [5].
If you want more support, Agent Assist adds licensed broker coaching on pricing, offers, and negotiation for $499 to $1,099 upfront plus $700 at closing. There's no compliance fee at closing on any package. See how it works or compare our packages and pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BuyerLink™?
BuyerLink™ is By Owner Oregon's buyer call line. When a buyer calls the number shown with your listing on Zillow or Realtor.com, an AI assistant answers, identifies your home by MLS number or address, sends you the caller's contact details, and texts the buyer a link to your property page on byowneroregon.com.
How will I receive buyer inquiries from BuyerLink?
You'll receive the caller's contact information by email, and by text message if you've agreed to receive texts in your seller portal. The message includes the buyer's callback number so you can reply quickly. Inquiries are also saved in your seller portal, so you have a record of every caller.
Why isn't my phone number on Zillow or Realtor.com?
MLS rules, including RMLS Rule 3.25, allow the public part of a listing to describe only the property, with no seller or broker contact information. Zillow and other sites receive only that public part. BuyerLink gives buyers a number to call and forwards their details to you, so your personal number stays off those sites.
What happens if a buyer's agent calls BuyerLink?
If a buyer's agent calls and gives the MLS number or property address, their contact information is forwarded to you, just like a buyer's. Most agents won't need to call: your MLS private remarks give them your contact details and an Agent Tools link to schedule showings and submit offers.
Does the buyer get cut off after the call?
No. The buyer is told their information has been forwarded to the seller and that they'll be contacted as soon as possible. When the property is confirmed, they also get a text with a link to your listing page on byowneroregon.com, where they can view the home and contact you through our platform.
BuyerLink features described here reflect how the service works on By Owner Oregon listings as of the date shown and may change. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS®, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, Chapter 3: The Home Search Process (buyers who purchased July 2024–June 2025; published November 4, 2025): nar.realtor
- National Association of REALTORS®, 2025 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report, April 1, 2025: nar.realtor
- By Owner Oregon, "Why Your Contact Info Isn't on Zillow — MLS Contact Rules Explained" (summarizing RMLS Rule 3.25), accessed October 23, 2026: byowneroregon.com/mls-contact-info
- By Owner Oregon, Manufactured Home MLS, "How do buyers reach me?", accessed October 23, 2026: byowneroregon.com/manufactured-home-mls
- By Owner Oregon, Flat Fee MLS, accessed October 23, 2026: byowneroregon.com/flat-fee-mls
