Why Your Contact Info Isn't on Zillow
How MLS rules work — and how buyers actually reach you
If you've looked up your listing on Zillow or Realtor.com and wondered "why isn't my phone number on there?" — you're not alone. It's the most common question we get, and the answer is an MLS rule that applies to every listing, whether it's listed by a traditional agent or by owner. Here's exactly how it works.
The MLS rule
Every listing entered in the MLS is bound by the MLS's rules. RMLS Rule 3.25 ("Personal Promotion and Contact Information in Public Remarks and on Photos Prohibited") says that the public portions of a listing may only describe the property — they may not contain broker, seller, or lessor contact information, personal promotion, or branding, including in photographs. Other Oregon MLSs have equivalent rules.
Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and hundreds of other websites receive your listing through the MLS's IDX syndication feed — and that feed contains only the public portions. That's why no listing on those sites shows a seller's phone number, and why we can't put yours there either. This uniform standard is also what lets your listing appear on all of those sites looking exactly like every other listing.
Where your contact info actually lives
- MLS private sections (agents only): Your name, phone, showing instructions, and offer instructions are in the private remarks that every licensed agent sees when they look up your property. When a buyer's agent wants to schedule a showing or submit an offer, this is what they use.
- Inquiry forwarding: When a buyer contacts the listing through Zillow, another portal, or our office, we forward the inquiry to you — per your listing agreement, within 24 business hours of receipt. You'll get an email (and text, if enabled) plus the full details in your seller portal.
- Your public listing page on this site: On eligible packages you can optionally display your name and phone number directly on your listing page here — that page is ours, not an IDX feed, so the MLS rule doesn't restrict it. Turn it on in your seller portal under My Listing → Public Contact.
Why we edit contact info out of listing descriptions
If a phone number, email address, or website appears in your public remarks, the MLS can remove it or flag the listing for a rules violation — which can delay or interrupt your listing. That's why the intake form asks you to keep contact information out of the public description, and why our team removes it if it slips through. Your description should sell the property; the private sections handle the contact details.
What you should do
- Don't worry when your number isn't on Zillow — that's the rule working as intended, and every buyer inquiry still reaches you.
- Watch your email, texts, and seller portal — that's where forwarded inquiries, showing requests, and offers arrive.
- Optionally enable the public contact card on your listing page in the seller portal if you want buyers on this site to see your name and number.
Questions? Contact us — we're happy to walk through how inquiries flow for your specific listing.