Open Listing
Open Listing is a type of Listing where home sellers allow a real estate agent to sell their house, while not providing any kind of exclusiveness: other agents can also attempt to make the sale. Whoever brings an acceptable offer first, gets the sales commission. And that’s not all: if the home seller finds, by his/her own merits, a buyer; no agent gets the commission!
Normally, home sellers choose an Open Listing to make the sale process faster – after all, each agent has their own clientele and the competition creates a sense of urgency that might make the real estate agent go that extra mile for your property. Also, because if the home doesn’t sell or the home seller changes his/her mind about selling it and decides to pull it out of the market, he/she won’t have to pay anything to the agents trying to sell their home.
However, beware: because of this risky and competitive scenario, many real estate agents shy away from Open Listings. They might favor their Exclusive Rights to Sell Listings and pay less attention to your property. Also, Open Listings can be perceived by potential home buyers as a way to sell difficult or overpriced properties. “If it’s such a nice house, why would its owner need to spread the sales duty through so many agents instead of just one? Maybe he’s had no success, so he’s desperately trying to see if anyone else can sell it”, they might think to themselves. This is a situation the home seller wouldn't want to have, because it means the home buyer will try to lower the Fair Market Value of the house in the negotiation.
So, whenever you decide you want to sell your house, evaluate if an Open listing is the best listing option for your case.
RealEstateAgent.com ADVICE:
Thinking of doing an Open Listing for your house? Hosting an Open House event might be a good option for you to reach possible home buyers and agents. Check our article on how to "Optimize Your Next Open House" for more tips.
Don't think Open Listings are the way to go? No problem; Open Listings are just one out of 5 types of listings. Check our Glossary Terms for the other types of Listing like the Exclusive Right to Sell Listing, Exclusive Agency Listing, Multiple Listing and Net Listing.
Still confused? Use The OFFICIAL Real Estate Agent Directory® and find a trustworthy real estate agent to guide you through the listing best suited for your property.
Popular Real Estate Terms
Map delineating property values over a designated area. Land value maps are usually developed by a governmental planning agency. ...
Region or locality that assesses real estate taxes on the properties located within its borders. Frequently, the local county or city is the property taxing jurisdiction which is empowered, ...
Real estate broker specializing in the listing and selling of commercial property. This property can include apartments, businesses, hotels, industrial, retail or wholesale uses. ...
Standard days when an organization is open and conducts business. Business days exclude weekends and holidays. ...
Bond whose interest is free of federal, state, or local tax in the state of the issuer. It is typically a municipal bond of estate or county agency. For example, a New York City resident ...
People often use the term in their everyday discourse, yet many wonder what the meaning of common law genuinely implies. Common law refers to a system of jurisprudence based on court ...
Accumulation of housing units deemed substitutable by homogeneous households, such as those having comparable attractiveness and usefulness. ...
Have you heard someone talking about a 35-percent rule of thumb and you nodded acknowledging but the truth is that you had NO idea what in the world a “35-percent rule of thumb” ...
Certificates that pass-through principal and interest payments to investors. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.