Definition of "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.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Cancellation of a contract such as when a real estate agreement is deemed illegal. ...

If you’re a renter and you own a pet, you might be familiar with the term pet rent. There has been a lot of discussion about the meaning of pet rent and controversy as it isn’t ...

Regarding the definition of the term adjoining, we see a term used most often to describe a particular position that objects, items, or properties have regarding each other. In the case of ...

Commissions received by a syndicator when real property is sold. The fees typically occur after the investors receive their initial investment plus the specified return. ...

Occupant's right in a structure to see out of the window without being hindered. For example, if someone wants to construct an office building adjacent to a home that will significantly ...

Privilege granted by a franchiser to a franchisee permitting the latter to operate using the franchiser's name. The franchisee must pay a franchise fee for such right. In addition, the ...

The term adjacent property, naturally, refers to a property’s position regarding other properties close to it. The adjacent property meaning is different from the term adjoining ...

An early term used to describe all types of real estate property, improvements to the land, and all rights accruing to the land. ...

Mortgage loan not insured or guaranteed by a governmental agency such as the Federal Home Administration or the Veterans Administration. This type of loan is repayable in fixed monthly ...

Popular Real Estate Questions