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
The term apartment is used when referring to a type of residential unit that is self-contained and occupies only a part of the building. Through self-contained, we understand that the ...
Removal of a tenant from a portion of a rented or leased premise. ...
Urbanized area in and around a major city. The metropolitan area may overlap county and state boundaries and may encompass a city, its suburbs, and the orbit of its social and economic ...
Also called a title defect. Any claim, lien, or encumbrance which, if valid, may impair the owners title to the property. This cloud does not hinder transfer of ownership on the property, ...
Decline in the credit status of a prospective homebuyer. ...
Involves the transfer of property from one individual to another for a consideration in the form of sale. It is the most widely used type of real estate deed with a period of bargaining ...
The adjudication definition is a legal ruling or judgment used in the justice system when a case is settled or finalized. To define adjudication, we must look at the justice system and how ...
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, ...
The term assessed value is used to define the dollar value of a property for the applicable taxes. The evaluator, a tax assessor, determines the property’s assessed value for tax ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.