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

Legal obligation to pay taxes associated with owning property or earning income. For example, a real estate owner must pay property taxes. ...

The term over-improvement in real estate defines a substantial and somewhat exaggerated land improvement compared to other properties in the area. For example, an individual builds at a ...

People say time is money. The old-age cliche applies more than ever in our case as we define what the Time Value of Money (TVM) means.  You’ll find the term time value for money ...

Government owned lands, for conservation purposes or for specific uses such as dams and hydropower. Public lands are owned by federal, state, and local governments. Many public lands are ...

Flood insurance is a type of home insurance created to protect a homeowner’s property against damages caused by floods. Flood insurance is typically not included in the regular ...

Form of real estate organization created by an agreement between two or more individuals who contribute capital and/or their services. Advantages are: it is easily established with minimal ...

The appraisal approach is used to estimate the value of an asset, based on various factors to reach the closest educated guess of the asset. While an appraisal approach does consider the ...

Small furnace placed between the studs of a wall. It is typically electric, but in the past more frequently was gas. ...

Tax deduction permitted upon the transfer of property from one spouse to another. The deduction is allowed under the federal gift tax for lifetime transfers or under the federal estate tax ...

Popular Real Estate Questions