Definition of "Dual listing"

Danny  Skelly  real estate agent

Written by

Danny Skelly elite badge icon

Orson Hill Realty

When you sign a Listing Agreement with a real estate broker or agent, he or she has a fiduciary responsibility to represent your interests exclusively. However, should another client of the real estate broker or agent want to make an offer on your house, the agent/broker would then find himself in a Dual Listing.

But how can he do his/her job of representing my interests exclusively if the home buyer is also his/her client? you ask.

Well, he can’t. Only if you (and the home buyer) agree so. A dual listing occurring without the knowledge of both the home seller and the home buyer violates the principal fiduciary relationship and therefore is illegal. So, whenever an agent/broker notices this conflict of interests happening, the first thing he/she needs to do is warn both clients. If both of them aren’t bothered by that… then game on!

Real Estate Secrets:

Dual Listing is yet another Listing Agreement ramification. Check out others like Net Listings, Open Listings, Option Listing and much more in our Glossary terms.

If that feels too advanced for you, go back to basics and try our Listings 101: What you need to know when you hire a Real Estate Agent or a Broker blog post.

Want no such thing? We’ll give you the TL;DR version: find a real estate agent and let him/her do all the heavy lifting.

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

A simple box-shaped house with clapboard siding and a gable roof. ...

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is an exclusive database of properties created by real estate agents and brokers. The idea behind the creation of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) ...

Opening in the wall of a structure to let in air and light. ...

Metropolitan locality such as a city. It is heavily populated with many residents and businesses. An example is New York City. ...

The American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, in short, the AIREA, or the Appraisal Institute as it is known nowadays, is an institute that aims to advance professionalism in the real ...

Listing Agreement A.K.A. Listing is basically a contract allowing a real estate agent or broker to list a home for sale and act as the home seller agent representing his/her interests ...

An accessory building is an outdoor structure used by the occupants of the main building or house. They have different functions and can be detached or attached to the main building on the ...

Reducing real estate investment risk by acquiring diversified holdings. ...

A rental contact in which the tenant's rental is tied to a change in the price level, such as the Gross National Price Deflator. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions