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

Book value is a quintessential term used in the financial world and the real estate business. Though, there are slight differences in its interpretation in these two areas of ...

Street having access only at one end and terminating with a circular turnaround area. The circular area permits automobiles to exit the street without having to use a home's driveway to ...

When you hear the term annuity, you’re often left wondering what is an annuity? The simplest annuity definition is a financial product designed to ensure cash flows at equal intervals ...

Structure of prefabricated units. ...

Contract that intends to convey property form one individual to another but is defective in one respect. ...

Method of selling and obtains possession, but the seller retains the title. ...

Same as term Veterans Administration Mortgage: Mortgage guaranteed up to 30 years by the Veterans Administration to veterans meeting minimum requirements. Originally established by the ...

Interest rate on a mortgage that moves up or down based on some variable such as an index of lender's cost of funds, inflation rate, or prime rate. ...

Conversion of real property into money. The breaking up and selling of a real estate company for cash distribution to its creditors and then owners. Chapter 7 of the Federal Bankruptcy ...

Popular Real Estate Questions