Property Listings
Real estate property listings are a helpful tool to find out information about business properties for sale or lease. Business or commercial real estate property listings are widely advertised in newspapers and buyer's guides, on websites and online multiple listing services and through residential and commercial real estate companies.
Types of Property Listings
OPEN (OR MULTIPLE) LISTING
With an open listing you can list your property with as many agents as you like.
Basically you have more than just one agent working to sell your property but only the agent
that actually sells it will actually get paid the commission. With an open listing you don't have to
appoint an agent for a specified period of time and you retain the right to appoint other agents
at any time. An agent's appointment can be ended at any time by either yourself or the agent.
With an open listing, if you sell the property privately, you don't pay the agent any commission.
Disadvantages
Each agent will want to place their sign in your front yard and previous experience tells
us that lots of for sale signs can turn buyers off or make it appear as if you are desperate to sell.
The agents may not spend much time or effort promoting your property when it's likely another agent
could sell it and get the commission. Agents aren't going to pay as much attention to the sale of a
property where there is a strong possibility that they may not end up with anything out it - and from their
point of view I guess that's not too hard to understand. Unethical agents may push sellers for a faster sale
if they think that potentially the buyer they have may be the best chance they have for getting
a sale for themselves before another agent finds a buyer that is willing to pay more.
Communication with several agents can become time consuming and difficult to maintain.
EXCLUSIVE AGENCY LISTING
With an exclusive agency agreement you appoint one and only one real estate agent to
act for you for an agreed period, typically 60-90 days. The length of time you agree to
list with the agent is completely negotiable - some agents may accept exclusive authority for six weeks.
The agent will work hard to sell your property, because they are more likely to be rewarded for their efforts
than they are in an open listing.
Disadvantages
You are tied to one agent for the period of your listing agreement. If your home
is sold during the listing period, the agent's commission is payable irrespective of how the buyer
was 'introduced'. For example, if a buyer approaches you directly, the agent still gets paid their commission.
SOLE AGENCY LISTING
The same as an exclusive agency listing (with the same advantages and
disadvantages) but the seller reserves the right to sell the property privately
and if they do so, they don't need to pay the agency. If you have the confidence, negotiation skills
and time available you may elect to try to sell your property this way.