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A listing contract is a contract to list some real estate by a real estate agency (or brokerage) as being offered for sale at a given listing price. It is a contract which is agreed to and signed by a real estate agent/broker and the owner(s) of the property (real estate) who want(s) to sell it. The contract is often referred to as a listing agreement. Upon listing the property, the real estate agency tries to get (or find) a buyer for the property. In consideration of the brokerage successfully finding a satisfactory buyer for the property, a real estate broker anticipates receiving a commission (fee) for the service the brokerage provided.

Commission

Although the terms of the contract could vary, usually the payment of a commission to the brokerage is contingent upon:

the successful negotiation of a purchase contract between a satisfactory buyer and seller and the subsequent ability and willingness of the buyer to close the deal, or

finding a satisfactory buyer who is ready, willing, and able to pay the full listing price (or more) for the real estate for sale without any contingencies.

If the seller refuses to sell the real estate when one of the above two conditions applies, it is typically considered that the real estate agent has done his job of finding a satisfactory buyer and the seller must still pay the commission, although the details are determined by the listing contract. If the buyer cannot or does not buy the property, then the brokerage has not yet done its job and the seller does not yet owe the broker a commission.

The commission is usually a percentage of the sales price of the property ranging from perhaps a couple percent to about 10 percent, but usually in the range of about 3 - 7 percent for houses. The commission could also be a flat fee or some combination of flat fee and percentage, particularly in the case of lower-priced properties, vacant lots, or other unusual real estate. Again, the details are typically determined by the listing contract. The commission is paid by the seller to the listing real estate broker, who will compensate his/her listing agent and any other brokers/agents from this commission by a separate agreement with them. Listing price

The listing contract typically also includes a listing price for the property and an expiration date by which the contract expires (ends). However, the property may be sold at a lower or higher price. If the seller agrees to and successfully sells (i. e. closes the deal) the property at a lower price, the seller must still pay the broker a commission, although a percentage at a lower price would result in a proportionally lower commission. If the seller does not accept a price lower than the listing price, then the broker will have to wait until a satisfactory sale to earn the commission. If the price obtained is higher than the listing price and the commission is based on percentage, then the broker is paid a proportionally higher commission. Furthermore as mentioned before, if the price offered is equal to or higher than the listing price by a ready, willing, and able buyer (without contingencies), then the broker has earned a commission and the seller must pay it regardless of whether the sellers sells the property. In practice, if multiple offers are presented, the seller may accept whichever offer is most suitable to him/her even if the price is not highest, and the percentage commission will paid according to the accepted price. The seller, often in concurrence with the real estate agent, may choose to accept an offer that is lower than the highest for various reasons, such as terms or contingencies in the purchase contract offered or perceived differences in financial qualification of the competing buyers.

Typically, the real estate agent has the experience and data to determine a suitable listing price for the seller's property and will recommend a listing price to the seller. The seller can accept, reject, or try to negotiate a different listing price for the contract. If the seller's price is unrealistically high and the agent cannot convince the seller otherwise, the agent can decline to list the property. Expiration date

Listing a property commonly incurs certain expenses for the listing broker and takes some time and effort for the listing salesperson. To make it worthwhile for them, they want a certain minimum listing time period to have a good chance of selling the property. However, the listing contract must have an expiration date. A typical listing period is often from 3 or 4 months to 6 months until the listing expires. If the property is not sold or under a purchase contract by then, the seller may decide to re-list the property, perhaps with a different listing price, with the same or a different broker or agent, or not list it at all. The listing of the property can start at a date later than the date the listing contract is signed to allow the seller time to prepare the property for showing or sale. Types of listing contracts

There can be several types of listing contracts:

Exclusive right to sell - The seller must pay the agency (brokerage) a commission if, by the expiration date in the listing contract, the real estate is sold, regardless of whether the buyer is gotten through the agency or not. Even if the seller finds the buyer him/herself, a commission is still owed to the agency. Furthermore, the seller cannot list the property with any other agency until the listing expires with the property unsold.

Exclusive Agency - The seller can only list the property with one agency (brokerage) until that listing expires with the property unsold. The seller must pay the agency a commission if the real estate is sold to a buyer gotten through the agency. If the seller finds the buyer him/herself, the seller does not have to pay the agency a commission.

Open Agency - A seller can list the property with more than one agency (brokerage) in open agency listings. The seller must pay a commission to that agency which finds the buyer that the real estate is sold to. If the seller finds the buyer him/herself, the seller does not have to pay any agency a commission.

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