The sample listing agreement says 12 months. Is that normal?

Question

I asked an agent for a blank copy of her listing agreement so I could read one before I ever have to sign one for real. The term line says twelve months. She said that's just what her office prints and she'd change it if a seller asked.

So which is the better ask, and why? A short term, say 90 days, means if the agent isn't performing you can walk without a fight. The argument the other way is that the agent is spending money up front on photos and marketing, and if she thinks she might lose the listing in month three she has less reason to spend on it. Six months seems to be what people describe as ordinary in the markets I read about, though that varies.

One thing I did notice: the term isn't the only date in there. There's a separate clause about a period after the agreement ends where a commission can still be owed if you sell to a buyer she introduced, and that window and its wording differ by state and by brokerage form.

Curious what people would actually put on that line.

gregpowell66 · Answer

90 days with a renewal you both have to agree to. Same way I run a subcontract. Short enough that performance matters, long enough that nobody's rushing.

The photos argument is real but small. Good listing photos on a normal house are a few hundred dollars and she's spreading that across a lot of listings. The thing she's really protecting is her time on the front end.

megan_doyle15 · Answer

I didn't know you could edit the term at all, I assumed the printed form was the deal. So the useful thing I got from this is that the number on the page is a starting point. Going to reread the one my parents signed last year, since I'm pretty sure nobody asked.

The sample listing agreement says 12 months. Is that normal?

2 replies