Chapter 12 - Listing Agreements Flashcards
A listing agreement, the document that puts
an agent or broker in business, is a legally enforceable real estate agency agreement between a real estate broker and a client, authorizing the broker to perform a stated service for compensation
The unique characteristic of a listing agreement is tha
it is governed both by agency law and by contract law.
The cornerstones of agency law in the context of a listing agreement are:
definition of the roles of parties involved
fiduciary duties of the agent
agent’s scope of authority
The principal parties to the contract are the
listing broker and the client.
A broker or salesperson who assists the listing broker in finding a customer is an
agent of the listing broker and a subagent of the client
A listing agreement establishes an agency relationship between agent and client that commits the agent to
the full complement of fiduciary duties to the client in fulfilling the agreement.
Customarily, a listing is a special agency, or limited agency, agreement. Special agency limits
the scope of the broker’s authority to specific activities, generally those which generate customers and catalyze the transaction
A listing, like any contract, may terminate for any of the following causes:
performance, infeasibility, mutual agreement, rescission, revocation, abandonment, lapse of time, invalidity, and breach.
A valid listing may be
oral or written. However, many states consider only a written listing to be enforceable, particularly an exclusive right-to-sell listing
An oral listing, even if enforceable, limits a broker’s ability to remedy problems:
a contested oral listing must be supported by considerable evidence to be enforced
a broker may not be able to sue a principal for damages incurred under an oral lease
if the client dies, the broker may not be able to obtain compensation for a successfully performed oral listing
An express listing, verbal or written, manifestly authorizes
the broker to pursue certain actions for the client.
Since a listing agreement is a personal service contract, it is not
assignable
A broker may represent any principal party of a transaction:
seller, landlord, buyer, tenant
An owner listing authorizes a broker to
represent an owner or landlord. There are three main types of owner listing agreement: exclusive right-to-sell (or lease); exclusive agency; and open listing
A buyer agency or tenant representation agreement authorizes a broker to
represent a buyer or tenant. The most commonly used form is an exclusive right-to-represent agreement, the equivalent of an exclusive right-to-sell
Multiple listing is an authorization
to enter a listing in a multiple listing service.
The exclusive right-to-sell, also called exclusive authorization-to-sell and, simply, the exclusive, is the most
widely used owner agreement
An exclusive agency listing authorizes
a single broker to sell the property and earn a commission, but leaves the owner the right to sell the property without the broker’s assistance, in which case no commission is owed
An open listing, or, simply, open, is a
non-exclusive authorization to sell or lease a property. The owner may offer such agreements to any number of brokers in the marketplace
A net listing is one in which an owner sets
a minimum acceptable amount to be received from the transaction and allows the broker to have any amount received in excess as a commission, assuming the broker has earned a commission according to the other terms of the agreement
buyer and tenant representation agreements are subject to the same laws and regulations as those applying to owner listings. Thus:
a representation agreement may be an exclusive, exclusive agency, or open listing. As with owner listings, the most widely used agreement is the exclusive. In this arrangement, the buyer agrees to only work with the buyer representative in procuring a property.
an exclusive listing generally must have an expiration date along with other requirements of a valid listing.
state laws require an exclusive authorization to be in writing
At the formation of the relationship, the buyer agent has the duty to
explain how buyer or tenant agency relationships work. This is culminated by a signed agreement where the principal understands and accepts these circumstances.
In terms of agency, a transaction broker is in a
non-agency relationship with the seller or buyer
A multiple listing service is an organization of
member brokers who agree to cooperate in the sale of properties listed by other brokers in exchange for a share of the broker’s resulting commission.
An agent performs a listing agreement by achieving the result specified in the agreement. When and if the result is achieved
the agent’s performance is complete.
A ready, willing, and able customer is one who is:
amenable to the terms of the transaction (ready and willing)
financially capable of paying the price and legally capable of completing the transaction (able)
A listing agreement authorizes a broker to undertake actions relevant to
achieving the performance objective
Authorized activities by the client usually include the following:
show or seek property
locate buyer, seller, tenant, or landlord
communicate the client’s transaction terms
promote features and advantages of the terms to customers
assist in negotiating a meeting of the minds between parties
Due diligence in the listing context refers to
verifying the accuracy of the statements in the listing regarding the property, the owner, and the owner’s representations
Especially important facts for a broker or agent to verify during due diligence for a listing are:
the property condition
ownership status
the client’s authority to act
The amount of a broker’s commission is whatever amount the client and broker
have agreed to. Compensation may be in the form of a percentage of the sale or lease price, or a flat fee
Buyer agency agreements stipulate how
the agent will be compensated in the relationship.
A listing may terminate on grounds of:
performance: all parties perform; the intended outcome
infeasibility: it is not possible to perform under the terms of the agreement
mutual agreement: both parties agree to cancel the listing
revocation: either party cancels the listing, with or without the right
abandonment: the broker does not attempt to perform
breach: the terms of the listing are violated
lapse of time: the listing expires
invalidity of contract: the listing does not meet the criteria for validity
incapacitation or death of either party
involuntary title transfer: condemnation, bankruptcy, foreclosure
destruction of the property