If you plan to sell your home, you will sign a listing agreement with a Tallahassee Realtor. If you do not negotiate these contracts regularly, you may not know where agents can hide costs.
These are the five biggest complaints we hear from sellers about negotiating listing agreements in Tallahassee. These reference the Tallahassee Board of Realtor’s Listing Agreement. We are happy to provide a copy of the listing agreement before you sign it.
TRICK #1 – Clause 5 – Length of the Listing Agreement.
Per Florida law, this agreement cannot last longer than a year. If you are on the market longer than the ‘average’ sale in your area, you will cost yourself money. Buyers pay less for homes that have been on the market a long time. We ask for a 90-day listing because if it takes us longer than that we need to regroup.
TRICK #2 – Clause 5 – Termination of Listing Agreement.
This clause also deals with how a listing agreement can be canceled. Some agents make it difficult to hold them accountable. Some ask for a percentage of the list price and the costs of marketing if you decide they are not doing their job and want to fire them. We will try our best to make you a raving fan of ours. If that doesn’t work, we offer you an easy out if you are not happy.
TRICK #3 – Clause 12A – Brokerage Fee.
Some agents try to increase their profits by having the seller pay a transaction fee. Some will even say their broker requires it. We do not charge any additional fees to sell your home.
TRICK #4 – Clause 12D – Commission Sharing.
Some agents have a reputation for not treating their fellow agents fairly. One common complaint is listing agents who do not share the commission evenly. This can lead to the seller getting caught in the crossfire of long-running feuds between agents. We treat others fairly and with respect. So we split the commission you agree to 50/50 to the agent that brings the buyer for your home.
TRICK #5 – Clause 13 – Liquidated Damages.
If for any reason the sale does not close and the buyer forfeits their deposit, this clause is where you agree to how this money is handled. Some agents believe that you should split it with them, we do not. Sellers should keep the deposit and we will earn our commission when we get you to the closing table.
