[SimoneK]

Hello,
Is it possible to put my home on the market with a real estate company for 8 weeks only ? Anyone ever done this ? Thank you for reading.

[MyHomeIsInOcala]

You MIGHT find an agent to do it, there is NO set time frame that is written in STONE for listings.

BUT, it takes a couple weeks to get the advertising up and running full bore!!!

Good Luck!

Have you tried FSBO?

[Mike Peterson]

You can try to get one to do it but keep in mind the current market.
Homes are taking alot longer to sell so you probably won't get anyone to do advertising if they do list it for 8 weeks.
They will put a sign up and put it in the MLS.
Then in 8 weeks you will be looking for another agent and have to go through the whole listing process again.

[macguy]

Originally Posted by Mike Peterson

You can try to get one to do it but keep in mind the current market.
Homes are taking alot longer to sell so you probably won't get anyone to do advertising if they do list it for 8 weeks.
They will put a sign up and put it in the MLS.
Then in 8 weeks you will be looking for another agent and have to go through the whole listing process again.

You will most likely extend it with the same agent if they turn out to be any good. I had one guy who didn't get a sign on the lot of like three weeks. When I found out I called and he blamed it on the company who they contract with to do their signs. It would be nice to be able to get rid of them as soon as possible if they turn out to be idiots.

[Prichard]

Most Realtors wouldn't agree to this. An experienced Realtor knows that 8 weeks isn't long enough to have the house on the market given the current market conditions, unless you are listing the house at a "give-away" price. (But, if you're going to do that, then why even use a Realtor?). In fact, I'd be leary of Realtors who would even agree to something like this.

Instead of beating up the Realtor over how long they intend to list the property, you aught to focus on the following when reviewing your listing agreement with our realtor:

1) Kick any junk-fees into the can, and only agree to pay straight commission - whatever rate you agree on. Many people are surprised to find out that the Realtor is charging $250 for "processing" or whatever over and above the commission. Some even charge an extra fee for attending the closing!!! These extra fees came about when Brokers started giving their agents a much bigger split on the commission. Some agents have a 5% / 95% split arangement with their broker! If the agent tells you he/she can't get rid of that fee, that it's something that they ahve to pay out of their back pocket to their Big-Box broker, ask him/her what his split arrangement is with the Broker. Personally, I don't do business with anyone who charges a commission and then demands additional fees on top of their commission - it's a matter of principle with me.

2) Make sure you know the difference between a Seller's Agent and a Transaction Agent. Most agents/brokers refuse to be "Sellers Agents" in residential transactions, opting for Transaction Agent. The main difference that means anything to a Seller is that you shouldn't expect a Transaction Agent to aggressively try to get the highest price for your property and get you the most advantageous terms in your contract. A Transaction Agent can't ethically do that, but trying to get one to be a Seller's agent will be next to impossible. So, you will need to be the one making sure you are getting top dollar and best terms, if this is important to you. It's just something to keep in mind. However, if you are selling big-priced raw land or commercial property, I'd kick the Broker to the curb who wants to be a transaction broker.

3) Most importantly, make sure that the Agent / Brokerage that you pick knows how to "Sell". Many Agents don't have a clue what "selling" is. Some even think that "selling" is a dirty word - which should be relegated to the time-honored business of selling used-cars. If you ask a good Builder, they will the run down between Brokers who hire agents that can "sell" and agents that are just order-takers.

4) Make sure that the Agent is required to give you a list of potential buyers that had contacted him about the property. Go ahead and give the Agent a listing agreement for 90 or 180 days, but if you don't get a contract in that time, make sure the realtor has no more rights to commission.

5) Also, one thing many people don't realize is that if the Realtor brings you a dead-beat buyer, and the dead-beat doesn't close; many times the contract says that the realtor gets to keep 50% of the Deposite! I wouldn't agree to that.