Definition of "Dual listing"

Danny  Skelly  real estate agent

Written by

Danny Skelly elite badge icon

Orson Hill Realty

When you sign a Listing Agreement with a real estate broker or agent, he or she has a fiduciary responsibility to represent your interests exclusively. However, should another client of the real estate broker or agent want to make an offer on your house, the agent/broker would then find himself in a Dual Listing.

But how can he do his/her job of representing my interests exclusively if the home buyer is also his/her client? you ask.

Well, he can’t. Only if you (and the home buyer) agree so. A dual listing occurring without the knowledge of both the home seller and the home buyer violates the principal fiduciary relationship and therefore is illegal. So, whenever an agent/broker notices this conflict of interests happening, the first thing he/she needs to do is warn both clients. If both of them aren’t bothered by that… then game on!

Real Estate Secrets:

Dual Listing is yet another Listing Agreement ramification. Check out others like Net Listings, Open Listings, Option Listing and much more in our Glossary terms.

If that feels too advanced for you, go back to basics and try our Listings 101: What you need to know when you hire a Real Estate Agent or a Broker blog post.

Want no such thing? We’ll give you the TL;DR version: find a real estate agent and let him/her do all the heavy lifting.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Sewer whose sole purpose is o carry away domestic waste water. ...

In short, an overage means a surplus or an excess of money. An overage can present itself at a property at an auction where the asset has gone over the asking price. Suppose there’s a ...

Roof constructed on a storage tank designed to expand and contract directly with the level of stored materials (usually liquid). Its design prevents the loss through vaporization of the ...

Largest form of owner ship giving the owner complete control including the development off an inheritable estate. ...

In taxation, the excess of total long-term gains minus total long-term losses on the sale of real estate. Long-term classification is for real estate held one year or more. This is reported ...

Leasing commercial or industrial real estate can be a perplexing process. As a tenant (and as a landlord,) you must consider several aspects before actually signing the deal. Even top local ...

Ownership of property transfers from the seller to the buyer when the parties sign the contract. ...

The smallest lot area required for building under the municipal zoning code. For example, a municipal zoning code requires all building lots to have a minimum lot area of 1/4 of an acre in ...

Fee charged by a mortgage lender to a buyer, seller or both for transferring a mortgage when the mortgage property is sold. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions