Although the listing agreement is a legally binding document, your realtor may be able to work with you to cancel the contract or make necessary adjustments based on your situation.
- A listing contract is automatically terminated if an impossibility of performance occurs. - Specific performance is a remedy if one of the parties to a listing contract unilaterally terminates the agreement. - Death, incompetence, or bankruptcy of either principal or agent terminates a listing contract.
In general, valid reasons for terminating a listing agreement include: A) Mutual agreement between the seller and agent, B) Completion of the sale, and C) Expiration of the agreed-upon time period, as these reasons reflect the successful conclusion or mutual termination of the contract.
Listing agreements are usually cancelled only with the mutual consent of the involved parties.
A listing agreement should include a termination clause to outline conditions under which the property owner or real estate agent can end the contract early.
If you've officially decided to move forward with the cancellation, it's time to put it in writing and send it to the other party. When writing this letter, make sure to include the date the contract was drafted, the address of the home, the date of cancellation, and your reasons.
Termination clauses can always be customized but standard ones are included in almost every agreement.
First off, without a defined expiration date, you didn't have a ratified listing agreement. Second, in California, as of 2024, you cannot have a listing agreement term for longer than 24 months, and if you essentially had an indefinite listing agreement, this would be unlawful.