Now that you've decided to move to Madison, Wisconsin, it's time to get your current home onto the real estate listings for Markham, Ontario. Most people think this is a simple process if they hire a real estate agent to do it for them, but the fact is that you have some decisions to make before you sign a deal with a real estate agent. Chief among these decisions is which of the three types of listing agreements you want. We will outline them for you here.

Open

An open listing is kind of like a real estate free for all. This is a non-exclusive contract, so you can hire as many Toronto real estate agents as you can find under this type of agreement and only pay the one who brings you the right buyer. You can even find the buyer yourself. This type of contract is great for lighting a fire under the agents' bottoms and stirring up a little competition, and for this reason many real estate agents won't agree to this type of contract. With this type of listing, you pay only the buyer's agent, so your commission is halved.

Exclusive Agency

In this type of listing, you still retain your right to market your Ajax house for sale yourself, but you're also granting permission for a single agency to work on your behalf as well. You agree not to hire any other agents, and they agree to do their best to find a buyer. They may even reach out to other agencies whose clients may be looking for a home like yours. If the agency finds the buyer, you will be paying both buying and selling agent's commission.

Exclusive Right-to-Sell

This is the type of contract that most agents will want you to agree to, even if they're not part of the Sutton members program, because it offers the most protection and potential earnings to the agent. You're locked into paying both buying and selling agent's commissions, even if you find the buyer yourself. You can ask for an exception clause to give a particular person first crack at your home, but you can't cut the agent out of the deal altogether.

Other Details

When you're putting up Newmarket, Ontario homes for sale, consider how much work you're willing and able to do on your sale and what your agent will agree to. You are well within your rights to negotiate on commission (most agent will want around 2.5% each) and to limit the length of the contract (no one wants to keep a dead weight agent around if they can't find a buyer after six months