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When using a real estate agent can you just try them for a short time like say 30 or 60 days?

I am debating as to whether I should sale my house by owner or list with a real estate agent. When using an agent can you just try them for a short time like say 30 or 60 days and if they dont get my sale price + 6 percent added to it. Can I then dump them and go sale by owner?

Public Comments

1. It costs a lot of money to advertise and promote a house. I doubt you would find anyone willing to take that risk for a contract of less then 90 days unless you are pricing the house really well so that it will sell.
2. usually its six months.....you should figure the sales price and commission in as the total price you want for the house...after your contract is up you can go with sale by owner...i have mine listed with a realtor...and i bought my new house thru a realtor...we fired our first realtor three months into our contract...she told us when we signed if i am not doing what you think i should be then you can fire me..we held her to that word..and fired her and told her why....and had a new agent within the week and he is at least keeping in contact with us..which is all she needed to do..we didnt need the hassle of contacting her every week with a question about a showing etc.
3. Why don’t you instead ask your agent to put a clause in your contract saying that if you give them 24 hours written notice, the listing agreement has ended? I wholeheartedly agree with the other poster though, don’t go this route unless you’re pricing your home to sell fast. Then again, don’t get sucked into using an agent who swears they’ll get you more than your house is worth. Make them show you market data on what nearby comparable homes have sold for in the last couple of months and if you want to sell fast, price below those. Just remember, that agent won’t get a dime from you until your houses sells so it’s in their interest to sell your home quickly. They just need your cooperation to make that happen.
4. you can try and negotiate anything with a listing agent - Listing price plus 6% ? - but what if that total puts the house way over the going rate for comparable houses - you will never sell it - the 6% is subtracted from the selling price at closing - if you list it for 100,000, but you want 106,000 to pay the 6% commission and someone accepts your listing price of 100,000 - they aren't going to pay you an extra 6k - it'll never happen - you'll get roughly 94k - you will have to list it at 106k (example) and hope it's not overpriced - 30 days listing isunreasonable - no agent will sign you for that little period of time, especially when it's taking 9 months to sell houses nowadays - there are too many on the market
5. Well that depends on your agent, however I caution you that we are not in a booming market right now. In most places homes are on the market for 90 days minimum. That is just how it is. Sometimes it can take two weeks before all the marketing kicks in. If you go from one agent to another that quickly then you will loose a lot of valuable marketing time. Really the most effective way to sell your home is with an experienced Realtor at the right price. For Sale by Owner homes, tend to sell for less and sit on the market longer than those sold by an agent. When they are sold by an agent they get much more exposure than what you can do on your own. Also buyer who are looking for a Home By Owner- are either bargain hunting, so they will most times try to negotiate a lower price, or they are not wanting an agent because they don't want to play by the rules and an agent will make them play by the rules. I had a friend who's husband was selling the house FSBO- and I was there helping her pack when a potential buyer came to look at the house. I Overheard part of the conversation where he was telling her that FHA would require a new roof. After he left, I told her that was not entirely true- FHA would have a roof certification done and if it needed a new roof, then they may require it, but most times, minor repairs were all that were needed. Now I don't know whether the guy was trying to con her out of a new roof, or if he just had incorrect information and thought that was the case. Either way- If I had not been there, they may have been duped into putting a new roof on the home simply because they did not know the rules. I just tell you this so that you can be cautious of these things if you try to sell it yourself. If you do- please at least consult with a real estate attorney so that you don't get conned into doing something that is not customary. Just be cautious if you go it on your own. If you get a Realtor, find someone who has experience and knows what they are doing and someone who is ethical. We are all supposed to be ethical, but some people have a different definition of what is ethical than others. As for the listing term, ask the agent about it. The agent I work with will not hold people to a contract, if it is not working. We write a clause in every listing agreement that the seller can cancel the contract at anytime simply by giving us written notice (usually an email). It is that simple. It is my opinion that is the most ethical way of doing business.
6. As an agent, if you are not committed to me, why would I commit to you? In this market listings are taking more than 30-60 days to sell, unless very competitively priced. I would say do it yourself, then call the agent when you are unsuccessful, and list for the usual 6 months.
7. You certainly can ask. The better ones that actually have a chance of selling your house for the most money in this market, however, generally will insist on 6 months. You can also put your house on the Multiple listing service (MLS) yourself through a ghost firm for generally $500. But you have to answer all the inquiries, do all the showings, coordinate your own closing, etc.
8. Hi Eva G, Most real estate professionals are self employed; therefore, we do not make money until we make a sale. We invest time, money, and energy in marketing and advertising a home until it sells. A six-month listing agreement is a reasonable request especially in a buyer's market. Interview at least three real estate brokerage firms so you don't make a decision that you will later regret. Hire the firm that will offer the most exposure for your home.