Expert, localized Los Angeles answers provided by Heather Roy

Ask Heather about: Mortgages, Finance, Taxes or Home Selling?
  

Firing an Agent

  I listed my house with a realtor 21 days ago and am dissatisfied with the work ethic (lack of) that has been demostrated. How do I cancell and is there any legal recourse that the realtor might take? I want to list with a different realtor ASAP. Please help!
 
  You have the right to cancel the listing.  You might want to make sure another agent is willing to take it on, before you do that.  You might be asked to repay the agent for out-of-pocket expenses like advertising, but you do have the right to cancel.
As for how to do it, call up and talk with the managing broker in that office.  Your listing contract was made with the company, not the individual agent.  There are standard forms to be filled out for withdrawing a lisiting.
Your listing contract may say, by the way, that you'll owe a commission if you later sell to someone who saw the place while it was listed.
    Edith
Originally published on August 23, 2007
 
    Back to Summary