Home Sellers and The Semantics of a Cancelled vs Withdrawn Listing

I often find myself thinking ... Slow down... speak in everyday language my clients have a deer in the headlight look.

Really good advice for Sellers....they certainly don't want to find themselves in a situation where they have to pay 2 Realtors because they don't speak the right language!!! Suggested

Charita, we can not assume average consumer understands our lingo! Our local MLS does not have the "Cancelled" criteria, it's either Expired or Withdrawn, there's also Temporary Off Market. Great advice for Sellers!

Charita.... when an agents wants to cancel a listing, it does not mean the listing agent needs to do that... the seller's intention may be to sell it on their own and avoid paying a commission even though the buyer surfaced during the listing period!!!  or the seller may have another deal with another agent and want to list with that agent.... not going to happen with me!!  the listing agent will withdraw the listing and the seller can ride out the listing period and lose precious time....or the seller can play fairly.

Hi Charita. We have these same concerns with Withdrawn vs Canceled too. Many times the seller wants to list with another agent, but that listing agreement must be Terminated with the present listing agent, and the status in our MLS needs to be changed to Canceled, in order for the New Agent to be allowed to re-enter that same property. Yes, I would say the General Public truly doesn't understand our Lingo.

This is a good, simple explanation of the difference between "Canceled" and "Withdrawn", Charita.  Nicely done.  As RE professionals, we can get caught up in the Lingo and forget that our clients may be saying one thing but meaning another!

Charita, that is very interesting. We don't have a "cancelled"status. If it's withdrawn it could mean any number of things, including that they chosen to cancel their contract with e listing aent.

Charita, 

Great explanation.  When we have withdrawn listings because we've LEASED (rented out) the house, we change the publix remarks to this, so other agents and folks will know.  Otherwise, sometimes in the last couple years folks decided the market price for their home and what they wanted to get just didn't match.

All the best, Michelle

We have the same explanation our definitions.  A "withdrawn" listing is just withdrawn from being shown/marketed, listing contract still in place.  If the listing agent isn't explainig that to their clients, and they know, or should know what the difference is, shame on them if the client was to really CANCEL that listing . . . and trust me, the listing agents knows when a client wants to cancel.  Good topic!

Charita,  You gave a good explanation.  Things can get confusing to the public because of our lingo.  In our MLS, we use Contingent as a status.  The problem comes is when MLS continues to show it as active on the search engines, yet it is contingent pending inspection, appraisal, etc.  There is definitely a contract on it.