Selling your home is stressful enough when everything is going as planned.
It’s a lot worse when you’ve lost confidence in the person you hired to sell it.
Maybe your home has been sitting on the market longer than it should.
Or you’ve reached the point where you know you want a different real estate agent.
The problem is you signed a listing agreement.
Now you’re wondering whether you can fire your agent, what it could cost you, and whether you’re free to hire someone else.
If your home is already on the market, you probably don’t want to lose more time figuring out what to do next.
But firing your agent and getting out of your listing agreement aren’t necessarily the same thing.
You need to know where you stand with your current agreement before you hire someone new.
This guide explains how to fire your real estate agent and what you need to settle before making a switch.
Can you fire a Realtor while under contract?
Whether you can end your listing agreement early depends on the cancellation terms or whether the brokerage is willing to release you from the contract.
The brokerage needs to agree to release you if your agreement doesn’t give you the right to cancel early.
That’s because the contract you sign is with the real estate broker, not the individual agent you’ve been working with.
You can hire an agent from a different brokerage once you’re no longer obligated to list your home with the current brokerage.
If the brokerage won’t release you, switching to another agent within the same brokerage may be an option.
What to know before firing your real estate agent
Firing your agent can affect your obligations to the brokerage you hired to sell your home.
So it’s important to know where you stand before you end the relationship.
Your listing agreement may include costs for canceling early
Your agreement might include fees or other costs you have to pay if you cancel early.
Scan for language about “cancellation fees,” “administrative fees,” “broker costs,” or “marketing expenses.”
Marketing expenses can include things like photos, a 3D tour, print materials, or paid advertising.
Then look at what the agreement actually says.
Are the costs itemized?
Are they capped?
And are they only owed if you terminate early?
You want to know what you may be asked to pay before switching agents.
A protection period can apply after the listing ends
A protection period (sometimes called a carryover period) can give the brokerage the right to a commission if you sell to certain buyers after your listing agreement ends.
For example, your agreement might include a 90-day period for buyers who saw your home while it was listed.
Your former brokerage may have a right to the agreed-upon commission if one of those buyers purchases your home during those 90 days.
Your agreement should tell you how long the protection period lasts and which buyers it covers.
It may also require the brokerage to give you a written list of protected buyers after the agreement ends.
The protection period doesn’t mean your listing agreement is still active or that your former agent still represents you.
It means the brokerage’s right to a commission for specific buyers can continue after the listing ends.
An accepted offer can limit your options for switching agents
Firing your agent becomes much more complicated once you’ve accepted an offer.
That’s because dismissing your agent doesn’t cancel the contract you have with the buyer.
You’re still responsible for meeting the terms outlined in the purchase agreement even if you no longer want to work with your agent.
Firing your agent also doesn’t get you out of paying a commission the brokerage has already earned.
If your issue is with the agent and you still want the sale to go through, talk to the managing broker.
Ask if another agent can step in and take over the transaction.
This gives you a way to stop working with your agent without trying to end the listing agreement in the middle of the sale.
Talk to a real estate attorney before taking action if you’re considering trying to back out of the sale or end your listing agreement.
How to fire your real estate agent
Ending the current relationship the right way will help you avoid problems when switching to another agent.
Here’s how to do it step by step.
1. Review your listing agreement
There’s a section in the contract that explains how your agreement can be canceled.
Look for terms such as “cancellation,” “termination,” or “early termination.”
The first thing you want to know is whether the agreement gives you the right to cancel before it expires.
If it does, check what’s required.
You may need to give written notice or wait a certain amount of time before the cancellation takes effect.
2. Notify your agent that you want to end the contract
Put your request in writing so there’s a record of what you asked for and when.
You can notify your agent that you’re ending the agreement if it gives you the right to cancel without the brokerage’s consent.
If it does, ask for any documents you need to complete the cancellation.
Otherwise, ask your agent to release you from the contract and send you any documents you need to review or sign.
Keep the message short and be direct about what you want.
Here’s a simple email you can use:
Subject: Request to End Listing Agreement
Hi [Agent’s Name],
I’m writing to request termination of the listing agreement for my property at [property address].
Please send me any documents I need to review or sign to complete the cancellation or release.
Thank you,
[Your Name]
3. Contact the managing broker if necessary
Reach out to the managing broker if your agent can’t or won’t move forward with your request.
Explain that you want out of your listing contract and ask what needs to happen for the brokerage to release you.
The broker may offer to assign another agent from the same office.
That could make sense if your problem is with the agent rather than the brokerage.
But switching agents within the same brokerage doesn’t end your listing agreement.
If you want to hire an agent from a different brokerage, make it clear that you’re asking to be released from the contract.
The broker may refuse to let you go.
If that happens, ask them to explain why and point to the part of your contract they’re relying on.
You can also ask whether they would release you under certain conditions, such as reimbursing specific expenses.
Don’t sign a listing agreement with another brokerage while you’re still obligated under your current one.
A real estate attorney can review the contract if you and the broker can’t reach an agreement.
They can confirm whether you have the right to terminate and tell you what options you have.
4. Get the terms of your cancellation or release in writing
Don’t rely on a verbal confirmation that your listing agreement is ending.
Ask for the cancellation or release document the brokerage uses and review it before you sign.
Make sure it states when your agreement ends and any terms you agreed to as part of the cancellation or release.
Compare the cancellation or release with what you agreed to in the original listing contract you signed.
If it includes a fee, commission obligation, or other term you weren’t expecting, address it before you sign.
5. Confirm the listing is no longer being marketed
Your home can still appear as an active listing in the MLS after your agreement has ended if your former agent didn’t update the status.
That can create confusion about who represents you and cause problems when your next agent puts the home back on the market.
Ask the agent or broker to confirm in writing that the listing is no longer active in the MLS.
You can also check major real estate websites to make sure the change is showing there.
Third-party sites may not update at the same time as the MLS, so you may not see those changes right away.
Also confirm that future showings have been canceled, the lockbox and sign are being removed, and any advertising controlled by the brokerage has stopped.
Keep in mind that changing the MLS status doesn’t terminate your listing agreement.
The cancellation or release determines when the contract ends.
When to consider firing your real estate agent
Not everything that goes wrong when selling your house means you hired the wrong agent.
But certain problems can be a sign that it’s time to make a change.
Here are four reasons to consider firing your real estate agent.
Poor communication
You shouldn’t have to constantly chase your agent to find out what’s happening with your sale.
Your agent should keep you updated on showings, buyer feedback, offers, and anything else that requires your attention.
An occasional missed call or late response isn’t necessarily a problem.
But consistently getting updates late, having questions go unanswered, or finding out important information after the fact is different.
You can’t make the right decisions if you don’t know what’s happening.
Poor communication is one of the signs of a bad agent and a reason you may want to find someone else.
Ineffective marketing
Your agent is responsible for how your home is presented to buyers.
That includes professional photos, compelling listing copy, and making sure your home gets the right exposure.
But fewer showings or less buyer interest doesn’t necessarily mean the marketing is the problem.
Your asking price and neighborhood market trends can also affect how buyers respond.
The real concern is when your home isn’t getting much attention and your agent can’t explain why.
A good agent should be able to look at the response your listing is getting, identify what may be holding buyers back, and recommend what to change.
Your agent overpromised on price
Some agents tell sellers what they want to hear to win the listing.
A common example is suggesting an unrealistic listing price that isn’t supported by comparable sales.
The higher price can make that agent’s pitch more appealing.
But the response from buyers doesn’t meet the seller’s expectations.
That’s when the agent may approach you about lowering the price.
Of course, needing a price reduction doesn’t mean your agent overpromised.
The difference is whether the original price was realistic in the first place.
You no longer trust your agent
Your agent is supposed to help you make decisions that are in your best interest.
That becomes difficult when you start questioning whether they’re being completely honest with you.
Maybe you’re not getting the full story about an offer or buyer feedback.
Or your agent is pushing to represent the buyer too, and you start questioning whose interests they’re really looking out for.
You don’t need to agree with every recommendation your agent makes.
But you should trust that they’re giving you honest advice and putting your interests first.
Once that trust is gone, it’s difficult to continue relying on their advice for the rest of your sale.
What to look for in your next listing agent
The problems you had with your first agent can help you know what to look for in the next one.
If communication was the issue, ask how often you’ll get updates and whether you’ll be communicating directly with the agent or someone on their team.
If you weren’t happy with the marketing, ask to see examples of how they marketed similar homes.
And if your previous agent overpromised on price, have the next one show you the comparable sales and explain how they arrived at their recommendation.
You also want to know whether you can trust the next agent once your home is on the market.
Look at their reviews, track record selling homes like yours, and how often they’ve represented both the seller and buyer in the same transaction.
Then find out what happens if the relationship doesn’t work out.
Ask whether you can cancel the listing agreement at any time and whether you’ll owe anything if you do.
For a more complete breakdown, our guide on what to look for in a Realtor explains the other qualifications to consider before hiring an agent.
Final thoughts
Firing your agent can feel risky, especially if your home is already on the market.
But staying with the wrong agent can create bigger problems.
Once you’ve ended the relationship, focus on finding an agent who won’t give you the same reasons to make another change.
SoldNest matches sellers with vetted listing agents based on their experience, track record, and other criteria that matter when selling a home.
Any agent we match you with also agrees to a listing agreement you can cancel at any time.
Learn more about how our matching process works.
