Listing Contract - Grayton Beach FL area rentals from Garrett Realty - Over 17 years of Vacation Rental experience in the Beaches of South Walton area including Seaside Florida, Watercolor Florida, Grayton Beach, Seagrove Beach and Rosemary Beach.

Real Estate Articles

Listing contract

A listing contract is a contract to list some real estate by a real estate agency (or brokerage) as being offered for sale at a given listing price. It is a contract which is agreed to and signed by a real estate agent/broker and the owner(s) of the property (real estate) who want(s) to sell it. The contract is often referred to as a listing agreement. Upon listing the property, the real estate agency tries to get (or find) a buyer for the property. In consideration of the brokerage successfully finding a satisfactory buyer for the property, a real estate broker anticipates receiving a commission (fee) for the service the brokerage provided.

Contents
* 1 Commission
* 2 Listing price
* 3 Expiration date
* 4 Types of listing contracts

Commission

Although the terms of the contract could vary, usually the payment of a commission to the brokerage is contingent upon:

* the successful negotiation of a purchase contract between a satisfactory buyer and seller and the subsequent ability and willingness of the buyer to close the deal, or

* finding a satisfactory buyer who is ready, willing, and able to pay the full listing price (or more) for the real estate for sale without any contingencies.

If the seller refuses to sell the real estate when one of the above two conditions applies, it is typically considered that the real estate agent has done his job of finding a satisfactory buyer and the seller must still pay the commission, although the details are determined by the listing contract. If the buyer cannot or does not buy the property, then the brokerage has not yet done its job and the seller does not yet owe the broker a commission.

The commission is usually a percentage of the sales price of the property ranging from perhaps a couple percent to about 10%, but usually in the range of about 3 - 7% for houses. The commission could also be a flat fee or some combination of flat fee and percentage, particularly in the case of lower-priced properties, vacant lots, or other unusual real estate. Again, the details are typically determined by the listing contract. The commission is paid by the seller to the listing real estate broker, who will compensate his/her listing agent and any other brokers/agents from this commission by a separate agreement with them.

Listing price

The listing contract typically also includes a listing price for the property and an expiration date by which the contract expires (ends). However, the property may be sold at a lower or higher price. If the seller agrees to and successfully sells (i. e. closes the deal) the property at a lower price, the seller must still pay the broker a commission, although a percentage at a lower price would result in a proportionally lower commission. If the seller does not accept a price lower than the listing price, then the broker will have to wait until a satisfactory sale to earn the commission. If the price obtained is higher than the listing price and the commission is based on percentage, then the broker is paid a proportionally higher commission. Furthermore as mentioned before, if the price offered is equal to or higher than the listing price by a ready, willing, and able buyer (without contingencies), then the broker has earned a commission and the seller must pay it regardless of whether the sellers sells the property. In practice, if multiple offers are presented, the seller may accept whichever offer is most suitable to him/her even if the price is not highest, and the percentage commission will paid according to the accepted price. The seller, often in concurrence with the real estate agent, may choose to accept an offer that is lower than the highest for various reasons, such as terms or contingencies in the purchase contract offered or perceived differences in financial qualification of the competing buyers.

Typically, the real estate agent has the experience and data to determine a suitable listing price for the seller's property and will recommend a listing price to the seller. The seller can accept, reject, or try to negotiate a different listing price for the contract. If the seller's price is unrealistically high and the agent cannot convince the seller otherwise, the agent can decline to list the property.

Expiration date

Listing a property commonly incurs certain expenses for the listing broker and takes some time and effort for the listing salesperson. To make it worthwhile for them, they want a certain minimum listing time period to have a good chance of selling the property. However, the listing contract must have an expiration date. A typical listing period is often from 3 or 4 months to 6 months until the listing expires. If the property is not sold or under a purchase contract by then, the seller may decide to re-list the property, perhaps with a different listing price, with the same or a different broker or agent, or not list it at all. The listing of the property can start at a date later than the date the listing contract is signed to allow the seller time to prepare the property for showing or sale.

Types of listing contracts

There can be several types of listing contracts:

* Exclusive right to sell - The seller must pay the agency (brokerage) a commission if, by the expiration date in the listing contract, the real estate is sold, regardless of whether the buyer is gotten through the agency or not. Even if the seller finds the buyer him/herself, a commission is still owed to the agency. Furthermore, the seller cannot list the property with any other agency until the listing expires with the property unsold.

* Exclusive Agency - The seller can only list the property with one agency (brokerage) until that listing expires with the property unsold. The seller must pay the agency a commission if the real estate is sold to a buyer gotten through the agency. If the seller finds the buyer him/herself, the seller does not have to pay the agency a commission.

* Open Agency - A seller can list the property with more than one agency (brokerage) in open agency listings. The seller must pay a commission to that agency which finds the buyer that the real estate is sold to. If the seller finds the buyer him/herself, the seller does not have to pay any agency a commission.

Welcome to Garrett Realty vacation rentals and the beautiful Beaches of South Walton ! We have a wide selection of condos and house rentals to meet any budget. Our offices are located in Seagrove Beach, Florida, but our properties are located all along the Beaches of South Walton area. We have vacation rentals located near:

Seaside Florida
Watercolor Florida
Grayton Beach
Rosemary Beach
Seagrove Beach

The Beaches of South Walton present so many wonderful options for your next beach vacation, that it can be very hard to choose. So before you book your next vacation, be sure to check out the information we have provided about the different areas, or better yet Call on of our Beaches of South Walton Vacation Experts at 800-537-5387 or send us an email at info@garrettrealty.com

Seaside Florida
Seaside is one of the most successful new urban planned communities in the country. It had stunning artichure and one of the most beautiful streches of beach in the area. The shops of Seaside are some of the best in the area and provide a real sense of community. There are nine beach pavilions, each architecturally distinctive and each a symbol of the sharing of the beach and of Seaside’s commitment to harmony with the environment. Seaside has been designated a Blue Wave Beach from the Clean Beach Council. The Blue Wave, America’s first environmental certification for beaches, recognizes responsible beach management practices, including water quality, beach and intertidal conditions, safety, services, habitat conservation, public education and erosion management.

For many that choose to spend time in Seaside, the experience is all about enjoying the long, lazy days and soaking up sun on our award wining beach. But for those that choose to tear themselves away from that beach, they find a great deal of other fun and exciting things to do. Whatever your sport, you will find it, from sailing, kayak adventures, family croquet or playing tennis with a pro. If you're a golfer, a fisherman or have an unquenchable thirst for action Seaside provides a concierge that can arrange just about any kind of activity our unique part of Northwest Florida has to offer.

Watercolor Florida
The newest addition to the Beaches of South Walton, Watercolor is another stunning example of careful planning on the part of the develope Arvida, a St. Joe company. The 499-acre resort was designed by acclaimed architect, Jaque Robertson, on St. Jow Company land.

The stunning Watercolor Inn is a prominent feature of this new community. The inn was designed by acclaimed restaurant designer, David Rockwell, the designer of over 60 Planet Hollywoods. The inn combines the warmth and hospitality of a Southern grand hotel with the intimacy of a B&B inn and the charm of classic coastal beach house. An experience you will not want to miss and will not soon forget.

WaterColor has one of the very best and newest restaurants in the area, Fish Out of Water, which prepares choice selections of the finest local seafood and prime cuts of meat in an wonderful beachside setting. The restaurant’s wine collection has over 3000 bottles, representing some 325 vineyards.
WaterColor visitors enjoy access to a variety of diversions situated throughout the 499-acre community such as Western Lake, a rare, 220-acre coastal dune lake bordered by coastal pine forests, providing canoe, kayak, and sailing excursions. Other activities include WaterColor Workout, a full-service exercise gym, Cerulean Park, linking the gulf to the lake, and Town Center, a collection of retail shops, offices, and the WaterColor Market. There are also hiking and biking paths along an extensive woodland trail system within WaterColor as well as nearby state parks offer differing perspectives of coastal dune lakes, sand pine scrub, longleaf pine flatwoods, cypress ponds, wet prairies and titi swamps.

Grayton Beach FL
A Grayton Beach vacation rental is the perfect family vacation. The historic beach village of Grayton Beach, FL ia located minutes from our offices in Seagrove Beach. A Grayton Beach rental puts you in the center of a 20-mile long stretch of spectacular beaches, with rugged dune systems, and freshwater lakes which includes the villages of Dune Allen Beach, Santa Rosa Beach, Blue Mountain Beach, WaterColor, Seaside, Seagrove Beach, Camp Creek, Seacrest Beach, Rosemary Beach, and Inlet Beach. The landscape is absolutely stunning and the ecosystem is one of the only ones of its kind in the world. A rental in Grayton Beach allows you to stay in one of the oldest beach towns in the Coastal Southeast. It is a free-willed and free-spirited place that is hard to describe, but very easy to experience! It first belonged to the Choctaw Indians, then American pioneers braving the sand, mosquitoes and wild hogs. Currently, Grayton Beach is made up mostly of southern folks and their descendants who came to Grayton to escape the speed of modern urban life.

The main attraction while staying at your Grayton Beach Rental is the beach itself. It is wide, with bright, clean sand and warm, clear Gulf water. Many first-time visitors are surprised that the water is clear and turquoise much like the Caribbean. The Western Lake of Grayton is one of a dozen or so freshwater lakes in the area that open to the Gulf, which provide a unique natural habitat and an abundance of fish and marine life. The lake extends to the beach and is a grat place for families and children to swim and play in the shallow lake adjacent the normally calm Gulf surf. There are numerous parks in the area including the beautiful Grayton Beach State Park which offers camping, cabins, boating, fishing, hiking, and more. While staying at your Grayton Beach Rental you will have access to some of the very best restaurants in the Southeast, including the unique and “must visit” Red Bar

Rosemary Beach
Inspired by the small, waterfront towns of the Caribbean, Rosemary Beach was realized by a skilled group of planners, architects and local craftsmen. Its neighborhoods form an intricate patchwork: Singular homes, open spaces and intimate courtyards, woven together by lanes, sand paths and boardwalks.
Time- and climate- tested building traditions from the West Indies and American South combine with a rich palette of colors and architectural forms. Deep eaves, shuttered sleeping porches and hipped roofs are both beautiful and functional. High ceilings allow sea breezes to circulate; open balconies offer space to appreciate the sounds of the gentle surf. Rosemary Beach is named for the native species of rosemary herb that lines our sand paths and can be found throughout our town. As you stroll along our footpaths, you will discover some delightful surprises.

Here are a few of the many fine dining choices presented to Rosemary Beach visitors:

Onano Neighborhood Cafe at Rosemary Beach is situated on the ground floor of the Pensione, a minute's walk from the beach and the beautiful blue-green water of the Gulf of Mexico. This establishment, owned and operated by Penny and Mark Dragonette, specializes in Northern Italian cuisine and features fresh local seafood, choice beef and exciting foods from the Tuscany region. Tel. 850.231.2436

Courtyard Wine & Cheese, featuring 50 wines by the glass and a wide variety of upscale wines from around the world stored in the only environmentally controlled wine store in the Panhandle. Gourmet cheeses from Europe and America priced by the pound or served by the plate. Enjoy your wine and cheese in a beautiful and unique open-air courtyard. Wireless high speed internet available. Open daily from 11 am - 11 pm. Cheers! Tel. 850.231.1219

Summer Kitchen and Blue By Night is by day a casual breakfast & lunch hangout adjacent to the Lofts East, with an eclectic menu of roll-ups, salads, sandwiches, desserts and daily specials. Nighttime brings our metamorphous into Blue by Night, serving fresh Gulf seafood at it's finest. Hours are: 8am to 10:30am CST for Breakfast & 10:30am to 3pm CST for Lunch, 7 days a week (closed Christmas day). Sesonal dinner hours are Tue - Sun, 5:30 - 9:30 pm. Please call for more information. Tel. 850.231.6264

Sugar Shak is the place to enjoy ice cream cones, shakes, malts, homemade lemonade, cookies, sodas, special candies and even real sugar cane stalks! Everything tastes better at the Sugar Shak, a fun stop for the young… and the young at heart. Tel. 850.231.3655

Seagrove Beach
Visiting Seagrove Beach is like a trip to the past. It is one of those charming old towns that families have been visiting since the 1940’s and 50s. In Seagrove Beach, you will find charming seaside cottages with wide screened front porches tucked among scrub trees which provides a cozy, peaceful retreat. Seagrove Beach also has many recreational activities to chose from such as swimming, sandcastle building, surfing, snorkeling, sunning and swimming with dolphins. At nearby Eastern and Deer Lakes you have the choice of canoeing, kayaking, picnicking, fishing or boating. For those land lovers out there are many non-beach activities as well including nearby hiking and biking trails, golf and tennis. And just down the road from Seagrove Beach you will find an amazing selection of antique stores, art galleries, unique shops, and award winning restaurants. Seagrove Beach provides a great “Home Base” to explore the other nearby beach communities, including famous Seaside, site of the 1998 Jim Carrey movie, “The Truman Show.” If you are looking for a vacation that is pure Florida at it’s best, then Seagrove Beach could be the answer to your dreams.

Garrett Realty - The Choice for Beaches of South Walton Vacation Rentals including Grayton Beach Florida Rentals, Rosemary Beach rentals, Seaside Florida rentals and Seagrove Beach rentals