The expiration date depends on a few factors and varies depending on the situation. The condition of the house, the current real estate market and the needs of the owners are factors that play a role in the validity period of a listing contract. Whether you can take your home off the market depends heavily on the details of your listing contract. If you and your real estate agent and their broker agree in writing to terminate the contract prematurely, you can withdraw the house from the market without paying a commission to the broker. An exclusive agency contract exists between a seller and a real estate brokerage company, so the seller can choose to work with an agent other than the company if the original agent is not a good fit. If the seller is the one who finds the buyer and the buyer has no contact with the real estate agent, often no commission has to be paid. For this reason, brokers typically include certain clauses in their listing agreements to prevent sellers from backing down on their obligations. A clause provides that the seller cannot unilaterally terminate an advertisement contract and that the advertisement contract is in force for a period of six to 12 months. .