The listing period specifies the start date and expiry date of the Markham listing agreement, the window during which your REALTOR® is authorized to market and sell your home. Most Markham listing agreements run for 60 to 90 days in the spring and fall market cycles. A listing that expires without a sale does not automatically renew; it must be re-signed.

The listing period is fully negotiable. Markham sellers who want maximum flexibility can negotiate a shorter initial period, with the option to extend if needed. Sellers who are committed to their REALTOR® and understand the market cycle may prefer a 90-day period that covers the full spring or fall selling season in Markham.

The listing price is the price at which your Markham home will be advertised on MLS and all marketing channels. This is one of the most consequential decisions in the entire Markham selling process, too high, and your home sits while comparable properties sell; too low, and you leave money on the table.

The listing price in your Markham listing agreement is based on the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that Michael John Lau and Neeraj Moolchandani prepare using recent comparable sales in your specific Markham neighborhood. You, as the seller, have the final say on listing price, but your REALTOR® is obligated to provide honest, data-driven guidance even if you disagree with it.

The commission section of a Markham listing agreement specifies the total commission payable to the listing brokerage upon a successful sale, and how that commission is allocated between the listing brokerage and the buyer's brokerage (cooperating commission). Commission is expressed as a percentage of the final sale price, a fixed dollar amount, or a combination.

Under CREA's 2024 rule changes, the cooperating commission, paid to the buyer's agent, is no longer required to be disclosed in the MLS listing itself, but it remains a negotiated term in every Ontario listing agreement. Markham sellers should understand exactly what total commission they are agreeing to pay and how it is distributed before signing.

The holdover clause,  also called the commission continuation clause, is one of the most important and least-read sections of a Markham listing agreement. It specifies that the listing brokerage is entitled to commission if the Markham property sells to a buyer who was introduced to the property during the listing period, even if the sale closes after the listing expiry date.

Holdover clauses in Markham listing agreements typically run 60 to 120 days after the listing expiry. This means that if your listing expires on August 1 and a buyer who toured your home in July returns and purchases in September, you may still owe commission to the listing brokerage. The holdover clause prevents sellers from waiting out the listing expiry to complete a sale without paying commission to the REALTOR® who did the work.

This section authorizes the listing brokerage to submit your Markham property to the MLS® system and to market the property through various channels. It also governs data sharing, how your property information, photos, and history are stored and shared through TREB's (Toronto Regional Real Estate Board) system after the listing closes.

Markham sellers who have privacy concerns about their address, showing history, or sale price being displayed publicly on MLS after closing should review this section carefully. There are opt-out provisions available for certain data displays that sellers can discuss with Michael John Lau and Neeraj Moolchandani before signing.

By signing the Markham listing agreement, the seller warrants that they have the legal authority to list and sell the property, that they are the registered owner (or authorized agent of the owner), that there are no undisclosed encumbrances affecting the title, and that all information provided about the Markham property is accurate to the best of their knowledge.

This section is directly connected to the seller's disclosure obligations under Ontario law. A Markham seller who provides inaccurate information about their property's condition in the listing process, whether in the listing agreement, the MLS description, or verbally to buyers, may face legal liability beyond the listing agreement itself.

The inclusions and exclusions schedule attached to your Markham listing agreement specifies exactly which items are included with the sale of the property and which items the seller intends to remove before closing. This list becomes part of every offer on the Markham property and is legally binding once an offer is accepted.

Common inclusions in Markham listing agreements: all light fixtures, window coverings, appliances (fridge, stove, dishwasher, washer, dryer), garage door openers, and built-in shelving. Common exclusions: specific light fixtures the seller intends to take, decorative items that could be confused with inclusions, and personal property attached to the home.

This section governs what happens if the listing brokerage also represents the buyer who purchases your Markham home — a situation called multiple representation in Ontario. Since RECO's 2023 rule changes, multiple representation requires informed written consent from both the buyer and seller, and the designated representation rules mean the listing REALTOR® and buyer's REALTOR® within the same brokerage can each represent their respective clients exclusively.

Markham sellers should read this section carefully and understand their rights if a buyer represented by Kaizen Real Estate Team submits an offer on their home. Michael John Lau and Neeraj Moolchandani explain the multiple representation scenario — and the seller's rights within it — in plain language before the listing agreement is signed.