Sole, exclusive or open: which appointment suits your sale?

When you decide to sell, one of the first choices you'll make is how to appoint your agent. In Queensland, the Form 6 gives you three options: sole agency, exclusive agency, or open listing. Each works differently, and the right choice depends on your property, your timeline, and how you want the sale handled.

What is a sole agency?

Under a sole agency, you appoint one agent to sell your property. If you (the seller) find the buyer yourself during the sole agency period, you generally don't pay commission. But if anyone else — another agent, a friend, a passer-by — introduces the buyer, your appointed agent is entitled to commission.

Sole agency is the most common appointment type for residential sales in Queensland. It gives one agent full responsibility for your marketing and buyer management, with a clear incentive to invest in the campaign.

What is an exclusive agency?

Exclusive agency is similar to sole agency, with one key difference: if the property sells during the exclusive period — no matter who finds the buyer, including you — the appointed agent is entitled to commission.

Agents often prefer exclusive agency because it guarantees their commission if they do the work. For sellers, the trade-off is certainty for the agent versus flexibility for you. If you're confident in your agent and want them fully committed, exclusive can work well.

What is an open listing?

An open listing lets you appoint multiple agents at the same time. Only the agent who actually introduces the buyer earns the commission. You can also sell privately without paying anyone.

Open listings sound flexible, but they have downsides. No single agent feels responsible for your sale, so marketing investment tends to be lower. You may also end up managing competing agents, double-handling enquiries, and confusing buyers who see the same property listed three different ways.

Which one suits your sale?

• Choose sole agency if you want one accountable agent, a coordinated marketing campaign, and the option to sell privately without commission during the term.
• Choose exclusive agency if you've found an agent you trust completely and want them to throw everything at the sale knowing their commission is secure.
• Choose open listing if you want maximum flexibility and are comfortable managing the process yourself — but go in with your eyes open about the trade-offs.

For most Centenary sellers, sole agency strikes the right balance: one agent, full accountability, professional marketing, and you keep the right to sell it yourself.

What to check before you sign

Whichever type you choose, read the Form 6 carefully. Check the commission rate, the marketing budget and what it covers, the length of the appointment, and the notice period for termination. If anything is unclear, ask for it in plain English before you sign.