When can I hire a new agent after my Fresh Meadows listing expires?

Short answer: Once the end date in your listing agreement has passed, you're generally free to hire a new agent. If the listing was canceled early instead, get a written release first, and in either case read the protection period clause before you sign anything new.

More detail. An expired listing reached the end date in your agreement. A canceled listing came off the market before that date, and the agreement may still be in effect unless your broker released you in writing. A listing disappearing from the MLS doesn't always mean the contract is over.

If you sign a second exclusive listing while the first is still in effect, you could owe two commissions. You can still talk to a new agent. Under the REALTOR® Code of Ethics, if you make the first call, an agent can discuss terms or sign an agreement that starts when yours ends.

A protection period, also called a tail clause, lets your old broker collect a commission if a buyer they introduced buys your home within a set time after the listing ends. Check these four things: - How long the protection lasts - Who counts as a protected buyer - Whether the broker has to send you a list of those buyers, and by when - Whether the protection ends once you sign with a new broker

New York's rules for brokers (19 NYCRR 175.15) don't allow exclusive listings to renew automatically past their end date. If a buyer from a past showing comes back, tell your new agent and handle it in writing in your new agreement. Have your attorney look over anything that's unclear.

Read more: Fresh Meadows Listing Expired? When Can I Hire a New Agent?