When you put your home on the market, you’re not just selling a property, you’re setting the stage for a delicate negotiation, a financial milestone, and, let’s be honest, a rollercoaster of emotions. But before you can even get to the part where buyers stroll through your lounge pretending not to judge your taste in furniture, you have one critical decision to make: How are you going to sell it? Or more importantly, who is going to sell it.
This is where the concept of a real estate mandate comes in, a term that, for many sellers, sounds more like legal jargon than something that could impact how fast their home sells and for how much. Yet, choosing between a sole, dual, or open mandate is one of the most important decisions a seller will make.
Get it right, and you have a smooth, well-managed sale with serious buyers and a committed agent. Get it wrong, and you might find yourself in a chaotic battle where agents rush to sell your home like it’s the last loaf of bread on the shelf before a storm.
Every seller wants their home to sell quickly, at the best price, with minimal stress. But the way you structure your mandate will determine how that unfolds.
The Open Mandate: A Free-for-All With Unpredictable Results
On paper, an open mandate sounds appealing. Multiple agents working hard to sell your home? More exposure? Faster results? It all seems logical—until reality kicks in. “Sellers often think that the more exposure the property gets the easier it will be to sell it,” said Liam Mally, office manager of Southern Suburbs.
Priscilla Young explained that over-exposing your property can become a disadvantage. The more agents that are on a listing the more desperate a seller looks. A sole mandate will ultimately protect your price point, because buyers might feel like they can negotiate with a lower offer.
The type of mandate a seller decides to go with also affects the relationship between the agent and the seller. Liam explained that if a seller ultimately decides on an open mandate it will indirectly tell the agents and agencies that they aren’t fully committed to them.
“A sole mandate develops the best relationship of trust,” said Heather Turner.
The Dual Mandate: A Little Competition, But Not Too Much
A dual mandate allows two agencies to market your home simultaneously. It adds a layer of competition, keeping agents on their toes while maintaining some control over the process.
It’s the real estate equivalent of having two candidates for a job interview instead of ten—you still get variety, but without the madness. “A seller might think that a dual mandate is better because they think it will give them double the exposure,” said Priscilla.
You get a similar situation where sellers try to create competition amounts agents with the idea that they might bring in more buyers and higher offers. “Sellers think that if they give a dual mandate, that there will be a lot of competing amounts of agents, whereas if it is a sole mandate, we (agents) feel a greater sense of responsibility,” said Sam van Zyl.
The Sole Mandate: One Agent, One Strategy, Maximum Focus
With a sole mandate, one real estate agent (or agency) gets exclusive rights to market and sell your property for a set period agreed on by the seller and real estate agent. This means all buyers, offers, and negotiations go through them.
When an agent knows they’re the only one handling your sale, they’re more likely to invest in professional photography and videography, and targeted outreach. You avoid the chaos of multiple agents presenting conflicting information to buyers.
Buyers can’t play different agents against each other to drive the price down. Priscilla stated: “I compete with myself, I don’t require another agent to drive me.”
The only problem that sometimes arises is when an inexperienced or overly eager agent overvalues a home for the purpose of securing a sole mandate. Leaving the seller to believe that they will get them a higher offer. “The problem is that a lot of sellers choose the wrong agent to work with,” said Lilieth Adams.
Ultimately, a sole mandate is the best option because it protects your price point, and a real estate agent tends to give their heart and soul. “Once I get involved in a sole mandate, I experience a mind set of do or die, give it my all, and want the seller to say that they would never go to any other agent because of my work ethic towards the privilege of a sole mandate,” said David E. Miller.
A seller should still be informed of all the legalities that come with a sole mandate contract. Always read the fine print! “Sellers must understand exclusivity terms, commission structures, mandate duration, and termination conditions,” said Helga Agnew.
And it’s a real estate agent’s job to go through the contractual obligation along with the seller to ensure that there aren’t any surprises along the way.
But just because you’ve signed a sole mandate it doesn’t mean that your property will sell faster. Potential buyers will still have feedback as to why they ultimately won’t buy the property. And it is the agent’s responsibility to share their concerns with the owner if rectifying ithese issues could help them sell faster.
“We have a responsibility to give accurate constructive feedback to sellers about what buyers take away once they’ve seen the home,” states Priscilla.
So before you sign, do your research before choosing an agency and mandate. Make sure you trust and get along with the agent and agency you’ll be working with. Research the agency and make sure they have a good track record. “Trust is vital and knowledge is very important,” said Heather.
“If you want to “blow a seller’s socks off” you really have to perform, give them weekly feedback and educate them on the market, that way you can earn a seller’s trust,” said Liam.
For serious sellers, a sole mandate often yields the best results. It eliminates confusion, ensures a focused marketing strategy, and creates a clear line of communication between the seller and agent.
While the idea of “casting a wide net” with multiple agents sounds appealing, the reality is that a well-planned, strategic sale by one committed agent often leads to better offers, smoother negotiations, and a faster transaction.
At the end of the day, selling a property is like choosing a dance partner. You can have ten people stepping on your toes, or you can pick one great partner who knows all the right moves.
This article was proudly sponsored by Abrahams & Gross Attorneys.
