{"id":25476,"date":"2021-07-23T11:49:06","date_gmt":"2021-07-23T18:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=25476"},"modified":"2021-07-23T11:49:06","modified_gmt":"2021-07-23T18:49:06","slug":"buyer-will-a-house-with-an-offer-on-it-be-removed-from-the-mls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-will-a-house-with-an-offer-on-it-be-removed-from-the-mls\/","title":{"rendered":"Will a House With an Offer On It Be Removed From the MLS? Agents Explain How It Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every industry has its own lexicon, and real estate is no exception. From the terms for different types of houses to the lingo associated with lending, there\u2019s plenty of terminologies that can feel overwhelming for a buyer to keep up with.<\/p>\n

One term you\u2019ll likely hear often during the homebuying process is \u201cMLS,\u201d which stands for multiple listing service<\/a>. The MLS is a real estate database<\/a> of all the homes in your area that are currently for sale, pending sale, or have recently been sold, and so much more. There\u2019s a wealth of information within the MLS, and your agent has access to all of these useful details.<\/p>\n

Since most homes for sale are made available through the MLS \u2014 which syndicates to lots of different real estate websites and makes properties available to all agents within the region \u2014 it\u2019s fair to wonder if a house with an offer on it will be removed from the MLS. The short answer is usually no, but it can depend on the type of transaction and the seller\u2019s preference, and because there are several different status options for a home on the MLS, it\u2019s worth exploring this question further.<\/p>\n

With the help of Jason Cheperdak<\/a>, a top agent in Alexandria<\/a>, Virginia, and the greater Washington, DC, area, we\u2019re digging into what it means when a house has offers, versus when it\u2019s under contract<\/a> and officially pending sale, and when it\u2019s actually removed from the MLS.<\/p>\n

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Source: (Andrey_Popov \/ ShutterStock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Will a house with an offer on it be removed from the MLS?<\/h2>\n

When a potential buyer \u2014 whether that\u2019s you or anyone else \u2014 makes an offer on a home, all this means is that the seller now has an opportunity to review the purchase agreement<\/a> and respond before the offer expires.<\/p>\n

A home will nearly always remain active on the MLS during this time because the seller hasn\u2019t actually said \u201cyes\u201d to a sale yet. Removing the home from the MLS would minimize their chances of receiving multiple offers<\/a>; it\u2019s simply not ideal to jump the gun and pull the listing just because one agent has come forward with one offer.<\/p>\n

If the first offer isn\u2019t accepted \u2014 maybe the price is too low, or there are too many contingencies<\/a> on the sale \u2014 the seller will surely want the opportunity for another offer to come in on their home.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen [my team] lists properties, we actually encourage all of our clients to accept a backup offer,\u201d says Cheperdak.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen, if the first offer falls through, we don\u2019t have to go back on the market because the second offer is already ratified.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How do I know where a home is in the sales process?<\/h2>\n

The different status options within the MLS provide reliable clues as to what\u2019s going on with a given property. Though MLS terminology can vary by region, they\u2019re all fairly similar.<\/p>\n