Brokerage contracts have no minimum length - they can even be valid for a single day. If an agent tells you that he or she has ”a certain buyer” for your apartment, consider making a brokerage agreement valid for only a couple of days. This will enable the agent in question to take the prospective buyer to inspect the apartment and receive an offer. If the agent is unwilling to do this, it may be wise to forget the agent, as they are probably just trying to get the assignment without actually having the certain buyer they promised.
The maximum validity of a brokerage contract is four months. The contract can naturally be renewed after it has expired.
However, if you are uncertain about the agent's expected performance in selling the apartment, it is a good idea to make a contract for a shorter time, for instance one month. This is prudent, as brokerage contracts may only be terminated for certain weighty reasons.
Make sure to ask the agent about anything in the contract that you do not fully understand. Only sign the contract when you have read and fully understood it.
Brokerage contracts may not be terminated during their validity without a weighty reason. A weighty reason may be constituted by a significant mistake made by the agency, the customer falling ill or the illness or death of a family member of the customer. Changes in circumstances may also constitute grounds for termination if the continued brokerage of the apartment could become excessively disadvantageous to the customer.
If the contract is terminated due to any reason other than a mistake by the agency, the agency is entitled to charge compensation for reasonable costs incurred from work done prior to termination.
In many cases, it is possible to come to a mutual agreement over the termination of the brokerage contract while it is still valid. Sensible agents do not try to hold on to customers against their will.
If the agency has made a material mistake in their work, there may be grounds for termination of the contract. Ask your local consumer advisor for more information.