In a cooperative listing, which portion is payable to the broker when the selling portion is not payable?

• A. The listing portion
• B. The selling portion
• C. The mortgage portion
• D. The inspection portion

Answer: (A)

In a cooperative listing, the seller’s total commission is typically divided between the listing broker and any selling (buyer’s) broker. If the selling portion isn’t payable, the portion that remains due to the broker is the listing portion. This is because the listing broker is responsible for marketing the property, negotiating with the seller, and overall listing services, and their compensation is defined to come from the seller regardless of whether a buyer’s broker is involved. The selling portion is the share allocated to the buyer’s broker for bringing a purchaser; if that portion isn’t payable, it does not negate the listing broker’s entitlement to their share.