Under a holdover provision, who receives the commission if a buyer introduced by the listing broker submits an offer after the listing expiration but within the holdover period?

• A. The seller pays the commission
• B. The buyer pays the commission
• C. The listing broker is entitled to a commission
• D. The MLS pays a commission to the broker

Answer: (C)

Holdover provisions protect the listing broker’s right to a commission when a buyer who was introduced by the listing broker submits an offer after the listing term has ended, but within the holdover period. In this situation, the buyer is the same party the listing broker brought to the deal, and the offer is made within that protected window, so the broker earns the commission despite the listing expiration. The seller remains responsible for paying the commission, but the beneficiary of that payment, under the holdover clause, is the listing broker who introduced the buyer. The other options don’t fit because they assign the payment to the buyer or to the MLS, or imply the seller pays the broker directly in a way that ignores the contractual protection given to the listing broker through the holdover period.