What does the term "soliciting listings" refer to in real estate brokerage?

"Soliciting listings" in real estate brokerage fundamentally refers to the process of obtaining agreements from property owners to sell their properties. This term encompasses the activities where real estate agents reach out to property owners to persuade them to sign listing agreements, thereby allowing the agents to represent the owners in the sale of their properties.

When an agent successfully solicits a listing, they are essentially being authorized by the property owner to market the property, set a selling price, and manage the sale process. This activity is crucial as it helps build the agent’s portfolio of properties to sell and and establishes a formal working relationship between the agent and the property owner.

Other choices relate to different tasks that real estate professionals might engage in, but they do not capture the specific meaning of "soliciting listings." For instance, acquiring advertisements pertains to marketing efforts rather than obtaining consent to sell. Locating appraisers is a function related to property valuation, and negotiating terms with landlords involves lease terms rather than price agreements for the sale of properties. Each of these tasks is important in the real estate process but does not define the act of soliciting listings.