"My client is going on vacation; can I cancel my listing and bring it back?"
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This is an easy question to answer: No. While a valid listing agreement is in place between the seller and your brokerage, the listing entered in the MLS must remain in place. Cancelling a listing in the MLS without supporting documentation from your seller is a violation and can result in a fine.
If your seller wants to take a short break from marketing the property because they are away for a week or two, change the status of the listing from Active to Hold which will pause the Days On Market (DOM) counter. While on Hold the listing data will not be included in the outgoing IDX feed (it only receives on-market status listings) and will not be seen through third-party sites. Agents and brokers will still be able to look up your listing via their access to the MLS. When your sellers return and want to resume showing their property, change the status back to Active; the DOM counter will pick up from where it left off, omitting the days on Hold.
First published in the Office Liaison Report on 2022/08/02