Which type of listing agreement is considered unilateral?

A unilateral listing agreement is one in which only one party, typically the seller, makes a promise or commitment while the other party does not have any equal obligation. In the case of an open listing, the seller retains the right to sell the property themselves or list it with multiple agents, and only the agent who brings a buyer earns a commission. Because the agent does not have an obligation to sell the property or work on behalf of the seller unless they find a buyer, this establishes a unilateral relationship.

On the other hand, other types of listing agreements, such as exclusive right to sell and exclusive agency, create mutual obligations between the seller and the agent, making them bilateral agreements. In these cases, the agent is tasked with actively marketing the property and has a contractual obligation to earn a commission while the seller also agrees to work exclusively with that agent (or in the case of exclusive agency, agrees to compensate them unless they sell the property themselves). Net listings, though less common and sometimes controversial, involve a similar bilateral understanding because they establish an expectation for the agent to bring buyers.

Thus, the nature of the open listing, characterized by the unilateral commitment from the seller, distinguishes it as the correct answer.