There are a number of ways that a house can end up going off the market. While just about everyone knows what SOLD and EXPIRED means, there is often confusion about the difference between WITHDRAWN and CANCELED. So lets clear that up!

A WITHDRAWN listing is usually one that is taken off of the market temporarily. This will be done if there is a still an active listing agreement between the real estate agent and the seller, but for some reason, the seller needs to take the property off the market for showing. Withdrawn listings are fairly common in the winter months as sellers decide they would rather not have to show their home over the Christmas holiday season. A home might also be withdrawn if the seller has decided to do some remodeling to make the home more attractive to potential buyers. The implication is that a withdrawn home will most likely show back up on the market in the next few months.

A cancelled listing is one where the seller has decided not to sell their home at all. This usually happens when the sellers have told their real estate agent that they no long wish to list their home with them. In many cases, this may just be what happens when a seller has decided to change real estate agents. In those cases, the listing has to be cancelled so that the new agent can create a new one. There is also the case where the agent and/or the seller are trying to fool the system. You can read my article on re-listing for all the details. In this case, the agent and seller need to cancel the listing for at least 30 days so that they can then re-list and disconnect the listing from the old asking price and days on market numbers.