Kick-out clause
A clause that lets the seller keep marketing the home even after accepting a home-sale-contingent offer. If a stronger offer comes in, the first buyer gets a short window to remove the contingency or step aside.
Your Room opens on showings and offers, with everything before the listing already ticked.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.
See how it worksWhere this comes up: on the market
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
It is the seller's answer to a home-sale contingency: you keep showing, and if a better offer arrives the first buyer has a short time to commit or step aside. It keeps a contingent offer from taking the home off the market.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
You accept a contingent offer with a 72-hour kick-out. Two weeks later a non-contingent offer arrives at the same price.
| What the first buyer does in 72 hours | What follows |
|---|---|
| Removes the home-sale contingency | They keep the contract, now without the safety net |
| Does nothing | The contract ends and the second buyer moves in |
| Asks for more time | Only if you agree; the clock is in the contract |
A kick-out clause gives the contingent buyer a deadline instead of a veto.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That a kick-out lets you cancel whenever you like. It only fires when another acceptable offer arrives, and the first buyer gets their window first.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines kick-out clause in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
Organize my saleFree to set up. Pay once when you list: $89 or $189. 7-day refund.