Can a broker keep showing my business after I've told them to stop?

A broker acting for you owes you a duty of loyalty and is expected to follow your reasonable instructions about your own listing, but whether they're legally required to stop showing the business the moment you say so depends on the listing agreement's terms and how far along the process already is. If the agreement is still active and hasn't been terminated, a broker may take the position that they're entitled to continue marketing under its terms until it's properly ended, even if you've verbally asked them to pause.

If you want marketing to actually stop, the clearest path is a written instruction referencing the agreement, followed by formal termination if that's what you intend, rather than a verbal request the broker may not treat as binding. A broker who continues showing the business after a clear, documented instruction to stop — especially after termination — is on much weaker ground and may be exceeding their authority or breaching their duty to you. Put your instructions in writing and have a Treadstone business lawyer help you formally pause or end the listing if informal requests aren't being respected.