The standard real estate commission in Ontario sits around 5-6%. The math people sometimes do, 'why pay that?', is the wrong math. Here's what a professional actually does, and why the value reliably exceeds the cost.
A professional sale doesn't just expose your home to more buyers, it exposes it to the right ones. The price you sell for is a function of how many qualified buyers actually see the property and how each of them perceives it.
A well-priced, well-staged, well-marketed home routinely sells for 5-10% more than a private sale of the same property. That difference covers the commission and then some.
Roughly 80% of buyers work with a real estate agent. When you list privately, you've voluntarily cut yourself off from that 80%. The remaining 20%, the buyers willing to do their own legwork without representation, is exactly the segment most likely to lowball or skip due diligence.
Listing through MLS, syndicating through Realtor.ca, and tapping into your Broker's warm referral network means every serious buyer in the region sees your home.
Selling a home involves a stack of moving parts that nobody warned you about, buyer interactions, showings, conditional offers, status certificates (for condos), inspection negotiations, financing contingencies, deposit handling, title issues, closing-day logistics.
A seasoned agent handles all of it. You don't coordinate showings around your day job. You don't personally vet whether a buyer's financing is real. You don't draft the paperwork that protects you legally.
You also don't get scammed. A surprising portion of private sales attract bad-faith buyers. Brokers screen them out.
A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is the difference between guessing and pricing. It looks at recent sales of comparable homes, current active listings, expired listings that didn't sell, and the specific features of your property.
Price too high and the home sits, accumulates days-on-market, and eventually sells for less than it would have at the right price from day one. Price too low and you give away equity that should have been yours.
A professional CMA isn't an algorithm, it's a judgment call backed by data. The data part is teachable. The judgment is the experience.
Negotiation is where deals are made or lost. A professional Broker creates emotional distance, the buyer's agent isn't talking to you, they're talking to me. That distance protects you from making a $50,000 mistake in a moment of frustration or relief.
It also means the conversation is informed. I know what offers in this price range typically look like. I know which conditions are standard and which are red flags. I know when a counter is a real number and when it's a position. That experience translates directly into more dollars in your pocket at closing.
A typical Aurora sale involves a four-figure marketing budget, dozens of hours of administrative work, and the kind of pricing and negotiation judgment that comes from doing this for two decades. The commission you pay funds all of that, and the result is consistently a better price, smoother close, and lower stress.
If you're curious what your home is worth, request a free evaluation. No commitment, just an honest opinion of value.
A real, human opinion of value
Seven-step framework from prep to closing
Market timing, prep, and showing strategy
Practical checklist for the listing period
11 pockets I know block by block
10 pockets across the price spread
Every house and every plan is a little different. Send me a note with what you're thinking and I'll come back with honest, specific advice.
Or call directly at 416-839-3599.