SELLING AND BUYING
Move-Up Realtor in Ottawa: Sell and Buy on One Coordinated Plan
A move-up realtor in Ottawa plans the sale of your current home and the purchase of your next one as a single project, so the money, the dates and the conditions line up and you don’t end up carrying two mortgages, rushing into the wrong house, or moving twice. That is the service Jason Polonski provides: one plan, one point of contact, two transactions that close the way they should.
Most people who buy and sell at the same time worry about one thing: timing. Sell too early and you’re scrambling for a place to live. Buy too early and you’re paying for two homes. The fix isn’t luck or a hot market. It’s sequencing the steps in the right order, with the right conditions in each deal, and having someone whose job is to keep both sides on track.
Jason’s approach is simple: avoid a timing mistake first, then get the best price second. Here’s how that works, who it’s for, and what it costs.
Who Needs a Move-Up Realtor in Ottawa?
Coordinated buying and selling suits anyone whose next purchase depends on their current home. In Ottawa, that’s usually one of these situations:
- Growing families moving up from a townhouse or smaller detached home in Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven or Riverside South to more space, often in the $650,000 to $1.2 million range.
- Downsizers moving from a family home to a bungalow, condo or adult lifestyle community, who want to release equity without a gap in housing.
- New-build buyers who’ve signed with a builder and need to sell their resale home to line up with a closing date that can move.
- Moves within Ottawa for a new job, a school catchment or a commute, for example from Orléans to the west end or from the suburbs to Westboro.
- City-to-country moves to Dunrobin, Carp or Manotick, where well, septic and acreage add steps to the purchase.
- Military and federal relocations with fixed report dates and relocation-program rules.
If you’re still deciding whether to move at all, start with should I buy a bigger house or downsizing in Ottawa. If you’ve decided and want a plan, keep reading.
The Timing Problem This Service Solves
Every simultaneous move comes down to three linked questions: which deal goes firm first, how much overlap or gap you can afford, and what happens if one side slips. Get those wrong and you can end up paying for things you never planned for.
- Two mortgages. Buying firm before selling can leave you paying both homes’ mortgages, taxes, utilities and insurance, sometimes for months.
- A forced price cut. Sellers who already bought often accept less on their own home because the clock is running.
- Short-term housing. Selling with no next home lined up can mean renting, storing furniture and moving twice.
- Prepayment penalties. Closing dates that miss a lender’s porting window can trigger a penalty that breaking a mortgage often carries.
- Bridge costs. Short-term financing is useful but not free, and it isn’t always available.
None of these are rare. They’re what happens by default when two transactions are handled as separate events. Coordinating them from the start is what prevents them. Our guides to avoiding two mortgages and whether to sell first or buy first go deeper on the trade-offs.
Sell Your Ottawa Home for Just 1% Listing Commission
Why pay 2.5% listing commission to sell your home when you don't have to? Jason Polonski lists Ottawa homes for a simple 1% listing commission. Full MLS® and REALTOR.ca exposure, professional photography, powerful online marketing, expert pricing, and a skilled negotiator fighting for every dollar of your sale price. Top-tier service — you just keep thousands more when your home sells. Smart sellers are already making the switch. Your home deserves the best, and your wallet deserves a break.
How Does a Move-Up Realtor Coordinate Both Deals?
1. Discovery call
Jason starts with what you want and when you need it: the type of home, the areas, the schools, the move date that works for your family, and any fixed dates like a job start or a new-build closing. He asks for your mortgage commitment at this stage, because the porting terms and penalty shape everything that follows.
2. The numbers
You get a realistic sale price range for your home based on a comparative market analysis, your estimated net proceeds after commission, legal fees, mortgage payout and any penalty, and a purchase budget that accounts for Ontario land transfer tax, closing costs and moving. You’ll know your ceiling before you fall for a house above it.
3. The sequence
Based on the market for your home and the market for the one you want, Jason recommends one of three paths: sell first with a long closing, buy first with a sale condition or bridge financing in place, or list and shop at the same time with conditions and dates that protect you either way.
4. Prepare and list your home
Jason walks your home before it’s listed and flags what buyers and their inspectors will notice. His background in construction and the electrical trades helps here: he can tell you which repairs are worth doing and which aren’t. Your home is then priced, photographed and marketed for the market it’s in.
5. Shop with the right conditions
While your home is on the market, Jason narrows your search and previews homes. Offers are written with conditions and dates that fit your plan, whether that’s a sale-of-property condition, a long closing or a firm offer backed by financing.
6. Negotiate both deals as a pair
Price matters, but so do dates. Jason negotiates your sale’s closing date with your purchase in mind, and your purchase’s closing with your sale in mind, aiming for a short, controlled gap or overlap that you can afford.
7. Coordinate to closing
Your lawyer, lender or broker, home inspector, appraiser and movers all work on the same timeline. Jason keeps them in step, chases what’s outstanding, and handles the final walk-through and key exchange on both sides.
Get Cash Back When You Buy a Home in Ottawa
Can you get cash back when buying a home in Ottawa? Yes. Jason Polonski, a Chairman's Club REALTOR® serving Ottawa and Kanata, shares part of his commission with buyers — up to $3,000 cash back at closing.* You still get full-service, award-winning representation: expert pricing, sharp negotiation, and hands-on guidance from first showing to keys in hand. No cut corners and no rebate-only shortcuts — just real money back in your pocket when you buy your Ottawa or Kanata home.
What Does a Move-Up Realtor Cost?
You get full-service representation on both transactions, with no separate coordination fee.
On your sale
- Pricing strategy built on recent comparable sales, not wishful thinking.
- A pre-listing walk-through with a trades-trained eye.
- Professional photography and full MLS® and REALTOR.ca exposure.
- Negotiation on price, conditions and closing date.
- A 1% Listing Commission on the final sold price. The buyer-side commission is separate.
On your purchase
- Search, previews and showings across Ottawa’s west end and beyond.
- Condition-of-home assessment on every serious contender.
- Offer strategy and negotiation.
- Buyer cash back of up to $3,000 at closing on qualifying purchases, subject to the program terms.
Commission and cash-back terms are set out in writing before you sign anything. Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act requires your agent to explain the services and fees in your agreements, and the Real Estate Council of Ontario has plain-language guidance on what to expect.
Book Your Move-Up Strategy Call
In one conversation, Jason Polonski will review your home, your mortgage terms and your ideal move date, recommend whether to sell first, buy first or do both together, and show you the numbers before you commit.
Why Work With Jason Polonski on a Move-Up
He plans the timing before the marketing
Many agents focus on the listing and treat the purchase as a separate job. Jason treats the two as one plan, starting with the dates and the mortgage, because that’s where the expensive mistakes happen.
He reads houses, not just listings
Jason has a background in construction and the electrical trades and a technical diploma in construction electricity. On your sale, that means fewer surprises from the buyer’s inspector. On your purchase, it means spotting the roof, panel, foundation and drainage issues that change what a house is worth, before you’ve made an offer.
He understands the money
Jason holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University with a double major in Marketing and Finance. Porting windows, blended rates, bridge costs and net proceeds are part of the conversation from the first call. He isn’t a mortgage advisor, but he’ll know which questions to put to yours.
He’s been doing this for more than 15 years
Jason has helped hundreds of buyers and sellers across Ottawa. His recognition with Right at Home Realty includes the Chairman’s Club in 2025 and 2021, the Director’s Club in 2023 and 2024, the President’s Club in 2022 and the Platinum Award in 2020. He has been named a Best in Ottawa Top REALTOR® seven years in a row through 2026, received a Canadian Choice Award in 2025 and was named Top Choice REALTOR® in Kanata, Stittsville and Ottawa for 2026.
He’s available when deals happen
Offers come in on weekends and conditions expire at night. Jason is available seven days a week, which matters most when two deals depend on each other.
What to Have Ready for Your First Call
You don’t need everything sorted to start. These make the first conversation more useful:
- Your latest mortgage statement and, if you can find it, your mortgage commitment.
- Your property tax bill and any recent upgrades with dates: roof, furnace, windows, electrical panel.
- A rough idea of the areas, home type and price range you’re considering.
- Any fixed dates: a job start, a school year, a lease ending or a builder’s closing date.
- Whether you’ve spoken with a lender or broker, and what they said.
If you want to run some numbers first, try the move-up budget calculator and the mortgage porting calculator. For a broad view of the market you’re selling and buying in, the Ottawa Real Estate Board publishes monthly statistics, and our Ottawa market update explains what they mean for move-up buyers.
Further reading: the federal rules on qualifying for an uninsured mortgage, CMHC’s home buying resources, the Insurance Bureau of Canada on insuring a home that’s vacant between closings, and the Canadian Association of Movers on choosing a reputable mover.
Want the full picture first? Read selling and buying a home at the same time, then see what clients say on the Jason Polonski reviews page.
Start Your Move-Up Plan With Jason Polonski
A coordinated move starts with one conversation. Jason Polonski will look at your home, your mortgage and your timeline, tell you honestly which sequence fits the market you’re in, and give you the numbers you need before you commit to anything. There’s no obligation and no pressure to list before you’re ready.
Jason is a REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty, based at 19 Durbin Ct in Kanata and serving all of Ottawa with a focus on the west end. He brings more than 15 years of real estate experience, a background in construction and the electrical trades, and a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University with a double major in Marketing and Finance. Learn more about Jason, read his Google reviews, or call or text (613) 601-9333 to book your move-up strategy call.
Move-Up Realtor in Ottawa (FAQs)
Yes. Using one realtor for both sides of a move lets one person manage the timing, conditions and closing dates of both deals, which reduces the risk of a gap or overlap you can’t afford.
No. Coordination is part of Jason Polonski’s full-service representation. You pay the agreed commission on your sale, including the 1% Listing Commission, and qualifying purchases may receive up to $3,000 cash back.
It depends on how quickly homes like yours are selling and how scarce the home you want is. In slower markets selling first is usually safer. In faster markets buying with a sale condition or bridge financing can work. A move-up plan weighs both before you list.
It depends on how quickly homes like yours are selling, the closing dates you negotiate, and whether you’re buying resale or new construction. Your move-up plan sets a realistic timeline before you list.
Your options include bridge financing, a home equity line of credit, a price adjustment, renting out your current home or extending your closing. Planning the sequence up front makes this much less likely.
Yes. Jason coordinates the sale of your resale home with a builder’s closing date, including the risk of delays, and can represent you with the builder where a buyer-side commission is offered.
Jason serves all of Ottawa with a focus on the west end, including Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Nepean, Westboro, Manotick, Carp, Dunrobin, Riverside South and surrounding communities.
