To choose a listing agent in Ottawa, interview at least three registered REALTORS® who sell homes like yours in your area, ask each one to explain their pricing logic, marketing plan and negotiation approach, and compare what you would keep after fees rather than the list price they promise. Then check their registration and reviews before you sign anything.
The listing agent you hire shapes the price you get, how long your home sits and how smoothly the sale fits around your next move. This guide covers what to look for, the questions to ask, the red flags to avoid and how to compare agents side by side.
Last updated: November 2026
Why Choosing the Right Listing Agent Matters
A listing agent does far more than put a sign on the lawn. They set the pricing strategy, prepare and market the home, screen buyers, negotiate offers and conditions, and keep the deal on track to closing. A small misstep in any one of those can cost more than the entire commission.
Once you become a client, Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA) requires your agent to act in your best interests. But the law sets a minimum standard of conduct, not a standard of skill. Two registered agents can get very different results on the same street in the same month.
Start With Registration and Track Record
Every agent who trades in real estate in Ontario must be registered with the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). Before you book an interview, look each candidate up on RECO’s public register, which shows their registration status, brokerage and any disciplinary history. RECO explains what the register includes, and its guidance on choosing an agent as a seller recommends interviewing at least three and following up with past clients.
Then look at track record in your segment:
- Local sales. Have they recently sold homes like yours, in your neighbourhood and price range? A detached home in Kanata Lakes and a downtown condo need different buyers and different marketing.
- Reviews. Read Google reviews for specifics: communication, pricing accuracy, how problems were handled. One detailed story tells you more than a page of generic praise.
- Who does the work. Ask how many listings they carry at once and who actually handles your calls, showings and offers.
Judge the Pricing Advice, Not the Highest Number
The most common trap when choosing a listing agent is hiring whoever suggests the highest list price. An inflated number wins the listing; then the home sits, gets reduced and often sells for less than it would have at a realistic price. See why overpricing your home costs you for how that plays out in Ottawa.
Ask each agent to walk you through a written comparative market analysis: which recent sales they used, what adjustments they made for size, condition, lot and updates, and what the active competition looks like today. A good agent can explain every number and gives you a range, not just the top of it.
Condition belongs in that conversation too. An agent who understands electrical, plumbing, roofing and structural issues can price around them honestly instead of being caught off guard by the buyer’s inspection.
Compare Marketing Plans Line by Line
Every agent will say they put your home on MLS®. Ask what happens beyond that:
- Professional photography, floor plans, and video or a 3D tour
- Preparation and staging advice before the photos are taken
- Where the listing will appear: MLS® and REALTOR.ca, social media, outreach to other agents, open houses
- How showings are booked, how feedback is collected and how often you get updates
Ask to see a recent listing so you can judge the photos and description for yourself. For what a complete plan should cover, see marketing your home in Ottawa.
Understand the Commission and What It Pays For
Commission in Ontario is negotiable. RECO notes that the amount you pay is agreed between you and the brokerage and is not fixed or approved by RECO, any government authority or any real estate board. The federal Competition Bureau has also been examining how commission rules work across Canada.
When you compare agents, compare the whole package in dollars:
- The listing-side commission and how it is calculated: a percentage, a flat fee or a minimum
- The compensation offered to the buyer’s brokerage
- HST on top of both
- What is included: photography, staging advice, marketing and offer review
A lower fee only helps if the service and the result hold up. Jason Polonski offers a 1% Listing Commission on the final sold price with full service, which lets sellers keep more of their equity without giving up marketing or negotiation. The Ontario realtor commission calculator shows what different fee structures mean at your price, and how to negotiate realtor commission in Ontario covers what is realistically on the table.
Read the Listing Agreement Before You Sign
When you hire a listing agent, you sign a contract with their brokerage, not just the individual. Before signing, check:
- Term length. How long the listing runs, and whether a shorter first term is possible.
- Holdover period. How long after expiry you could still owe commission if a buyer introduced during the listing comes back.
- Cancellation. Whether you can end the agreement early, and on what terms.
- Designated representative. Who exactly at the brokerage represents you.
- Multiple representation. What happens if the same brokerage also represents a buyer. See multiple representation in Ottawa.
Our guide to the listing agreement in Ontario explains each term, and the RECO Information Guide is the plain-language document your agent must review with you. RECO’s sellers checklist is worth a read too. If you have already signed and it isn’t working, see how to change realtors in Ontario.
9 Questions to Ask a Listing Agent
- How many homes like mine have you sold in this area in the last year?
- How did you arrive at your suggested price, and which sales support it?
- What would you fix, stage or leave alone before listing?
- What exactly is in your marketing plan, and can I see a recent example?
- Who handles showings, offers and my calls: you or someone else on your team?
- How would you handle multiple offers, or a single low offer?
- What is the total commission in dollars, including buyer brokerage compensation and HST?
- How long are the listing term and holdover period, and can I cancel?
- If I am also buying, how will you coordinate both closings?
Ready to interview a listing agent? Put Jason through these nine questions in a no-obligation listing consultation. Call or text (613) 601-9333, seven days a week, or send a message.
For a broader checklist that covers buying as well as selling, see how to choose a realtor in Ottawa.
Red Flags When Interviewing Listing Agents
- A list price well above every comparable sale, with no clear explanation
- Pressure to sign the same day, or a long listing term with no flexibility
- Vague answers on marketing, or no examples of past listings
- A fee quoted only as a percentage, never in dollars
- No registration on RECO’s register, or a disciplinary record they don’t mention
- Promises of a guaranteed sale price
How to Compare Listing Agents After the Interviews
Once the interviews are done, put the agents side by side on the things that drive your result. A simple score of one to five on each line makes the choice clearer than a gut feeling:
- Pricing logic. Did they show recent comparable sales and explain the range, or just name a number?
- Marketing depth. Was the plan specific to your home, with examples, or a generic list?
- Net to you. After commission, buyer brokerage compensation and HST, what would you keep at the same sale price?
- Local proof. Recent sales and detailed reviews in your area and price range.
- Communication. How quickly and clearly they answered before you were a client. It rarely improves after you sign.
- Timing plan. If you are also buying, did they explain how the two closings would line up?
Weigh net proceeds and pricing logic most heavily. A slightly higher fee from an agent who prices accurately can still leave you ahead, and a lower fee only wins when the service and the result match. Check the numbers for your own sale with the home sale net proceeds calculator.
If You Are Selling and Buying at the Same Time
Many move-up sellers in Ottawa’s west end are buying at the same time. Then the listing agent’s job is as much about timing as price: when to list, which closing date to ask for, and how to avoid carrying two homes or rushing into a purchase. Ask each agent how they would sequence your sale and purchase, and see selling and buying a home at the same time for the main options.
Choosing Jason Polonski as Your Listing Agent
Jason Polonski is a full-time REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty with 15+ years of experience, serving Kanata, Stittsville, Barrhaven, Manotick, Nepean and the rest of Ottawa. He has helped hundreds of buyers and sellers, and his recognition includes the Chairman’s Club (2025, 2021) and Best in Ottawa Top REALTOR® seven years running.
His background in construction and the electrical trades means he can spot condition issues before a buyer’s inspector does and price your home around them. His Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University, a double major in Marketing and Finance, shapes how he builds every pricing and marketing plan. His job is to help you avoid a timing mistake first, then optimize price second. Read his client reviews or his Google reviews, learn more about Jason, or start with the full guide to selling your house in Ottawa.
You can confirm Jason’s registration on RECO’s public register.
How to Choose a Listing Agent (FAQs)
RECO recommends interviewing at least three. That is usually enough to see a realistic price range, compare marketing plans and get a feel for who you trust to negotiate for you.
Not on that basis alone. Ask which recent sales support the number. A price well above the comparables often leads to a stale listing, price reductions and a lower final sale.
Yes. Commission is agreed between you and the brokerage and is not set by RECO, government or real estate boards. Compare total cost in dollars, including HST and buyer brokerage compensation.
Search the agent’s name on RECO’s public register. It shows whether they are registered, which brokerage they work for and any disciplinary history.
Long enough to market the home properly, but short enough that you aren’t locked in if it isn’t working. Ask about the term, the holdover period and early cancellation before you sign.
It often helps when the two closings need to line up, because one agent can plan the timing of both. See whether to use the same realtor to buy and sell.
