Use this Ontario realtor commission calculator to estimate exactly what you’ll pay to sell your home — and how much more of your equity you keep by listing at a lower rate. Enter your expected sale price and the commission rates, and the calculator shows the total commission, the HST on top, and your savings compared with an industry-typical rate.
Commission is the single largest cost of selling a home in Ontario, so it’s worth understanding before you sign anything. The good news: it’s fully negotiable. The Competition Bureau of Canada confirms there is no fixed or standard rate, and the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) treats commission as a matter of agreement between you and your brokerage.
$
Your commission
$24,000
+ $3,120 HST · $27,120 total
Typical commission
$40,000
+ $5,200 HST · $45,200 total
You keep
$16,000
more of your equity (before HST)
Estimates for illustration only, before 13% HST unless shown. Commission is negotiable and not fixed in Ontario; your exact rate and terms are confirmed in your listing agreement.
See the 1% listing commission ›How much is realtor commission when you sell in Ontario?
There is no legally standard rate. Industry sources commonly cite a combined range of roughly 3.5% to 5% of the sale price as typical, most often split between the listing side and the buyer’s side, with 13% HST applied on top. On a higher-priced home, small differences in rate translate into real money — which is exactly what the calculator below is designed to show. For the full context behind the numbers, see our guide to how much a real estate agent’s commission is.
Because the rate isn’t fixed, the figure you plug in is a starting point, not a rule. You can always discuss and negotiate it — and our step-by-step guide on how to negotiate realtor commission in Ontario walks through exactly how.
What the commission is calculated on
Realtor commission in Ontario is calculated as a percentage of the final sale price — not the list price, and not your home’s equity after the mortgage. If your home sells for $850,000, the commission applies to the full $850,000, then HST is added to the commission amount. That’s why an accurate sale-price estimate matters: start with a proper home valuation so the calculator reflects reality rather than a guess.
Commission is also just one line in the total cost of a sale. Legal fees, mortgage discharge, and closing adjustments all factor in — our breakdown of the cost of selling a home in Ottawa puts the whole picture together. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada is a helpful neutral reference on the costs involved in selling a home.
Understanding what determines home value and getting a comparative market analysis (CMA) helps you set an accurate price before you estimate your net.
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 commission is split between the two agents
The total commission is typically divided into two parts: the listing side, paid to your own agent, and the buyer’s-agent side, offered to the brokerage that brings the buyer. The seller pays the full amount out of the proceeds at closing, and the listing brokerage pays out the buyer’s-agent share. Under Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA), buyers now sign their own written representation agreements, but in most residential sales the seller still funds both sides.
The calculator lets you set each side separately, so you can see how a lower listing rate changes your total while keeping the buyer’s side competitive to the agents who actually bring offers. Your home reaches those buyers through the MLS® system and REALTOR.ca, operated by the Canadian Real Estate Association.
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.
Why your net proceeds matter more than the rate
The lowest commission isn’t automatically the best deal. A cut-rate listing that comes with thin marketing, a rushed price, or weak negotiation can net you less than a full-service listing at a fair rate — because a well-priced, well-marketed home sells for more. The number that actually matters is your net proceeds: what’s left in your hands after commission, not the commission percentage in isolation.
That’s the lens to bring to the calculator. Use it to compare scenarios, but weigh the savings against the service that protects your sale price. Broader conditions play a part too — Statistics Canada housing data and the rate environment set by the Bank of Canada shape how quickly homes sell and how much pricing power you have.
Pay a lower rate: the 1% listing commission
If the calculator shows you’d rather keep more of that money, there’s a straightforward option. Jason Polonski lists Ottawa homes for a 1% listing commission — full service, without the industry-typical listing rate. You keep the marketing, the professional photography, the pricing strategy built on real Ottawa Real Estate Board data, and the hands-on negotiation; only the fee comes down. On an $800,000 sale, a 1% listing commission instead of a higher listing rate can keep thousands more of your equity at closing.
Set the listing rate in the calculator to 1% and compare — then see the full offer on the low commission realtor in Ottawa page. With [VERIFY: years of Ottawa experience] and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Finance, Jason built this model around one idea: a lower rate should never mean lower service. When you’re ready, start with the Selling Your House in Ottawa guide or book a free home evaluation.
Contact Jason Polonski, Your Ottawa & Kanata REALTOR®
Ontario Realtor Commission Calculator (FAQs)
Commission is a percentage of the final sale price, not the list price or your equity. The percentage is split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent, and 13% HST is added to the commission amount.
There’s no standard rate — it’s negotiated on every listing. Industry sources commonly cite a combined range of roughly 3.5% to 5% of the sale price as typical, but the actual rate depends on the agent and what’s negotiated.
The seller typically pays the full commission out of the sale proceeds at closing, and the listing brokerage pays the buyer’s agent share from that amount.
Yes. In Ontario, 13% HST is applied to the commission amount, which is why the calculator shows it as a separate line.
Your savings depend on your sale price and the rate you’d otherwise pay. Set the listing rate in the calculator to 1% to see the difference — on higher-priced homes, it commonly runs into the thousands before HST and separate buyer’s-agent compensation.
