OTTAWA REAL ESTATE
Questions to Ask When Selling Your House in Ottawa
The most important questions to ask when selling a house in Ottawa cover six areas: how a REALTOR® will price and market the home, what preparation is actually worth doing, how offers will be evaluated, what the sale will really cost, how timing affects the plan, and what’s being committed to in the listing agreement. Asking the right questions upfront — of an agent, a lawyer, and of the seller’s own situation — prevents most of the surprises that derail a sale later. This guide organizes those questions by topic, with what a good answer should sound like.
Sellers who come prepared with the right questions get better answers and a clearer plan. Jason Polonski welcomes tough questions from every seller and answers them with real, local data rather than a generic pitch. To ask about a specific home, call or text Jason at (613) 601-9333 or request a free home evaluation.
Questions to ask before choosing a REALTOR®
The agent chosen affects pricing accuracy, marketing reach, and negotiation outcomes, so it’s worth more than a five-minute conversation.
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How many homes have you sold in this specific neighbourhood recently? | Local, recent experience beats general volume |
| How will you arrive at my list price? | A real answer references comparable sales, not a guess |
| What exactly does your marketing plan include? | MLS® exposure alone isn’t a marketing plan |
| What’s your commission structure, and is it negotiable? | Confirms cost and whether there’s room to discuss it |
| Can I see your recent results — days on market, list-to-sale ratio? | Track record matters more than promises |
The Real Estate Council of Ontario sets the professional standards every licensed REALTOR® in the province must meet, which is a useful baseline when comparing agents.
Questions to ask about pricing and value
Pricing questions matter more than almost any other category, since price affects everything downstream.
Ask for a comparative market analysis, not just a number — and ask what specific comparable sales it’s based on. Ask how the price accounts for the home’s condition, upgrades, and any drawbacks compared to those comps. Ask what happens if the home doesn’t get an offer at the current price within the first few weeks. The full explanation of how this analysis works is in comparative market analysis (CMA), and what’s my home worth in Ottawa covers the broader valuation picture. Current Ottawa Real Estate Board and Canadian Real Estate Association statistics are worth asking an agent to reference directly, rather than taking pricing on faith.
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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.
Questions to ask about preparing the home
Not every repair or upgrade is worth doing before a sale, so it’s worth asking pointed questions rather than assuming more is always better.
Ask which specific repairs or updates are likely to pay back their cost, and which are better left alone — see the best return on renovations in Ottawa for the underlying framework. Ask whether professional staging is recommended for this specific home, and why. Ask what exterior work matters most before listing photos are taken — how to maximize curb appeal covers this in depth. Ask what to expect from the real estate photography process and how much lead time it needs.
Questions to ask about marketing and showings
A seller should know exactly how a home will be marketed and what to expect once it’s live.
Ask where the listing will actually appear — beyond MLS® and REALTOR.ca, what social, paid, or targeted marketing is included. Ask how showing feedback will be communicated and how often. Ask how buyer pre-approval is verified before a showing is booked, and how the agent plans to generate competing interest — the strategy for that is covered in how to get multiple offers on a home.
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.
Questions to ask about offers and negotiation
An offer is more than a number, and the right questions surface what actually matters in it.
Ask how the deposit amount, closing date, and conditions compare to a typical offer in the current market. Ask what happens if there are multiple offers, and how those will be presented and compared — the Trust in Real Estate Services Act governs how multiple offers must be handled in Ontario. Ask what happens if the buyer’s financing or inspection condition isn’t satisfied. The full framework for evaluating an offer is on should you accept the first offer.
Questions to ask about legal, financial, and closing costs
These questions are easy to skip and expensive to skip.
Ask for a full breakdown of expected costs — commission, legal fees, a possible mortgage discharge fee, and moving costs — well before an offer is accepted; the cost of selling a home in Ottawa covers each of these.
Ask whether the sale will trigger capital gains tax, which depends on whether the home is a principal residence — the Canada Revenue Agency’s principal residence exemption explains the general rule, though a tax professional should confirm the specifics. Ask what needs to be disclosed to a buyer, and when — the Law Society of Ontario can help find a real estate lawyer, and what to disclose when selling a home in Ottawa covers the specifics. If there’s an existing mortgage, ask the lender directly about discharge fees or prepayment penalties — the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada explains how these are typically calculated.
Questions to ask about timing — downsizing, upsizing, or a simple move
Timing questions prevent the most stressful scenario in real estate: owning two homes, or none.
Ask whether it makes more sense to sell first or buy first given current market conditions and personal finances. Ask what bridge financing or extended closing options exist if the timing doesn’t line up perfectly. Ask how the current season affects the plan — see downsizing in Ottawa for how this plays out for right-sizing moves specifically.
Questions to ask before signing a listing agreement
The listing agreement is a binding contract, and it deserves a careful read and a few direct questions before signing.
Ask exactly how long the agreement lasts and what happens if the home doesn’t sell in that window. Ask what the cancellation terms are if the relationship isn’t working. Ask what’s included in the commission and whether it’s clearly stated. Ask what a seller is responsible for under the agreement — maintaining the home’s condition, providing accurate information, and disclosing known defects. The Ontario Real Estate Association publishes background on the standard forms used for listing agreements across the province.
One of the most important questions is about the fee itself — our guide on how to negotiate realtor commission in Ontario covers exactly what to ask and confirm.
Key questions at a glance
| Category | Ask about | Go deeper |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing an agent | Local experience, pricing approach, marketing plan | Home sellers tips |
| Pricing | Comparable sales behind the number | What’s my home worth |
| Preparation | Which repairs and staging actually pay off | Best return on renovations |
| Offers | Deposit, conditions, and closing date — not just price | Should you accept the first offer |
| Costs | Commission, legal fees, and tax exposure | Cost of selling |
| Listing agreement | Term length, cancellation |
Ask an Ottawa REALTOR® who welcomes the tough questions
The right questions, asked early, are what separate a smooth sale from a stressful one — and Jason Polonski would rather answer every one of them upfront than have a seller find out the hard way. With 15+ years selling homes across Ottawa and the west end, a construction and electrical trades background that answers condition questions with real expertise, and recognition on the Best in Ottawa Top REALTOR® list seven years running, Jason gives sellers straight, data-backed answers from the first conversation.
His results and client reviews are on his Google Business Profile. To get answers for a specific home, call or text Jason at (613) 601-9333, request a free home evaluation, or explore the full guide to selling your house in Ottawa.
Questions to Ask When Selling Your House (FAQs)
How they’ll arrive at the list price is the single most important question, since pricing affects everything that follows. A good agent answers with a comparative market analysis grounded in recent comparable sales, not a general estimate.
Yes. The commission structure should be discussed openly before signing a listing agreement, including what it covers and whether there’s room to negotiate. A transparent agent will explain this clearly without being asked twice.
Ask about the deposit amount, financing and inspection conditions, and the proposed closing date, not just the price. A high offer with weak conditions or an unrealistic closing date can be riskier than a slightly lower, cleaner one.
Yes. A real estate lawyer is required to close a sale in Ontario, and it’s worth asking about their fees, what documents they’ll need, and how they’ll handle mortgage discharge and tax adjustments well before closing day.
Ask for a full breakdown covering commission, legal fees, any mortgage discharge penalty, and moving costs, so there are no surprises at closing. It’s also worth asking whether the sale could trigger capital gains tax, which depends on whether the home is a principal residence.
Ask whether selling first or buying first makes more sense given current market conditions and personal finances, and what bridge financing or extended closing options exist if the timing doesn’t align. This is one of the most stressful parts of a move to get wrong, so it’s worth addressing early.
