Seller Decision Guide

Do I List With an Agent or List It Myself — That is the Question!

Real estate selling costs are easier to understand when you separate them. First: what does it cost to list? Second: is a buyer’s agent involved? Then add the provincial GST/HST charged on those service fees.

Set the Selling Price

Choose the selling price and province first. The commission and tax comparisons below will update automatically.

Selling price $800,000

Use the slider, type a price, or adjust in $25,000 steps.

Province 5% GST

Listing side 3% first $100k + 1.5% balance

Buyer side 3% first $100k + 1.5% balance

Sales tax 5% GST

Calculate the “Listing Agent Cost”

Compare the cost of using a traditional listing agent with the flat-fee FSBO + MLS® listing option. The buyer’s agent cost is calculated separately in Step 3.

Traditional Listing Agent

Listing side only

Illustrative listing-side commission based on the province selected.

Listing-side commission $20,000

Illustrative listing-side rate 3% first $100k + 1.5% balance

5% GST on commission $2,600

Cost to LIST $22,600

That $2,600 in tax alone is $2,101 more than our entire $499 FSBO + MLS® listing fee.

ForSaleByOwner.ca + MLS®

Flat-fee option

Your FSBO + MLS listing fee replaces the traditional listing-side commission in this illustration.

FSBO + MLS fee $499

Listing-side commission $0

5% GST on fee $64.87

Cost to LIST $563.87

Difference at the listing stage $22,036.13 Kept in the seller’s pocket

Calculate the Buyer’s Agent Cost

This cost is separate from the listing decision. A buyer’s agent can create a second commission obligation; a direct buyer does not.

A Buyer’s Agent Is Involved

Second commission side

Illustrative buyer-side compensation uses the same assumed half-share of the provincial model.

Buyer-side commission $20,000

Illustrative buyer-side rate 3% first $100k + 1.5% balance

5% GST on commission $2,600

Buyer-side cost $22,600

67.9% of our last 1,000 sales involved a buyer’s agent

(FSBO Inc. Is Never the Buyer’s Agent)

Buyer Comes Direct to Seller

Our favourite scenario

The buyer deals directly with the seller, so there is no buyer-agent commission in this illustration.

Buyer-agent commission $0

Tax on buyer-agent commission $0

Direct conversation with seller Yes

Buyer-side cost $0

Buyer-side difference $22,600 When the buyer comes direct

Calculate the Total Cost to Sell

We show the two ForSaleByOwner.ca paths first. The traditional full-service scenario is included only as a cost comparison.

ForSaleByOwner.ca does not offer the Full-Service Listing Agent Services or Buyer’s Agent services to buyers. With FSBO, you choose a flat-fee MLS® listing and then either sell to a direct buyer or work with a buyer who has an agent. FSBO IS NEVER THE BUYER’S AGENT.

Option 1 • Best FSBO outcome

FSBO + MLS® + Direct Buyer

No listing-agent commission and no buyer-agent commission. The buyer comes directly to you.

FSBO + MLS fee $499

Buyer-agent commission $0

5% GST on fee $64.87

Total seller cost $563.87

You save $44,636.13 vs. full service

Start Saving Today

Option 2 • FSBO + buyer agent

FSBO + MLS® + Buyer’s Agent

You still avoid the listing-agent commission, but account for buyer-agent compensation when an agent brings the buyer. (FSBO Inc. Is Never the Buyer’s Agent)

FSBO + MLS fee $499

Buyer-side commission $20,000

5% GST on fees $2,664.87

Total seller cost $23,163.87

You save $22,036.13 vs. full service

Start Saving Today

Comparison only • Not offered by FSBO

Full-Service Listing Agent + Buyer’s Agent

Both commission sides are paid, plus provincial tax on the commissions. This is the traditional model shown for comparison only.

Listing-side commission $20,000

Buyer-side commission $20,000

5% GST $5,200

Total seller cost $45,200

You save NOTHING! This is the highest-cost scenario in this comparison.

Not offered by ForSaleByOwner.ca — we do not provide this full-service listing-agent service.

Don’t forget the tax on commission.

In Ontario, 13% HST is charged on the commission/service fee. On a traditional $800,000 sale using this example, that is another $5,200 in tax.

Entire FSBO + MLS® listing fee $499 The tax alone on the traditional commission is $4,701 more than the entire FSBO listing fee.

Tax on full-service commission $5,200

The simple takeaway

Don’t think of “commission” as one number.

A seller can make one decision about how to list the property and a separate decision about how to handle a buyer’s agent. Then GST/HST is added to the taxable service fees. Separating those pieces makes the savings easier to see.

List on REALTOR.ca with FSBO

Listing side: compare a traditional listing-side commission with the $499 FSBO + MLS fee.

Buyer side: compare a sale involving a buyer’s agent with a direct buyer.

Tax: GST/HST is calculated on the commission or service fee and can materially increase the seller’s total cost.

Illustrations are for educational comparison only. Real estate commissions and buyer-agent compensation are negotiable and can vary by brokerage, property, market and transaction. The commission models shown here are assumptions used for this calculator, not prescribed rates. GST/HST rates shown are the applicable federal/harmonized sales-tax rates selected for these examples. Other taxes or transaction costs are not included. MLS® and REALTOR® are trademarks owned or controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and used under licence where applicable.