Questions About Commissions? We’ve Got The Answers.

Everything you need to know about real estate commissions, how they work, who pays them, and how you can save.

If you’re thinking about selling your home in Ottawa, one of the first questions that comes up is: “How do real estate commissions work?” It’s an important piece of the puzzle, since commissions often make up the largest selling cost.

Here’s a breakdown of how commissions work in Ottawa—and how our brokerage does things differently to help you keep more of your equity.

Who Pays the Commission?

In almost every Ottawa real estate transaction, the seller pays the commission. That commission is then split between:

  • The listing brokerage (representing the seller)

  • The buyer’s brokerage (representing the buyer)

Buyers don’t pay commissions directly, but the cost is factored into the sale price.

How Much Are Commissions in Ottawa?

There’s no fixed or standard commission rate in Ontario—it’s always negotiable. However, the most common setup is:

  • 5% of the sale price, usually split 2.5% to the listing side and 2.5% to the buying side.

Example:
If your home sells for $700,000 at a 5% commission, that’s $35,000 plus HST.

  • $17,500 goes to the listing side

  • $17,500 goes to the buyer’s side

Where Does the Money Actually Go?

Here’s something many sellers don’t realize: agents don’t keep the full amount. Most agents split their commission with their brokerage—sometimes 50/50, sometimes more. That means a large portion of the commission doesn’t go toward selling your home at all.

This is why we’ve structured our brokerage differently. By cutting unnecessary overhead (expensive offices, franchise fees, layers of management), our agents keep more of their commission—and we can charge you less.

When is Commission Paid?

Commission is paid on closing day, directly from the sale proceeds. Your lawyer handles the transfer, so there’s no extra cheque to write.

What Do You Get for the Commission?

With a traditional agent, your commission typically covers:

  • MLS® and REALTOR.ca exposure

  • Professional marketing and photography

  • Showing coordination and management

  • Market analysis and pricing strategy

  • Offer negotiation and contract management

  • Guidance through the entire process

The difference with us? You get all of the above full-service support, but at a lower commission.

The Bottom Line

In Ottawa, real estate commissions are negotiable, but most sellers still pay around 5%. That means on the average home sale, tens of thousands of dollars go to commission fees.

At our brokerage, we believe there’s a smarter way: the same full professional service, but at a lower cost. Sellers save thousands, buyers get cash-back, and no one sacrifices results.

Because when it comes to your equity, you should keep more of it.

Lower Commission.
Smarter Service.

At Equity One, we don’t believe you should have to choose between exceptional service and real savings when selling real estate. While some ‘discount’ brokerages reduce fees by cutting corners, we do things differently.

We offer a full-service real estate experience — expert marketing, strategic guidance, stunning listing media, and proven results — all for less commission. We’ve been doing just that since 2008, and we’ve perfected it.

Use our savings calculator to see how much you can save when you hire us to sell your home.

Choosing Equity One means partnering with a trusted team with a proven track record of delivering results. We prioritize your goals, provide a seamless selling experience, and help you retain more of your home’s value—saving you thousands in commission, without compromising on service.

Our Listing Process

Frequently Asked Selling Questions

  • Here's why sellers choose us:

    Real Savings

    Our clients save thousands in commission without sacrificing quality.

    Full-Service, Start to Finish

    From pricing and staging advice to high-end photography, 3D tours, and expert negotiation, we handle every detail — professionally and personally.

    Top-Tier Marketing

    Your home is showcased everywhere: MLS®, REALTOR.ca, major real estate portals, social media, and more — with eye-catching visuals and strategic exposure.

    Trusted Experience

    With well over 1,000 successful transactions, we've sold nearly every property type and navigated every market condition.

    Respected by Other REALTORS®

    We offer fair co-op commissions and maintain strong relationships with agents across Ottawa and beyond — ensuring your listing gets maximum visibility and attention.

    No Gimmicks. Just Results.

    We believe in honesty, transparency, and value. There are no hidden fees, upsells, or bait-and-switch tactics — just professional service that gets your home sold.

  • No. We are a full-service real estate brokerage that charges a lower commission. We like to say that the only thing ‘discounted’ about our service is our commission.

  • We cut unnecessary overhead by leveraging technology and AI, ditching expensive office space, layers of management, and eliminating franchise and royalty fees. We’ve eliminated costs that don’t help sell your home, and those savings are passed along to you.

    The landscape of organized real estate has changed considerably over the past 25 years. Information that was tightly held by REALTORS® is now readily available to anyone with a smart phone. Because of this, selling real estate has become significantly less laborious, yet commissions and brokerage models have remained largely unchanged. Large brick and mortar brokerages still rely on commission splits from their agents to keep the office lights on, and there is mounting evidence that the real estate industry is moving away from the traditional model.

  • Everything you’d expect from a full-service brokerage — and more:

    • MLS® and REALTOR.ca listing

    • Professional photography, video, 3D virtual tours, and property listing website

    • Property evaluation & pricing strategy

    • Staging advice

    • Showing coordination

    • Offer negotiation

    • Full contract and paperwork management

    • Personalized, hands-on support

    There are no hidden fees, and the commission is payable only if we successfully sell your home.

  • No. We offer competitive co-op commission to buyer agents of between 2 & 2.5%, ensuring your listing gets maximum exposure and interest. The fact is we reduce the commission on our end and not the buying agent end, meaning buyer agents make no distinction between our listings and those of national brands. And our listings appear on MLS®, REALTOR.ca, and all major real estate platforms, including the websites of the biggest brands in the business through listing syndication. We’ve also developed an excellent reputation in the industry, and are respected amongst our peers.

  • Yes. We coordinate showings, communicate with agents, and represent you in all negotiations. We prepare and deliver all paperwork to your lawyer to ensure a smooth closing. We are also available to handle any pre or post closing issues that may arise, and will engage other professionals as needed.

  • Yes. We offer detailed market evaluations and guidance on how to best prepare your home for sale. We can also connect you with reputable trades to provide any pre-listing repairs.

  • Yes, all our listings are placed on the MLS® system and appear on REALTOR.ca. We also syndicate your listing to hundreds of websites, including the websites of the biggest brands in real estate.

  • Professional photography, 3D virtual tours, video, 2D floor plans, staging advice, social media marketing, listing syndication, and more. All media is created in-house, ensuring we highlight the elements of your home and neighbourhood that attract buyers.

  • Traditionally, commissions are around 5%–6% of the home’s sale price, though this varies by region and agreements.

    For example, if a home sells for $500,000 at a 5% commission:

    Total commission = $25,000 + HST.

    If the listing agent posts the home to the MLS® system, the commission would typically be split as follows:

    2.5% to the listing agent ($12,500 + HST).
    2.5% to the buyer’s agent ($12,500 + HST).

    We differ from this model by reducing the listing side commission to 1%, and offering the buyer’s agent between 2 and 2.5% commission + HST. In doing that, buyer agents from other brokerages gladly show our listings given that we continue to offer a competitive buyer agent commission.