For Sellers
Pricing a home is data analysis with a range of plausible outcomes. Recent comparables, current competition, the condition of the property, and where the market is moving produce a band, not a single number. Where you land inside that band depends on marketing, timing, presentation, and how offers get handled when they come in.
The familiar pattern that gets sellers into trouble is an agent naming a number above the band to win the listing, then walking the price back down once the contract is signed.
We work inside the band, and we put real effort into landing at the high end of it. The rest of this page lays out how we build the range, what happens at each stage, what's in the Listing Agreement, and who this approach fits. If you'd rather work with a team that promises the highest number on day one, that's useful for both of us to know.
How we price
A defensible price comes from three inputs: recent comparable sales, current competition, and the condition of the property relative to both. Each does specific work, and skipping any of them is how list prices end up disconnected from what the market will actually pay. Recent comparable sales are the foundation. We pull closings from the same submarket and property type, with similar square footage, finishes, and lot characteristics, ideally from the past sixty days. We adjust for differences (a smaller lot, a finished basement, a different school catchment) using the same methodology we'd defend at an appraisal. The further back we have to reach for comps, the more we discount their weight. Current competition is the ceiling. The properties that are listed right now within a similar radius and profile are what your buyers will be comparing your home against. If three similar homes are sitting unsold at $999,000, listing yours at $1,049,000 means it sits with them. The comp pool from last quarter doesn't override today's active competition. Condition is the adjustment. An honest assessment of where the property actually sits on the spectrum from "needs work" to "fully updated, move-in" determines where in the range it should land. We don't flatter the condition to justify a higher number, and we won't undersell it either. The CMA spells out exactly what we're seeing. That analysis produces a defensible range, not a single number. From there we recommend a list price and an honest sale range, and the two aren't always the same. There are two main strategies: Price at market, accept offers anytime. Used when the market for the property type is balanced or soft, when condition is mixed, or when the seller's timing isn't urgent. The list price sits at or near the realistic sale range. Buyers come, negotiate, and we work each offer on its own. Price below market, hold an offer date. Used when underlying demand is strong (move-in condition, desirable submarket, freehold in a tight pocket), when standing inventory is low, and when concentrating buyer attention is likely to produce a competitive bidding situation. The list price sits below the realistic sale range deliberately, with the goal of bringing multiple qualified buyers in at once on a defined offer review date. This strategy only works in specific conditions. We won't recommend it when the underlying demand isn't there, because in that case all it produces is a low sale price. We tell you which strategy we'd recommend, why, and what we expect the realistic outcome to be in each scenario. If the data doesn't support an offer date, we'll say so. Even now, there are submarkets and conditions where that strategy just doesn't work, and forcing it produces a worse outcome than pricing at market would have. If the first thirty days of marketing don't produce traction, the conversation changes. Sometimes the data has shifted and an adjustment is warranted. Sometimes the property needs to come off the market and relist later when seasonality or comparable supply improves. Sometimes the right answer is terminating the agreement and letting another approach try. We'd rather have that conversation honestly at thirty days than spend the next sixty defending a number that needed to move. The price isn't a number we hand you to win the contract. It's a range we build from data, a strategy we recommend with reasoning, and a commitment to keep telling you what we're seeing as the market respond
What happens, in order
From first meeting to closing day is typically two to four months, depending on prep, market conditions, and the closing date negotiated with the buyer. Here's what happens at each stage and what we commit to at each.
Consultation and pricing
1.
We meet at the property. We walk through it together, look at the condition honestly, and ask about your timing, your motivations, and what a good outcome looks like to you. We pull the comparable sales, look at the active competition, and build the Comparative Market Analysis the way the previous section describes. We come back with a written CMA, a list price recommendation, the realistic sale range, the pricing strategy we'd recommend, and the reasoning for both. If we disagree internally on the price, you'll hear that. If we think the strategy you're hoping for isn't supported by the data, you'll hear that too. We don't sign the Listing Agreement at this meeting. You take the analysis, sit with it, and decide whether our read of the market matches what you want to do.
Prep, photography, and the listing draft
2.
Once you've decided to move forward, we sign the Listing Agreement and start preparing the property for the market. We give you specific, prioritized recommendations: the paint that's worth doing, the small repairs that pay back, the decluttering and depersonalizing that matter, the staging decision (full, partial, virtual, or none). We don't push expensive prep when it doesn't change the outcome. Professional photography happens after prep is done, not before. For most listings that includes wide-angle interior and exterior shots, a floor plan, and a drone exterior where it adds value. For higher-value or more distinctive properties, video and 3D virtual tours are added. We draft the listing description and you review it before it goes anywhere. What we ask of you at this stage is input on the property's history, and willingness to do the prep we recommend, The full prep-to-live timeline is typically seven to fourteen days.
Going live and marketing
3.
The listing goes live on TRREB's MLS within forty-eight hours of finished photography. From there it syndicates to Realtor.ca and the major aggregators automatically. We layer brokerage marketing on top: Royal LePage network exposure where relevant, our own social channels, a targeted digital campaign aimed at the most likely buyer profile for your property, and just-listed outreach in the immediate area. We don't run vanity ads in places that don't actually move buyers. If a print campaign or a magazine placement would reach your real buyer pool, we'll recommend it. If it wouldn't, we won't pretend it does. Open houses are a property-by-property decision. For some listings they bring qualified buyers; for others they bring neighbours and curious browsers. We'll recommend for or against based on the type of property, the time of year, and what the local market is doing
Showings and offers
4.
Once the property is live, showings come through the brokerage system. You'll get a written report each week on activity, feedback themes, and how the listing is performing against the comparable set. If activity is slower than expected, we say so early and explain what we think is driving it. Every offer is presented to you, in writing, with our analysis of the terms: price, conditions, deposit, closing date, chattels and fixtures. Pre-emptive offers, if they come in before an offer date, are presented along with our recommendation on whether to entertain them or hold the date. In a multiple-offer situation we follow the disclosure rules under TRESA and walk you through the process before it starts. What we ask of you here is availability for offer presentations, prompt decisions when timing is tight, and the trust that we'll bring you every offer regardless of how it affects our commission.
Negotiation, conditions, and close
5.
We negotiate on your behalf. On price, on closing date, on inclusions, on conditions. The goal is the best net outcome on the terms that matter to you, not just the highest top-line number. Once an offer is accepted, the conditions period begins. For freeholds that's typically financing and inspection. For condos there's also a status certificate review. We manage the timeline, coordinate with your lawyer, the buyer's agent, and any other parties, and work through any post-inspection requests for repairs or credits. Once conditions are removed the deal is firm, and we run the file through to closing with your lawyer. After closing we're not gone. Issues do come up between firm and possession, and occasionally after. We handle them as part of the file, not as separate work.
The Listing Agreement
The Listing Agreement defines the working relationship: how long we're working together, what we're being paid, and what happens at the end. We sign it before the property goes live, with the terms specific to your listing filled in, and we walk through what's in it before you sign. The agreement is the foundation of the work, not paperwork to get past. The agreement we use is the OREA standard Form 200. Here's what's actually in it. Term length We typically recommend ninety days. That's enough time to run a proper marketing campaign, get through the first thirty days of active showings, gather data on how the market is responding, and make adjustments if needed. In a slower market or for properties with smaller buyer pools we might recommend one hundred and twenty days. The term is something we discuss based on your specific situation. The right answer depends on the property, the season, and where the market sits at the time you list. Commission Commission is a percentage of the final sale price, agreed at the time of listing and named explicitly in the agreement. The total is split between The Borg Team (representing you, the seller) and the cooperating brokerage that brings the buyer. Both halves are paid by the seller out of the closing proceeds. That total covers the full process described above: pricing analysis, prep guidance, photography and video, MLS listing and syndication, brokerage marketing, the digital campaign, showings management, offer negotiation, and conditions and closing coordination. The cooperating side compensates the buyer's agent for bringing the buyer. We don't charge separately for any of the above. There are no marketing add-ons, no admin fees, no premium-photography upcharges. What's in the agreement is what you pay. The holdover clause The holdover clause says that if a buyer who was introduced to the property during the listing term (saw it, toured it, made an offer, requested information) ends up purchasing it within a defined number of days after the agreement ends, the commission is still owed. The standard period is sixty days, sometimes ninety, named in the agreement. The clause exists because without it, a seller could terminate the agreement the day before accepting an offer that the listing work had already generated, and the brokerage would get nothing. It is not a clause that catches sellers who relist later with a different brokerage and find a new, unrelated buyer. It specifically protects against the narrow case of an introduced buyer circling back. In practice, the holdover almost never gets exercised, because most listings either sell during the term or are relisted with the same brokerage. If a holdover situation does come up, we'll walk through it with you and your lawyer. Cancellation The agreement can be cancelled by mutual agreement, in writing, at any point during the term. If at thirty or sixty days we both agree that the listing approach isn't working and a fresh start makes sense, we'll cancel. We won't hold the agreement against you to force a sale that shouldn't happen on the terms it was listed at. There are a small number of out-of-pocket costs that may need to be reimbursed if the listing has been actively marketed (professional photography is the usual one). We'll discuss those before they apply. We do not invoice a "cancellation fee" or charge to release you from the agreement. The point of the agreement is to define the relationship clearly, not to create a trap. If the working relationship isn't doing what either of us needs, we'd rather end it cleanly than drag it out.
Who this works for, and who it doesn't
We are honest about who our approach fits and who it doesn't, because the worst working relationships happen when the seller and the agent have different expectations going in.
This approach works for sellers who:
Want the best net outcome within an honest pricing strategy, not the highest possible list number on day one
Are willing to do reasonable prep work and take our input on what's worth doing
Want a straight read on what the data is saying, including when the news isn't what they hoped for
Want our recommendation and our reasoning, and want to make the final calls themselves
This approach doesn't work for sellers who:
Want the highest possible list price regardless of where the comparables actually sit, with the plan to "try it" and reduce later
Want to list the property exactly as it sits, with no input on condition, decluttering, or presentation
Want reassurance and good news, not an honest read on a slow week or a market that has shifted
Want to be told what to do without seeing the analysis behind it, or want their decisions validated regardless of what the data shows
If you're closer to the second list than the first, there are agents who will happily take that on, and we'd rather you find one of them than have us spend three months working at cross purposes. There's no judgment in any of this. People sell homes for all kinds of reasons, on all kinds of timelines, with all kinds of expectations. We're just clear about which ones we do our best work with.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the timing work if I'm buying a new home and selling my current one?
There are three basic approaches. Sell first, then buy: safest financially, but you may need temporary housing or a long closing on the sale to bridge the gap. Buy first, then sell: no temporary housing needed, but you're exposed if the sale comes in below expectations, and you may need bridge financing. Conditional offers, where your offer to buy is conditional on selling your current home: lower risk but harder to get accepted in competitive segments. What we usually recommend is listing first so we know what your existing property will actually sell for before you go firm on a purchase. From there, we work backwards on the timing. There are mortgage brokers we work with who can help structure bridge financing if that's the cleanest path. The right approach depends on your finances, the markets at both ends, and your risk tolerance.
What stays with the home and what comes with me?
The general rule: fixtures and certain chattels stay. Fixtures are things permanently attached (light fixtures, built-in shelves, mounted TV brackets). Chattels are movable items (appliances, free-standing furniture, garden hoses). The agreement of purchase and sale spells out what's included and excluded item by item, so there's no ambiguity at closing. We walk through your home before listing and flag the items that buyers commonly ask about: appliances, custom window treatments, light fixtures, mounted TVs, hot tubs, shed contents, garden plants. Telling us what you want to take with you (and what you'd rather not) is the first step.
How do showings actually work?
Buyer's agents request showings through our brokerage's appointment system. You'll get notice, usually a few hours' to a day's advance, and you can confirm, reschedule, or decline. Most showings are run with a lockbox so you don't need to be present; buyers come through with their agent during a defined window. What we ask of you during the listing period: keep the property reasonably show-ready, secure any pets before showings, store medications and valuables out of sight, and try to accommodate showings during evenings and weekends since that's when most serious buyers want to view. We'll work around your schedule for inflexible commitments.
What do I have to disclose about the property?
In Ontario, sellers are required to disclose known latent defects: hidden problems that affect health, safety, or use of the property and that a buyer couldn't reasonably discover on their own inspection. Patent defects (visible issues) don't carry the same disclosure obligation, but we generally recommend transparency because it builds trust through the process and tends to surface anyway. Stigmatized property questions (deaths on the property, prior grow-op, etc.) have less rigid rules but real practical implications. We walk through what applies to your specific property and what the safest position is. We never recommend hiding known issues. Doing so creates legal exposure that lasts long past closing.
My property has tenants. What changes?
A lot, and most of it sits under the Residential Tenancies Act rather than real estate law. Showings need tenant consent and proper notice. The tenant's rights don't disappear because the property is being sold. The buyer either takes the property with the tenant in place, or there's a process for vacant possession (Form N12, sixty days' notice, one month's compensation, and the buyer or their immediate family must personally move in for at least twelve months). We've handled tenanted-property listings in both directions. We walk through the specifics during the consultation: realistic expectations on price (vacant-possession sales typically command a premium over tenant-occupied sales), how to manage the relationship with your tenant during the listing period, and what's enforceable versus what isn't.
What does it cost me at closing, beyond commission?
The main items are your lawyer's fees, mortgage discharge fees if applicable, prorations for property taxes and utilities, and any holdback amounts agreed in negotiations. Land transfer tax is a buyer cost in Ontario, not a seller cost. Capital gains tax may apply if the property isn't your principal residence; if it is, the gain is generally exempt. Your accountant is the right person for the tax piece. We can sketch a rough estimate at consultation.
The GTA Market in May 2026
Updated July 2nd, 2026
The GTA market has held a broadly balanced footing this spring, but the balance is starting to tip toward sellers at the margin. Sales are climbing, new listings have pulled back sharply from a year ago, and while prices are still down year-over-year, they firmed again month-to-month in May.
The clearest story in the data is the fault line between strong submarkets (detached freeholds in established neighbourhoods) and weaker ones (condo apartments, especially investor-held downtown units).
The numbers, as of May 2026:
• Average sale price: $1,069,700, down 4.6% year-over-year but up 1.7% from April
• 6,583 homes sold in May, up 6.3% from May 2025
• 17,698 new listings entered the MLS in May, down 18.9% year-over-year
• 26,927 active listings across the GTA, working out to roughly 4.8 months of inventory (balanced-market territory)
• The MLS HPI benchmark, which controls for property mix, sits at $943,500, down 6.7% year-over-year
• Homes sold for roughly 98% of asking price on average, down from the bidding-war years but still solid
• Average time on market: 27 days, up from 25 a year ago
Peel, Halton, and our patch specifically:
Our service area is running slightly softer than the GTA-wide averages, which is normal for the western corridor in a balanced market. Mississauga sold 568 homes in May at an average of $971,047, with about a 31-day average time on market and a 97% sale-to-list ratio. Halton Region (Burlington, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills) sold 816 at an average of $1,248,277, with a 30-day average time on market and a 96% sale-to-list ratio. Within Halton, Burlington remains the tightest submarket at roughly 3.9 months of inventory, edging into seller's-market territory.
The practical implication: in our markets, properly priced listings are moving in a reasonable window, but the days of running a deliberate offer date and clearing five over-asking bids are largely gone outside specific niches.
Sellers who set the list price within the defensible range have the leverage. Sellers who reach above it end up walking the price back to the same range a few weeks later, with extra days on market and a thinner buyer pool by the time they get there. What has changed since the winter is the direction of travel: with new listings down nearly 19% year-over-year and sales rising, the inventory overhang that gave buyers the upper hand is being absorbed.
How this is showing up by property type:
Detached freeholds are the strongest segment. May detached sales came in at 3,236, with an average price of $1,358,131 (down about 4% year-over-year, the smallest decline of any major segment). Move-in-ready homes in established neighbourhoods, particularly in the $900K to $1.3M range, are getting the most consistent buyer activity and the shortest days on market. If you own one and you've kept it in good condition, this is a workable market.
Condo apartments are the softest major segment. 1,535 apartments sold in May at an average of $639,468, with prices still down year-over-year even as freehold values stabilize. Standing inventory in larger downtown buildings remains high, and investor-owned units in particular are sitting longer. Sellers in this segment have to be especially deliberate about pricing, presentation, and timing. The same unit listed correctly versus optimistically will see materially different outcomes.
Mortgage rates have eased meaningfully. The Bank of Canada overnight rate is at 2.3% and the prime rate at 4.5%. Five-year fixed mortgages are running around 6.09% and one-year rates around 5.49%, well below where they were 18 months ago. For sellers, the relevant point is that the qualified buyer pool is larger than it was a year ago, even with prices off their peak. Buyers who couldn't get a mortgage approval in 2024 are coming back into the market now.
What this means if you're listing right now:
The market still rewards realistic pricing and punishes optimism, but the backdrop is improving for sellers. Properly priced freeholds in our submarkets are selling close to list within four to five weeks. Overpriced listings still sell eventually, but at a discount and after a stretch of days on market that erodes the negotiating position. New listings are running well below last year's pace, which is thinning the competitive set even as spring inventory turns over.
Our honest read for most sellers: if you have a freehold in a desirable submarket and you're willing to price within the defensible range, this is a reasonable window, and the supply picture is moving in your favour. We can't tell you what the market will look like in six months. We can tell you what comparable properties to yours actually sold for last week, and what they were listed at to get there.
Talk to us
If you're thinking about selling and you'd like our read on the market and your specific property, the form below is the easiest place to start. There's no pressure to do anything beyond that conversation.