How Much Can You Save With a Flat-Fee MLS® Listing in Ontario?

Short answer: The savings come from the listing side. Instead of paying a percentage of your sale price for the listing, you pay one flat fee. On a mid-priced Ontario home that difference is often thousands of dollars. Use the estimator below to see it for your price point.

Flat-fee savings estimator

Compare an illustrative listing-side commission with the Essential MLS® Listing flat fee ($549 + HST). Listing-side percentages vary by agreement, and any buyer-agent compensation you choose to offer is separate.

Sale price $ Illustrative listing-side % %

Illustrative commission—

Essential flat fee—

Illustrative difference—

Illustrative only — not a quote. Figures exclude HST. See the full commission calculator and current package pricing.

How the math works

Real estate commission is usually quoted as a percentage of the sale price, split between the listing side and the buyer side. A flat-fee brokerage replaces the listing-side cost with one set fee. Any compensation you choose to offer a buyer's agent is separate and negotiated — so it is fair to compare the listing side directly.

Illustrative example (figures exclude HST, and every arrangement is negotiable):

Sale price	Illustrative 2.5% listing side	Essential flat fee	Illustrative difference
$500,000	$12,500	$549	≈ $11,951
$750,000	$18,750	$549	≈ $18,201
$1,000,000	$25,000	$549	≈ $24,451

These are illustrations, not quotes. Your actual traditional commission depends on what you would have negotiated; the point is the scale of the listing-side difference.

See what a flat fee could save you

Compare an illustrative percentage listing commission with a flat-fee package and see the difference for your price point.

Estimate Your Savings View Packages

What the savings do and don't include

Do: replace the listing-side percentage with a flat fee.
Don't: remove any buyer-agent compensation you decide to offer (optional and separate).
Don't: remove legal fees or closing costs, which are similar either way.

Beyond the fee

A flat fee also means you take on more of the work — showings, inquiries and decisions. If you would rather hand off the offer stage, Offer-to-Closing Support is available without buying a full-service listing. Compare it all on the packages page, or read the full cost of selling.

Frequently asked questions

How much can I actually save with a flat fee?

It depends on your sale price and what you would otherwise have negotiated. The listing-side difference is often thousands of dollars on a mid-priced Ontario home. Use the estimator to see your figure.

Does a flat fee remove all commission?

It replaces the listing-side percentage with a flat fee. Whether you also offer compensation to a buyer's agent is your separate, negotiated decision.

Are the savings figures guaranteed?

No. The examples are illustrative and exclude HST. Commission arrangements vary, so treat the numbers as a comparison, not a quote.