Condo sellers have the most to gain from flat-fee: prices are chunky, equity after the mortgage is often thin, and a 2.5% listing commission comes straight out of it. The trade is that condo listings live and die on details. Here's the playbook.
Order the status certificate on day one
Nearly every condo offer is conditional on the buyer's lawyer reviewing the status certificate — the corporation's financial disclosure (reserve fund, budget, insurance, lawsuits, rules). It costs about $100 from your property manager and can take up to 10 days to arrive. Sellers who order it when the listing goes live shave a week off their conditional period; sellers who wait for an offer add one.
Get the fee story straight
The listing must state the monthly maintenance fee and what it includes — heat, water, building insurance, parking, amenities. Buyers compare fee-per-square-foot across buildings, so accuracy matters twice: wrong-low invites a renegotiation after the certificate review; wrong-high scares off clicks. Pull the exact figure from your latest fee notice, list the inclusions, and note any special assessment honestly — the certificate will reveal it anyway.
Parking, locker, and the details buyers filter by
Owned versus exclusive-use parking is a real price difference — say which, with the unit numbers. Same for the locker. List pet rules and rental rules accurately; investor buyers filter on them. Our condo intake collects every one of these fields so the MLS® listing is complete the first time.
Photographing a unit
Condos are light and view. Shoot at the brightest hour your exposure gets, include the view from the main window even if it's ordinary, and photograph amenities (gym, pool, party room, lobby) — you're selling the building too. Ten great photos beat thirty fillers in a unit; see the photo checklist.
The math, one more time
On a $550,000 unit with $150,000 of equity, a $13,750 listing commission is nine percent of your equity. The flat fee is $549 + HST. That's the whole argument. Start your condo listing when the certificate's ordered and the photos are shot.
List on MLS® for a flat fee — keep your commission
Full MLS® & REALTOR.ca exposure through a licensed Ontario brokerage, without the 5% commission.