Ontario sellers plan the sale price and forget the exit costs. Here's everything between "sold" and the wire hitting your account — and which line a flat-fee listing rewrites.
Your lawyer: $1,000–$2,000
Every Ontario sale closes through a real estate lawyer — they discharge the mortgage, fix title issues, handle the funds, and pay out the parties. Get the quote up front and ask what disbursements are included. This cost is identical whether you sold with an agent, flat-fee, or a lawn sign.
Mortgage discharge and penalties: $300 to five figures
A discharge fee (roughly $300–$400) applies to any mortgage. The number to check before listing is the prepayment penalty: on a fixed mortgage broken mid-term, the interest-rate-differential penalty can run to thousands. One call to your lender gets the exact figure — make it before you price your move.
Adjustments: usually small, occasionally surprising
On closing, prepaid property taxes and utilities are apportioned — if you've paid the year's taxes, the buyer reimburses their share. Rental contracts (hot water tank, furnace, water softener) either transfer or get bought out; a buyout you didn't plan for is the classic closing-day surprise. Dig out the contracts early.
Commission: the line you control
A traditional 5% total commission on a $700,000 home is $35,000 + HST. With a flat-fee MLS® listing the listing side is $549 + HST, and buyer-agent compensation is whatever you chose to offer — many sellers offer 2–2.5% to attract represented buyers, some offer less or none. Either way the listing-side percentage is gone.
The honest bottom line
On a typical $700,000 flat-fee sale offering 2% to a buyer's agent: legal ~$1,500, discharge ~$350, listing $549, buyer side $14,000 — roughly $16,400 all-in versus ~$36,900 the traditional way. Run your own numbers with the commission calculator.
List on MLS® for a flat fee — keep your commission
Full MLS® & REALTOR.ca exposure through a licensed Ontario brokerage, without the 5% commission.