Is the commission always the same percentage?

No. Commission is negotiated and set out in the listing agreement you sign. Anyone quoting a single standard rate for every transaction is describing a habit, not a rule.

What is a mortgage prepayment charge?

If you end a mortgage before its term is over, the lender may charge a penalty. The amount depends on your specific mortgage, and your lender is the one who confirms the exact figure.

Are the costs of buying my next home part of this?

No, and keeping them separate is the point. Buying is a second transaction with its own costs, including land transfer tax. Most people budget for one side and are surprised by the other.

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What does it cost to sell a house in Ontario?

It depends on your agreement and your property, so there is no single figure. The costs that usually apply are the real estate commission set out in your listing agreement, your lawyer’s fees, and discharging your mortgage. Costs that may apply are a prepayment charge if you break the mortgage early, staging or preparation if you choose it, repairs, and moving.

Land transfer tax is not a selling cost. In Ontario it is paid by the buyer when a property is purchased. If you are also buying, it belongs to that side of your move.

Costs on the sale

Real estate commission
usually
Whatever your listing agreement actually says. It is negotiated, not fixed, and anybody quoting one standard rate for every transaction is describing a habit rather than a rule.
Legal fees
usually
Your lawyer quotes this. It covers closing the sale itself.
Mortgage discharge
usually, if you have a mortgage
The administrative cost of removing the mortgage from title.
Prepayment charge
may apply
Only if you end the mortgage before its term is over. Your lender can confirm the exact prepayment or discharge amount for your mortgage — nobody else can.
Staging and preparation
may apply
Only if you choose it. Some homes need none.
Repairs before listing
may apply
Depends entirely on the property and what you decide to do.
Moving
may apply
Either way, and easy to forget in the budget.

Buying next is a separate transaction

Most people budget for one side and are surprised by the other. Buying another property has its own costs, and land transfer tax sits there — on the purchase, never on the sale. If you are doing both, work them out separately and then look at them together.

Do sellers pay land transfer tax in Ontario?

Work out your own number

The net sheet uses only the figures you enter. It inserts no averages and leaves anything you do not know clearly marked as unknown.

Open the Seller Net Sheet

Common questions

Do sellers pay land transfer tax in Ontario?: No. In Ontario land transfer tax is paid by the buyer when a property is purchased. Selling a home does not trigger it. If you are also buying, that tax belongs to the purchase side of your move, not to the sale.
What does it cost to sell a house in Ontario?: It depends on your agreement and your property, so there is no single figure. The costs that usually apply are the real estate commission set out in your listing agreement, your lawyer's fees, and discharging your mortgage. Costs that may apply are a prepayment charge if you break the mortgage early, staging or preparation if you choose it, repairs, and moving.
Is the commission always the same percentage?: No. Commission is negotiated and set out in the listing agreement you sign. Anyone quoting a single standard rate for every transaction is describing a habit, not a rule.
What is a mortgage prepayment charge?: If you end a mortgage before its term is over, the lender may charge a penalty. The amount depends on your specific mortgage, and your lender is the one who confirms the exact figure.
Are the costs of buying my next home part of this?: No, and keeping them separate is the point. Buying is a second transaction with its own costs, including land transfer tax. Most people budget for one side and are surprised by the other.

This page explains how the cost generally falls. It is not tax or legal advice — a lawyer or a tax professional should confirm anything specific to your own transaction.

Asal Matinsadeghy

Real Estate Sales Representative · Royal LePage Signature Realty

Serving Richmond Hill, Markham, Vaughan, North York and the GTA.

Last reviewed August 1, 2026