Farm for sale by owner in Ontario, on the MLS® System
To list a farm on the MLS® System in Ontario without a full-commission agent, use a flat fee listing. A licensed brokerage, Robin Hood Realty Limited, Brokerage, posts your farm or hobby farm on the MLS® System and realtor.ca from $69.99 a month, or $249.99 until it sells, so you keep the listing agent's commission. Buyers and their agents contact you; you walk the property with them and sell it with your lawyer.
Updated October 24, 2026
How to sell your farm yourself in 4 steps
Selling a farm on your own takes four steps from your account. Once your ID, proof of ownership and signature are in, we enter the listing and email you the MLS® number when it's live.
- Start and pay. Choose Freehold for Sale when you start your listing, then Farm as the property type. If it may take more than a few months, Unlimited ($249.99, renews free until sold) is the safer pick; $69.99 a month works if you'd rather cancel any time.
- Describe the farm. Total and workable acres, zoning, the house, each barn and outbuilding, water, septic, fencing and how the land is used now. Up to 40 photos, including the fields, the barns and an aerial view if you have one.
- Sign the listing agreement online. We check the listing and enter it on the MLS® System; it's sent on to realtor.ca.
- Buyers contact you. You walk the property with them, review offers with your lawyer, and tell us when it's sold.
What you keep: a flat fee instead of a listing commission
A full-service listing agent is usually paid a percentage of the sale price, often 2–2.5% for their side, plus HST. On a farm priced over a million dollars, that's a large sum. A flat fee listing gets your farm the same MLS® exposure, and you do the showing and selling yourself.
Either way, you also offer a commission to a buyer's agent, paid only if that agent brings the buyer. It must be a set amount (never $0), and if a buyer comes to you with no agent there's nothing to pay. Run your own numbers in the commission calculator.
What the listing side of a commission would cost at common farm prices, against our Unlimited plan:
| Sale price | Listing side at 2–2.5% + HST | Flat fee MLS® listing |
|---|---|---|
| $900,000 | $18,000–$22,500 + HST | $249.99 + HST, until sold |
| $1,500,000 | $30,000–$37,500 + HST | $249.99 + HST, until sold |
| $2,500,000 | $50,000–$62,500 + HST | $249.99 + HST, until sold |
Who buys a farm, and where they look
Farm buyers fall into a few groups: neighbouring farmers adding land, families looking for a hobby farm or a country home with acreage, and investors, who often rent the land back to a local farmer. Many of them work with an agent who searches the MLS® System, and the rest browse realtor.ca. A listing there puts your farm in front of buyers' agents across Ontario.
Don't skip the neighbours: the farmer next door may be your buyer. Tell them it's listed. If one buys without an agent, there's no buyer's agent commission to pay.
So far we've put two farms on the MLS® System: a 68-acre hobby farm near Warkworth in Northumberland County and a 12.5-acre hobby farm near Sudbury, plus a 23-acre rural property near Norwich.
The details farm buyers check first
Farm buyers judge a property on the land first and the buildings second. Give these in the listing, and have the papers ready for serious buyers:
| Detail | What to give |
|---|---|
| Acreage | Total acres, and how many are workable, in pasture, in bush or wetland |
| Zoning | The code on your tax bill, MPAC notice or the township's zoning map (e.g. "A1 - Agricultural") |
| Land | Soil type, whether it's tile drained, what was grown last season, fencing |
| Buildings | Each barn, drive shed and outbuilding: size, use and condition; hydro service to them |
| Water | Wells (drilled or dug), ponds, creeks; any water rights or shared wells |
| The house | Rooms and sizes, heating, septic system and its age |
| Current use | Who farms it now; if the land is rented to a farmer, the lease terms and when it ends |
Farm property tax, ARN and PIN
Ontario taxes eligible farmland at no more than 25% of the residential rate under the Farm Property Class Tax Rate Program; the house and the land around it are taxed at the residential rate. The lower rate doesn't simply pass to the buyer: it depends on the owner and the farm business on the property, and Agricorp sends a new owner an application after the purchase. Put your current property taxes in the listing, and say whether the land is in the farm class now.
TRREB requires two numbers on a farm sale: the ARN (the roll number on your property tax bill) and the PIN (the land registry number). If you don't have them, we look them up for you.
Whether HST applies, and whether a capital gains exemption for qualified farm property is available to you, depends on who is selling and how the land has been used. Ask your accountant or lawyer before you set the price. Our brokerage posts the listing; it doesn't give tax or legal advice.
Is selling your farm yourself right for you?
It suits owners who know their land and buildings, can walk buyers around the property, and will work through an offer with their lawyer. Most farm buyers already know what they're looking for; your job is to make the facts easy to find.
It's a harder fit if the sale includes a working farm business with livestock, equipment or quota, if the land needs a severance before it can sell, or if you want someone else to handle every buyer conversation; a full-service agent who specializes in farms earns the commission then. A farm sold as a business can also be listed as Commercial for Sale: see sell commercial property without a realtor. Selling land with no house or barns? See sell vacant land in Ontario.
Questions
Can I sell my farm without a realtor in Ontario?
Yes. You can sell it privately, and with a flat fee listing a brokerage still puts it on the MLS® System and realtor.ca for you. You show it, negotiate and sign with your lawyer; a buyer's agent is paid the commission you offered only if they bring the buyer.
How much does it cost to list a farm on MLS®?
With us, from $69.99 a month, or $249.99 for Unlimited, which renews free until it sells, plus 13% HST. You also offer a commission to a buyer's agent, paid only if one brings the buyer.
Can I list a hobby farm the same way?
Yes. Choose Farm as the property type if it's farmed, or Rural Residential if it's a country home on acreage. The plans and steps are the same.
Does the farm tax rate go to the buyer?
Not automatically. The reduced farm rate depends on the owner and the farm business on the property. After a purchase, Agricorp sends the new owner an application to check that they qualify.
My land is rented to a neighbouring farmer. Can I still sell?
Yes. Say so in the listing, with the lease terms and when it ends. Some buyers want the rent; others want to farm it themselves, so the end date matters to them. Your lawyer can tell you how the lease affects closing.
What if a neighbour buys the farm without an agent?
That's fine. Tell us it's sold from your account and we update the listing. With no buyer's agent involved, there's no commission to pay.
What's included
- Your property on the MLS® System as a Farm, through PropTx, which feeds TRREB and other Ontario boards
- Sent on to realtor.ca, where farm buyers and their agents filter by property type and acreage
- The details farm buyers look for: acreage, zoning, the house, barns and outbuildings, water, septic and road access
- Your property's ARN and PIN, looked up for you if you don't have them
- Your price, up to 40 photos, your description and the commission you offer a buyer's agent
- Showing requests and offers sent straight to you, and price or detail changes until it sells
Flat fee MLS® prices
| Plan | Price | 🎁 With code FREEUPGRADE |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription | $69.99 / month | — |
| 2-month Listing | $99.99 | You get the 3-month Listing, free |
| 3-month Listing | $119.99 | You get the 6-month Listing, free |
| 6-month Listing | $149.99 | You get the 12-month Listing, free |
| 12-month Listing | $199.99 | — |
| Unlimited Listing | $249.99 | — |
Plus 13% HST. The monthly plan can be cancelled any time.
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Put your farm on the MLS® System
From $69.99 a month, or $249.99 for Unlimited, which renews free until sold, plus 13% HST. Choose Freehold for Sale on the first screen, and use FREEUPGRADE at checkout to get the next plan up free.