Real Estate Commission Calculator for Ontario and Alberta
Enter your sale price and the rates you've been quoted to see what real estate commission costs: the listing agent, the buyer's agent and the tax on both (13% HST in Ontario, 5% GST in Alberta). Then compare the same sale with a flat fee MLS® listing from $69.99 a month, where you only pay the buyer agent's side if you offer it.
Updated October 4, 2026
Calculate your real estate commission
The same sale with a flat fee MLS® listing
Estimates before your lawyer, mortgage and moving costs. Commission isn't set by law: it's negotiated, so enter the rates you've been quoted. The buyer agent's commission is only paid if that agent's buyer buys.
What's included
- Your home on the MLS® System through PropTx, which feeds 14 Ontario boards, including Toronto (TRREB), Ottawa, London, Niagara and Oakville-Milton; Alberta homes too
- Your home on realtor.ca, typically followed by MLS®-fed sites such as HouseSigma, Zolo and Condos.ca
- Up to 40 photos, your description, your price and the full property details
- Showing requests from buyer agents sent straight to you to confirm, and realtor.ca inquiries forwarded to you
- Price, photo and detail changes while you're listed, plus the conditional and sold updates
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“Rocket Listings saved me thousands in commission fees while still getting my property on MLS. Highly recommend!”
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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 MAX Exposure Listing, free |
| MAX Exposure Listing | $239.99 | — |
Plus 13% HST on Ontario listings; no tax on Alberta listings. The monthly plan can be cancelled any time.
How real estate commission works
When you sell with an agent, commission usually has two parts: one for the listing agent who markets your home and negotiates for you, and one for the buyer's agent who brings the buyer. Both are usually paid by the seller out of the sale proceeds on closing, and both have tax on top.
No law sets the rate in Ontario or Alberta. Commission is negotiated between you and the brokerage and written into your listing agreement, so two agents can quote you very different amounts. That's why the calculator lets you enter your own rates.
How to calculate commission on selling a house
- Percentage structure: multiply the sale price by each agent's rate, then add tax. Example in Ontario: $750,000 × 2.5% = $18,750 for the listing agent, plus $18,750 for the buyer's agent at 2.5% = $37,500, plus 13% HST = $42,375.
- Tiered structure: a higher total rate on the first $100,000 and a lower one on the rest, split between both agents. Example in Alberta at 7% and 3%: 7% of $100,000 = $7,000, plus 3% of the remaining $650,000 = $19,500, so $26,500, plus 5% GST = $27,825.
- Flat amount: some agents quote a fixed dollar figure for their side instead. Add the tax, then add the other agent's side.
- With a flat fee MLS® listing: there's no listing agent commission. You pay the flat fee and, if you offer one, the buyer agent's commission. In the Ontario example: about $136 for a 3-month listing with HST, plus $21,187.50 for the buyer's agent with HST, instead of $42,375.
Commission at common sale prices
Examples at the rates shown, with tax. They're not standard rates: use the calculator with your own quotes.
| Sale price | Ontario: 2.5% + 2.5% + 13% HST | Alberta: 7% on $100,000 + 3% on the rest + 5% GST |
|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $22,600 | $16,800 |
| $500,000 | $28,250 | $19,950 |
| $750,000 | $42,375 | $27,825 |
| $1,000,000 | $56,500 | $35,700 |
Is there tax on real estate commission?
Yes. Real estate commission is a taxable service. In Ontario it carries 13% HST, which adds $130 for every $1,000 of commission. In Alberta it carries 5% GST. The tax is on the commission, not on the price of a resale home.
Can you negotiate realtor commission?
Yes. Rates are set by each brokerage and agreed with you, not by the government or the boards. Ask two or three agents for their rate in writing, and ask what's included: photography, staging, open houses, how often they'll report back. A lower rate can mean less service, so compare like with like.
The buyer agent's side is set by the seller too. On an MLS® listing it's shown to agents, so offering much less than is usual in your area can mean fewer showings.
Can you claim realtor fees on your taxes?
On the sale of your principal residence, the gain is usually tax-free, so commission doesn't change your tax. On a rental or investment property, the commission and legal fees you pay to sell are selling costs that reduce your capital gain. Keep the statement of adjustments from your lawyer and ask your accountant how to report it.
How a flat fee MLS® listing changes the math
The listing side is the part a flat fee replaces. With Robin Hood Realty Limited, Brokerage, your home goes on the MLS® System and realtor.ca for $69.99 a month, $119.99 for 3 months or $239.99 for MAX (renews free until sold), and you show the home and negotiate the offer yourself. You still decide whether to offer a buyer's agent commission, and it's only paid if that agent's buyer buys.
It suits sellers who can take calls, run showings and review an offer with their lawyer. If you'd rather an agent handled all of that, the calculator above shows what that service costs so you can decide.
Questions
What percentage do most realtors charge in Ontario?
There's no set rate. Commission is negotiated with each brokerage, and it's often split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent. Put the rates you're quoted into the calculator to see the dollar amount with HST.
How is commission calculated in Alberta?
Some Alberta agents quote a percentage for each side; others quote a tiered rate, such as 7% on the first $100,000 and 3% on the rest, split between both agents. The calculator does both, with 5% GST.
Who pays the buyer agent's commission?
Usually the seller, out of the sale proceeds. The seller decides what to offer when listing, and it's only paid if that agent's buyer buys.
Is 2% a good commission?
It depends on what's included. Compare quotes on the same terms: the rate for each side, the tax, and the services you get. If you only need your home on the MLS® System and realtor.ca, a flat fee from $69.99 replaces the listing side entirely.
Is commission charged on the full sale price?
With a percentage structure, yes: the rate applies to the whole price. With a tiered structure, a higher rate applies to the first part of the price and a lower rate to the rest.
Does a flat fee listing include tax?
Our plans have 13% HST added for Ontario listings and no tax for Alberta listings. The calculator includes it.
Keep the listing commission
List on MLS® from $69.99 a month. Use FREEUPGRADE at checkout to get the next plan up free.