Updated July 2025
Selling your home is one of the most important financial decisions you’ll ever make. It’s your most valuable asset, financially and emotionally. So why is choosing a Realtor often based on surface-level impressions?
Too often, homeowners default to questions like:
- “How much is my home worth?”
- “What are your fees?”
Those are fair questions, but they’re just the beginning, not the basis for choosing your agent.
Let’s dig deeper.
The Most Common Mistakes When Choosing a Realtor
Homeowners frequently select agents based on:
✅ Likeability
✅ Yard signs around the neighbourhood
✅ Impressive-looking awards
✅ A tempting price quote
✅ And yes… even good hair
But none of these things truly speak to what matters most – results.
The Market Sets the Price, Not the Agent
If two or three agents give you wildly different price estimates, someone’s off. A Realtor doesn’t create your home’s value. The market does. The buyer does.
Think of it like a stock, your house is worth what someone’s willing to pay. Pricing too high based on emotion or wishful thinking is a costly mistake.
Why Low Fees Can Be a Red Flag
Not all agents deliver the same results. One agent may:
- Negotiate more aggressively
- Attract stronger offers
- Sell faster or with fewer price drops
The agent with the lowest fee might also leave the most money on the table. That’s why you need to look beyond commission and focus on net proceeds – what you walk away with after the deal closes.
Let’s Talk Reality: The Ottawa Market
Here’s a stat most sellers don’t hear:
In recent years, over 45% of homes listed in Ottawa didn’t sell.
Of the homes that did sell:
- The average time on market was 40 days
- The typical price difference between list and sale was 2–3%
- The average agent sold fewer than 5 homes per year
Can you afford to be average?
A Better Way to Evaluate Your Realtor
Here’s what really matters when choosing a Realtor:
🧠 Market Interpretation
How well does your agent read the market? Price strategy, timing, and positioning all matter.
📈 Track Record
What’s their actual success rate? How many of their listings sell, and how fast?
🎯 Experience
How many homes do they sell per year? Practice matters. Would you trust a surgeon who operates five times a year?
💬 Negotiation Skills
What’s the average spread between list and sale price on their listings?
The Bottom Line
All agents are not created equal. Some put more money in your pocket, faster, and with less stress. So next time you’re sitting across from an agent, don’t just ask how much they’ll list your home for.
Ask:
✅ What percentage of your listings actually sell?
✅ What’s your average days on market?
✅ How often do you negotiate above asking?
✅ How many homes have you sold in the past year?
Because this isn’t about pomp, pageantry, or promises – it’s about net proceeds and peace of mind.
Want to know what I bring to the table?
Let’s sit down. I’ll show you the numbers – transparently, confidently, and with the data to back it up. Because selling your home shouldn’t be a gamble.
It should be a plan.
