To price your Ontario home for a private sale, start with what similar homes nearby have actually sold for in recent months, not what sellers are asking. Adjust for differences in size, condition, lot and features, then check days on market and active listings. A comparative market analysis or professional appraisal can confirm your number.
Your asking price is the most important decision you’ll make when you sell without a full-service agent. Here’s a practical way to set a realistic MLS® asking price using recent sales in your own neighbourhood.
Why recent neighbourhood sales matter more than asking prices
An asking price is only what a seller hopes to get. A sold price is what a buyer actually agreed to pay. When you’re pricing your home, sold prices from your immediate area are the strongest evidence you have.
Buyers and their agents will be making the same comparison. If your price is well above what similar homes recently sold for, many buyers will simply scroll past your listing on REALTOR.CA®. If it’s well below, you may leave money on the table.
Step 1: Find truly comparable homes
A good comparable, or “comp,” is a home that a buyer looking at yours would also consider. Look for homes that match yours as closely as possible on:
- Location: the same neighbourhood, ideally within a few streets, and the same school catchment if you can manage it.
- Property type and style: detached, semi-detached, townhouse or condo; bungalow, two-storey or backsplit.
- Size: similar finished square footage and the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Age and condition: a renovated kitchen or a newer roof can make a real difference.
- Lot: size, frontage, backyard and anything unusual, such as backing onto a park or a busy road.
- Parking and extras: garage, driveway spaces, a finished basement or a separate basement entrance.
Keep it recent
Markets change, so focus on sales from the last few months. Older sales may not reflect today’s conditions. If there are few recent sales nearby, widen your search gradually and treat those comps as less precise.
Where to find sold information
Sold prices aren’t always easy for private sellers to find. Some third-party real estate websites show sold history in certain areas. Ontario’s land registry records can show what a specific property sold for, usually for a fee. The most complete picture usually comes from a comparative market analysis prepared by a licensed real estate professional, or from a professional appraisal.
Step 2: Adjust for the differences
No two homes are identical, so you’ll need to adjust each comp up or down to reflect how it differs from yours.
- A comp with an extra bathroom or a finished basement probably sold for more than your home would without those features.
- A comp that needed work, or sat on a busier street, may have sold for less.
- Updates such as a newer furnace, windows or roof can add appeal, but they rarely add their full cost to the sale price.
A hypothetical illustration
The numbers below are made up to show the method. They are not real sales or market data.
Say three similar semi-detached homes on nearby streets sold recently for about $700,000, $720,000 and $740,000. The $740,000 home had a newly renovated kitchen, and yours doesn’t. The $700,000 home had no parking, and yours has a private driveway. After adjusting for those differences, your home might fit somewhere in the middle of that range. That’s your starting point, not a final answer.
Step 3: Read the market signals
Sold prices tell you what happened. These signals help you understand what’s happening now:
Days on market
How long did similar homes take to sell? If comparable homes are selling quickly, the market may be active. If they’re sitting for weeks or months, buyers may have more choice and more time to negotiate.
List-to-sale price trends
Compare what similar homes were listed at with what they sold for. If homes are regularly selling below their asking price, sellers in your area may be starting too high. If they’re selling at or above asking, buyers may be competing.
Active and expired listings
Active listings are your competition. Buyers will compare your home with them side by side, so look at their prices, photos and features. Expired or cancelled listings can be just as useful: a home that didn’t sell may have been priced above what buyers were willing to pay.
Step 4: Choose your asking price strategy
Once you have a realistic range, decide where to land within it. Consider:
- Your timeline. If you need to move by a certain date, pricing close to the evidence can help you attract serious buyers early.
- Search price brackets. Buyers filter searches by price. A price just under a round number may show up in more searches than one just over it.
- Room to negotiate. Leave some room if you expect offers below asking, but not so much that buyers dismiss your home as overpriced.
No pricing method can guarantee a sale price or a sale date. A careful, evidence-based price simply gives your home a fair chance with the buyers who are looking.
Step 5: Watch the response and adjust
The first few weeks on the market tell you a lot. Lots of showings but no offers can point to a price problem, or a gap between your photos and what buyers see in person. Few showings at all may mean the price or the presentation isn’t standing out online.
With ListedBySeller.ca, there are no fees for listing changes or cancellation of service, so you can update your price, photos or description from your online dashboard whenever you need to.
Get a second opinion on your price
- A professional appraisal from a qualified appraiser gives an independent opinion of value.
- A comparative market analysis (CMA) compares your home with similar properties that have sold in your area.
ListedBySeller.ca offers a property pricing service for $99. A licensed real estate professional completes a comparative market analysis report showing you what comparable properties have sold for in your area.
Presentation helps your price make sense
Buyers judge your price by what they see online. Every ListedBySeller.ca package lets you upload 40 photos to REALTOR.CA® and includes a property webpage and printable feature sheet. If you want a professional look, our photo services (each for up to 4,000 sq. ft.) include:
| Photo package | What’s included | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Photos Only | 30 professionally enhanced photos | $159.99 plus tax |
| Ultimate Package | Unlimited enhanced photos, premium cinematic video, Matterport 3D virtual tour | $259.99 plus Matterport fee and tax |
| Ultimate Package + Floor Plan | Everything in Ultimate, plus a floor plan with dimensions | $359.99 plus Matterport fee and tax |
Matterport 3D virtual tours include a 30-day free trial. After the trial, each tour auto-renews at $12.99 a month plus tax.
Listing on the MLS® with ListedBySeller.ca
Once your price is set, you’ll want buyers to see it. Every package includes the same features:
- A listing on REALTOR.CA® and 14 agent MLS® systems
- No additional fees or commission
- Free unlimited open house postings on REALTOR.CA®
- A 24/7 live receptionist and automated REALTOR.CA® lead processing, so inquiries are emailed to you
Services start at $16.49/month (12-month package + HST). Month-to-month, 2-month, 3-month and 6-month options are also available on our pricing page.
ListedBySeller.ca is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars from 97 Google reviews. As one customer put it:
“The process is smooth and they are responsive with any questions/concerns. I would use their services again.”
Alan, Google review
FAQ
How many comparable sales should I look at?
There’s no fixed number, but a handful of recent, closely matched sales is more useful than a long list of loose ones.
Should I price my home based on active listings?
Use active listings as context, since they’re your competition. Base your price mainly on recent sold prices, because asking prices only show what sellers hope to get.
Is a CMA the same as an appraisal?
No. A CMA compares your home with recent comparable sales in your area. An appraisal is a formal opinion of value from a qualified appraiser. Both can help you set a realistic asking price.
Can I change my asking price after my home is listed?
Yes. With ListedBySeller.ca, there are no fees for listing changes, so you can update your price from your dashboard at any time.
Ready to list your home?
Set your price with confidence, then put your home in front of buyers on REALTOR.CA® and the MLS®. See our packages and get started at listedbyseller.ca.
