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The Market

Why More Ontarians Are Asking for Choice in How They Sell

Lewis Miller
Lewis MillerCEO and co-founder of Home Parlay. Licensed Ontario realtor.
July 20, 20265 min read
Why More Ontarians Are Asking for Choice in How They Sell

Regulators, legislators & homeowners agree: people want more than one way to sell a home. Here's the public record.

More Ontarians want a real choice in how they sell their home, and the public record backs this up. As of 2026, Canada's Competition Bureau is studying the sector, Ontario law formally recognizes self-represented sellers, national polls show strong demand for options, and class actions are testing the traditional commission structure in court.

Key facts

  • An April 2022 Forum Research poll (n=1,002) found 83% of Canadians want the option to complete a home purchase without an agent.

  • A 2024 Zolo survey found roughly one in three Canadians who transacted in 2023 did so without a traditional agent.

  • At Ontario's average sale price of about $800,000, a 5% commission plus HST is roughly $45,000 — paid from the seller's equity.

  • TRESA came fully into force on December 1, 2023, formally defining the self-represented party.

Why is the Competition Bureau studying Ontario real estate?

Canada's Competition Bureau — the independent federal agency responsible for keeping markets competitive — has taken a sustained interest in residential real estate. Its central observation is measured: home buyers and sellers benefit when they can access innovative services at competitive prices, and industry rules should not stand in the way of new models. The Bureau has examined how access to listing systems, membership rules, and compensation structures affect the choices available to consumers. Its position is not that any model is wrong — it is that consumers deserve a genuine choice among models.

This is not new territory for the Bureau. Its earlier proceedings involving the Toronto real estate board, which concluded at the Supreme Court of Canada in 2018, resulted in home sale data being opened up to the public. That change made today's more informed, more independent consumer possible.

What did Ontario's TRESA change for self-represented sellers?

On December 1, 2023, the Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA) came fully into force, replacing legislation that had governed the industry since 2002. Ontario's real estate regulator described it as the most significant consumer-protection update to the sector in decades. Among its changes, the province formally defined the self-represented party — a buyer or seller who chooses to transact without agent representation — and set out how the industry must interact with them fairly. When a legislature writes a choice into law, it is acknowledging that people are already making it.

When a province writes self-representation into its consumer-protection law, it isn't creating demand. It's recognizing it.

Do homeowners actually want this option?

A national Forum Research poll conducted in April 2022 found that 83% of Canadians would like the option to complete a home purchase without an agent and keep the associated portion of the transaction cost. Worth noting: the poll was commissioned by a real estate technology company, though Forum Research is an established independent pollster. Separately, a 2024 housing survey by Zolo found that roughly one in three Canadians who transacted in 2023 did so without a traditional agent. Whatever the exact number, the direction is consistent — a meaningful share of Canadians want the option, even if many will still choose full-service representation.

What questions are now before the courts?

Two class actions currently before the Federal Court — one on behalf of Greater Toronto Area home sellers, another covering the rest of Canada — ask whether the industry's traditional commission structure complied with the Competition Act. These are allegations, not findings, and the industry defendants dispute them. The fact that these questions are before Canadian courts at all reflects how mainstream the conversation about cost and choice has become.

How much does the traditional model actually cost a seller?

The math explains the interest. At Ontario's average sale price of roughly $800,000, a traditional 5% commission plus HST works out to about $45,000 — paid out of the seller's equity, not the home's value. Industry data suggests average effective commissions have already drifted below 5% as flat-fee and discount models grow, which is itself evidence that competition on price and service is arriving.

None of this means traditional representation is going away, or should. Many sellers value it and will keep choosing it. The shift is simpler than that: selling a home in Ontario is becoming a decision with real options — and homeowners are the ones who asked for them. Homeparlay fits this picture as a neutral communication and mediation tool for Ontario sellers, with a flat $5,000 fee paid at closing rather than a percentage commission.

Common questions about choice when selling a home in Ontario

Is it legal to sell my home without an agent in Ontario?

Yes. Ontario's Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA), fully in force since December 1, 2023, formally defines the self-represented party and sets out how the industry must interact with them fairly. Selling as a self-represented seller is a recognized choice under Ontario law.

How much can I save by not paying a traditional commission?

At Ontario's average sale price of about $800,000, a 5% commission plus HST is roughly $45,000, paid out of your equity. Flat-fee and platform models cost far less, which is why average effective commissions have been drifting below 5%.

What is Homeparlay's role in a private sale?

Homeparlay is a neutral communication and mediation tool for Ontario sellers, not an agent replacement. It charges a flat $5,000 fee at closing rather than a percentage commission.

Are most Canadians selling without agents now?

No — most still use traditional representation, and many value it. But a 2024 Zolo survey found roughly one in three 2023 transactions happened without a traditional agent, and an April 2022 Forum Research poll found 83% of Canadians want the option.

Sources