The price your home sells for is not the amount that lands in your account. Between the two sit a handful of costs, some fixed, some negotiable and one or two that catch sellers off guard because nobody mentioned them at the start. This page lists all of them in the order you will meet them, with the rules behind each so you can check the numbers yourself. Stan Bernardo's team at Royal LePage Signature Realty has walked Mississauga sellers through these figures for 30 years, and the pattern is consistent: the people who know the costs going in make better decisions about price, timing and whether to renovate first. You will also find one cost that is not yours. Land transfer tax in Ontario is paid by the buyer, and Mississauga has no municipal land transfer tax on top of the provincial one, so if you have been budgeting for it as a seller, you can stop. Dollar figures below are limited to government fees and thresholds with a source; everything else varies by home, lender and choice, and the team's net proceeds calculator will give you a personalized estimate.
Commission: negotiable, and how it is usually structured
Real estate remuneration in Ontario is not set by any law, regulator or board. It is negotiated between you and the brokerage and written into your seller representation agreement, which must state how the amount is determined. In practice it is most often expressed as a percentage of the sale price, and part of it is offered to the brokerage that brings the buyer, with the split disclosed to you in the agreement. Some sellers negotiate a flat fee or a sliding scale; some accept a lower rate in exchange for fewer services. What you are paying for should be spelled out: staging consultation, professional media, MLS exposure, showing management, negotiation and the handling of the transaction through to closing. Ask what happens if the team also represents the buyer, because multiple representation changes the duties owed to you and requires your written consent. The commission is paid out of the sale proceeds by your lawyer on closing, so there is nothing to pay up front.
HST on the commission and other services
The sale of a used residential home is exempt from HST, so no tax is charged on the price of your house. The services around the sale are a different matter. The Canada Revenue Agency states that services from a GST/HST-registered real estate agent related to selling real property are generally taxable even when the property itself is exempt, which means 13 percent HST in Ontario applies on top of the commission. The same applies to your lawyer's fees, your stager's invoice, the photographer and the moving company. When you compare brokerages, make sure every quote is stated the same way, either before or after HST, so you are comparing like with like. If you are selling a newly built home you bought from a builder, or a property you have used in a business or as a short-term rental, the HST treatment of the sale itself can differ; that is a question for your accountant before you list, not after.
Legal fees and disbursements
You need an Ontario real estate lawyer to close a sale. Their work includes reviewing the agreement, answering the buyer's lawyer's title requisitions, preparing the transfer, obtaining and paying out the mortgage discharge, calculating the statement of adjustments for property taxes and any prepaid utilities, and delivering the net proceeds to you. Fees vary by firm and by the complexity of the file; a sale with two mortgages, a lien to clear or an estate involved costs more than a clean one. On top of the fee are disbursements: title searches, registration of the discharge, courier and software charges, and law society transaction levies. Ask for a written quote that separates fee from disbursements and confirm what would push it higher. Engage your lawyer when you list rather than when you have an offer, so they can flag any title issue, such as an old mortgage that was never formally discharged, while there is still time to fix it.
Mortgage discharge and prepayment penalties
If you have a mortgage, your lender must be paid out on closing, and two costs come with that. The first is a discharge fee, a flat administrative charge for releasing the lender's registration on title. The second, and potentially far larger, is a prepayment penalty if you are paying out a closed mortgage before the end of its term. The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada explains that the penalty is typically the higher of three months' interest or an interest rate differential, and that the differential method can apply to fixed-rate mortgages when your rate is above current rates. Federally regulated lenders must explain the calculation and provide an online estimator. You have options: porting the mortgage to your next home, timing the sale near your maturity date, or using your annual prepayment privilege to reduce the balance first. Request a written payout statement from your lender early, and talk to a mortgage professional before you set a closing date.
Preparation, staging, moving and the small costs
The optional costs are where you have the most control. Pre-listing repairs, paint and a deep clean are usually modest and pay for themselves in presentation. Staging ranges from a consultation and rearrangement of your own furniture to full rental furnishing of a vacant home; the team advises which level makes sense for your property and price point. Professional photography, floor plans and video are included in the team's service, so they are not a separate line for you. Moving costs depend on distance, volume and season, and summer and month-end dates book up early. Smaller items add up: a condo status certificate if you order one for buyers, a survey if a buyer requests it and you do not have one, utility final readings and transfers, mail forwarding, and any adjustments if you have prepaid property taxes beyond the closing date, which come back to you rather than costing you. Keep every invoice; some of these matter for your records.
What is not your cost: land transfer tax
Ontario's land transfer tax is paid by the person acquiring the land, when the transaction closes. As a seller you do not pay it on the home you are selling. If you are buying your next home, you will pay it then, on that purchase, and first-time buyers may qualify for a provincial refund of up to $4,000, subject to conditions such as occupying the home as a principal residence within nine months. Mississauga, unlike the City of Toronto, does not charge a municipal land transfer tax; Toronto's applies only to properties within its boundaries. Other costs that belong to the buyer, not you: their home inspection, their lawyer, their title insurance and their mortgage costs. Your net proceeds are the sale price less your commission and HST, legal fees, mortgage payout and penalty, and any adjustments, and the team's calculator on this site lets you model that with your own numbers before you decide to list.
The next step
Run your own numbers in the net proceeds calculator, then ask the team to check them against a current valuation of your home.
Questions people ask about What it costs to sell a house in Mississauga
Do I pay land transfer tax when I sell?
No. In Ontario the tax is paid by the buyer when they acquire the property. You will pay it only on your next purchase, if you buy. Mississauga has no municipal land transfer tax; that additional tax applies only within the City of Toronto.
Is real estate commission really negotiable?
Yes. No Ontario law or regulator sets a rate. The amount and how it is calculated are agreed between you and the brokerage and must be written into your representation agreement. Ask what services are included and how any portion offered to the buyer's brokerage is handled.
Is there HST on the commission?
Yes. The CRA treats a registered agent's services as taxable even when the home sale itself is HST-exempt, so 13 percent applies to the commission in Ontario. Legal, staging and moving services are taxed the same way. Compare quotes on a consistent before-tax or after-tax basis.
How do I find out my mortgage penalty before I list?
Call your lender and ask for a written payout statement with the prepayment penalty calculated to a target date, and use the estimator that federally regulated lenders must provide online. If the figure is large, ask about porting the mortgage or timing your closing near maturity, and consult a mortgage professional.
What is the single most common surprise cost?
The prepayment penalty on a fixed-rate mortgage broken mid-term. Sellers often assume three months' interest and discover the interest rate differential method produces a larger figure. Getting the payout statement early avoids the surprise and can change your closing date or your decision to port.
Thinking of selling?
Tell us a little about the home and we come back with a written opinion of value, what buyers are paying for comparable homes right now, and a plan. No obligation.
