Sell a home for $950,000 with a 5% commission and the agents take $47,500 before tax. Add 13% HST in Ontario and it’s $53,675, or 5.65% of the price. That leaves $896,325 before you’ve paid off the mortgage, and this real estate commission calculator shows every step of it.
Who gets the two percentages?
Commission usually gets split between two agents. The listing agent works for the seller and the buyer agent works for the person buying. The calculator asks for each share on its own, starting at 2.5% and 2.5%, and it has a box for a flat fee or marketing package if your agent charges one.
Sales tax lands on the whole commission, both agents included. So a quoted 5% costs you more than 5% of the price, and the calculator gives the extra its own line.
| Total rate | Commission | HST | Total | Left of the price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4% | $38,000 | $4,940 | $42,940 | $907,060 |
| 4.5% | $42,750 | $5,558 | $48,308 | $901,693 |
| 5% | $47,500 | $6,175 | $53,675 | $896,325 |
| 5.5% | $52,250 | $6,793 | $59,043 | $890,958 |
| 6% | $57,000 | $7,410 | $64,410 | $885,590 |
What does a $950,000 sale cost in Ontario?
Give each agent 2.5%. The listing agent gets $23,750 and the buyer agent gets $23,750, so commission before tax is $47,500. HST at 13% adds $6,175. Selling with an agent costs you $53,675 in all.
Is it worth haggling over half a point? On this price, half a point is $4,750. With tax on top, going from 5% to 4.5% cuts the total from $53,675 to $48,308, and you keep $5,367.
Move the same sale to Alberta and the commission is still $47,500. Only 5% GST applies there, though, which is $2,375. The total is $49,875, or 5.25% of the price, and you keep $900,125. Tax alone accounts for a $3,800 gap between the two provinces.
Can two 5% offers cost different amounts?
They can, and that’s the usual trap. Two agents quote the same 5%, but one adds a flat marketing package. Put the package in the flat fee box and compare the totals. The calculator adds the flat fee to the two percentages before tax, so the package is taxed like everything else. Ask each agent what the fee covers, from photos to open houses, and set the final totals side by side.
The calculator doesn’t know your contract, though. Read the listing agreement, and ask what you owe if the home doesn’t sell. Commission is also just one selling cost, since legal fees, a mortgage penalty and repairs all come on top.
What do I do with the total?
It’s one line in the full sale budget. Carry it to the home sale proceeds calculator to see what’s left after the mortgage. The tax rates follow the same rules as the GST and HST calculator, so you can check other provinces there. And if the home isn’t your main residence, run the capital gains tax calculator too.
Where do the numbers come from?
The maths is the price times each agent’s percentage, plus the sales tax rate for the province you pick. Those rates are the same ones the site’s sales tax tools use. Commission rates are negotiable, and this page doesn’t claim that any rate is standard. Your listing agreement decides the real amount. This website has no link with any government body.
Frequently asked questions
What's a 5% commission on $950,000?
$47,500 before tax. With 13% HST in Ontario the total is $53,675, or 5.65% of the price.
Does the seller pay the buyer's agent too?
In the calculator, yes: the seller's total covers both agents, 2.5% each by default. Your agreement decides how it works in real life.
Is sales tax added on top of commission?
Yes, on the full commission. In the example Ontario adds $6,175 and Alberta adds $2,375.
What does half a point save me?
On $950,000 in Ontario, going from 5% to 4.5% lowers the total from $53,675 to $48,308.
Can I put in a flat fee?
Yes. A flat fee or marketing package gets added to the two percentages before tax.
Sources and updates
Updated: . How we check rates · Editorial team · Updates
Estimate only. These figures are a planning estimate, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Tax-Services.ca is an independent publisher: we don't prepare or file tax returns, and we don't offer tax, legal or accounting services. We have no connection with the Canada Revenue Agency, Revenu Québec or any provincial government. Your real amounts depend on details this tool cannot see, so confirm them with an official source or a qualified professional before you act.