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 commission 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. Picture Priya in Mississauga reading a listing proposal that says “5%”. What she’ll actually write cheques for is closer to 5.65%, and it pays to know that before she signs.
The table shows the same $950,000 Ontario sale at five different total commission rates.
| 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. Even a quarter of a point is $2,375 before tax and about $2,684 after it.
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. The CRA lists the rate for every province on its GST/HST calculator and rates page.
Can two 5% offers cost different amounts?
Yes. Two agents can quote the same 5% and still cost you different amounts, usually because 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.
Is the commission negotiable?
Yes. Nothing sets one rate for every sale, and agents differ on what they’ll accept. Ask these before you sign:
- Whether the rate drops if you also buy through the same agent
- Whether the buyer agent’s share is fixed or can change
- What happens to the fee if you sell privately to someone you already know
- Which marketing costs are inside the rate and which are billed separately
Get the answers in writing, then run each version through the calculator. A lower rate with a bigger flat fee can easily cost more than a plain 5%.
What do I do with the commission 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 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. No government body has reviewed or endorsed what you read here.
About this calculator
- What it does
- Add up the commission on a home sale for both agents, with GST or HST.
- Category
- Real Estate
- Last checked
- September 30, 2026
- Result type
- Estimate for information only, not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 5% commission on a $950,000 home?
It is $47,500 before tax. With 13% HST in Ontario the total is $53,675, or 5.65% of the price, and the seller keeps $896,325 before paying off the mortgage.
Does the seller pay the buyer's agent too?
In this calculator, yes: the seller's total covers both agents, 2.5% each by default. In real life your listing agreement decides how the buyer's agent is paid, so read it before you sign.
Is sales tax added on top of real estate commission?
Yes, on the full commission. In the $950,000 example, Ontario adds $6,175 of HST at 13%, and Alberta adds $2,375 of GST at 5%.
How much does half a percentage point of commission save?
On a $950,000 sale in Ontario, going from 5% to 4.5% lowers the total, tax included, from $53,675 to $48,308.
Can I add a flat fee to the commission calculator?
Yes. A flat fee or marketing package is added to the two agent percentages before tax, so it is taxed like the rest of the commission.
Sources and updates
Updated: . How we check rates · Editorial team · Updates