Joel DyckReal Broker SK Ltd.
Saskatoon · From the topic map

How do I compare two Saskatoon listing proposals that quote different commissions?

Compare the total cost and the plan behind each number, not just the percentage, because commission is negotiable in Saskatchewan and a lower rate paired with a weak marketing plan can cost you more in the end through a slower sale or a lower final price.

Start with what each commission actually buys. The Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission requires a written listing agreement setting out the rate and what services are included, so read both agreements side by side for photography, staging advice, showing management and whether the agent personally handles negotiations or hands them to a team member you have not met.

Then price the difference in real terms. On a $450,000 sale, a one percent difference in commission is $4,500, which sounds significant until you weigh it against the seller closing costs of 4 to 6 percent already coming off the sale, and against what a better priced, better marketed listing might add to the final offer.

The number that should worry you more than the commission is the list price itself, since an agent who proposes an aggressive number to win the listing and then pushes for reductions three weeks in has cost you far more than a percentage point ever could. Joel Dyck prices from documented comparables so the number on day one is the number that holds. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.

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