- Private sales are legal in every province and territory.
- A real estate lawyer (or a notary in some provinces) closes the sale and transfers title.
- The buyer usually pays land transfer tax or registration fees, not the seller.
- More callers is the key to a fast private sale. A financing header on your ad brings in buyers the banks turn away.
Is it legal to sell your own house in Canada?
Yes. No province or territory requires you to use a real estate agent. Agents are optional. What you can't skip is the legal transfer: a real estate lawyer (or, in BC, a notary public) prepares the transfer documents, holds the money in trust, pays out your mortgage and registers the new owner.
Step 1: Price your home from real sales
Look at homes like yours that sold in the last 60 to 90 days, not asking prices. Match type, size, age, finish and neighbourhood. Your property assessment and a paid appraisal (usually a few hundred dollars) are useful checks. If your home gets little interest in the first week, price is almost always the reason. How to price a FSBO home.
Step 2: Prepare the home and your paperwork
Clean, declutter and take bright daytime photos of the front, kitchen, living room and a bedroom at minimum. Pull together your property tax bill, utility costs, any survey or Real Property Report, renovation permits and, for condos, the condo documents. See the FSBO documents checklist.
Step 3: Advertise where buyers look
Private sellers advertise on Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, FSBO websites, a yard sign and optionally a flat-fee MLS listing. The ads that get the most calls answer the buyer's biggest question first: can I afford this? That's why we recommend the header "Zero Down Must Qualify / Bad Credit Money Down / Buy This House". How the ad header works.
Step 4: Screen callers with one question
Ask every caller: "Do you need the private financing option, as advertised, or are you pre-approved through a bank?" Financing buyers go to the private lender to be qualified first. Pre-approved buyers you show yourself. Full caller script.
Step 5: Showings and offers
Book showings by appointment, keep a log of who visits, and have a second adult present. Get every offer in writing and have your lawyer review it before you sign. The buyer's deposit should go into a lawyer's trust account, never to you directly.
Step 6: Lawyers close the sale
Once conditions are removed, your lawyer and the buyer's lawyer handle everything: the transfer, mortgage payout, adjustments for property tax and utilities, and registration. If the buyer uses private financing, the lender's lawyer sends the funds to your lawyer exactly like a bank-financed sale. How closing works.
Rules by province
Taxes, documents and consents differ by province. Pick yours: Alberta · British Columbia · Saskatchewan · Manitoba · Ontario · Nova Scotia · New Brunswick · PEI · Newfoundland and Labrador · Yukon, NWT and Nunavut.
Sell it yourself, with more buyers calling
Add the private-financing header to your ad and let our private lender qualify the buyers the banks turn away. No commission, no contract, no obligation. Listing takes about 5 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my house in Canada without a real estate agent?
Yes. Private sales are legal in every province and territory. You need a real estate lawyer (or a notary in some provinces) to close and transfer title, but an agent is optional.
Who pays land transfer tax when I sell privately?
In most provinces the buyer pays land transfer tax or registration fees. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and the territories have no land transfer tax, only registration fees.
How much do I save by selling without a realtor?
Commission is negotiable, but at a typical 5%, a $500,000 home costs $25,000 in commission plus GST or HST. Selling privately keeps that money in your pocket.
How do I get more buyers to call my private sale ad?
Make it easy for buyers to afford. Adding a private-financing header such as "Zero Down Must Qualify / Bad Credit Money Down" brings in buyers the banks turn away, so more people call.
Is No Commission System a realtor? Is there a listing agreement?
No. We're not realtors. There's no listing agreement and no commission. You keep selling your home yourself and just add a financing header to your ad, so more buyers call.
How much does No Commission System cost the seller?
Nothing. There are no fees, no commission and no contract. We're paid on the buyer's side, through the private financing for buyers who can't get a bank mortgage.
Related guides
General information for Canadian home sellers, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm the details with a real estate lawyer in your province before you sell.