Best Listing Agents in Ottawa — Ranked by 1,190 Sellers’ Reviews | August 2026

The seller typically pays both agents out of the sale proceeds — the ~4.5% covers your listing agent and the buyer’s agent, unless your listing agreement says otherwise.

Interview three agents who have recently sold homes like yours. The full process takes a few hours and typically pays for itself many times over:

1. Build a shortlist of three. Start from this ranking — it counts only verified reviews from Ottawa sellers and weights recent ones — and add any referral you trust, then check that referral’s seller reviews too.
2. Read each agent’s newest seller reviews, not their star average. Almost every agent averages near 4.9, so what actually separates them is recent seller results with homes like yours — your price range, your property type, your neighbourhood.
3. Ask each agent for their listing package before you meet — the marketing plan, comparable sales, and fee breakdown — so you’re comparing all three like for like.
4. Interview all three with the same questions: How did you arrive at your suggested price? What does your marketing include beyond the MLS? How often will I hear from you — and will I be working with you or a team member?
5. Be wary of the highest suggested price. An inflated number is a classic way to win the listing, followed by price cuts later. Ask each agent to defend their price against the comparables they brought.
6. Before you sign, read the listing agreement: the commission (negotiable — no law sets it), the length of the term, and how you can end it if the relationship isn’t working.

Or skip all six steps — get matched to the right Ottawa listing agent in about 30 seconds. Free, no obligation.

The basics every listing agent should cover:

• Price the home against recent comparable sales
• Prepare the listing — photos, description, MLS placement
• Market it and manage showings and open houses
• Screen buyers and negotiate offers
• Manage conditions and paperwork through closing

Possible extras to ask about before signing — some agents include them, some bill them:

• Professional staging — physical or virtual
• Photography upgrades — drone/aerial shots, video tours, 3D walkthroughs, floor plans
• A pre-listing inspection
• Cosmetic repairs and handyman work — some offer fix-now, pay-at-closing programs
• Cleaning, decluttering and junk removal
• Yard work and curb-appeal touch-ups
• Moving services — some agents include a moving van or movers
• Guarantees — cancel-anytime or performance guarantees; ask exactly what’s promised in writing

Tip: ask each agent for their listing package before you meet — the marketing plan, comparable sales, fee breakdown — so you’re comparing like for like.