Working with Santo was a great experience. He took the time to make me understand EVERYTHING I needed to know when it came to my purchase and sale. I really felt like he had my best interest at heart. I had used him to sell my condo and have now used him and his team for my purchase. I would gladly recommend him to anyone. - Selina M

I can't thank Santo & his team enough for helping us sell our home. We were unsure whether selling made sense for us right now. We were looking for a larger space but everything hinged on the sale price of our home. After interviewing a few agents it was clear that this sale was each agents priority, but Santo cared about the bigger picture. He was the only agent that took the time to talk to us about our goals well beyond the sale of this home, which in turn helped us make a clearer long-term plan for our future. Having done a few transactions, none of them being smooth, we were surprised with the attentiveness and communication we received from Santo & his team. Minus the hassle of having to physically leave for showings, everything else was taken care of. We will most definitely be using Santo for all future transactions and will be recommending his services to anyone that asks. Thanks again Santo! - James

Team Sessa Real Estate is an excellent firm to deal with, very courteous and professional staff. We would highly recommend using Santo and Sonia, they are very knowledgeable, friendly, and dedicated hard working people - Paul G

When looking to work with a realtor we recommend: Always using a schedule A to clearly stipulate what the commission rates are for various scenarios that may play out. For example, specify what commission rates apply to exclusive vs. MLS listings. OR, Multiple Representation vs. Paying a cooperating brokerage. Do not forget that commission rates should vary for the various services offered. For example, are you getting floor plans, photography, videos, social media advertising, staging, cleaning, etc.? Attach the schedule A to each listing agreement, within docusigned / authentisign altogether, executed at the same time. Always avoid a % where your listing agent has control to split the commission at their sole discretion. Always specify what each representing realtor gets paid. Do not write terms in generalities. Remember without the schedule A, the standard wording of a listing agreement is very general, and written in favour of the listing brokerage. The schedule A is for your protection to define your best interests upfront. When your interviewing agents for your business, mention schedule A right away. The housing market prices are inflated by realtor commissions. So do not be afraid to stipulate what you think a realtor's services are worth to you. There is enough data, information, and plenty of realtors to interview to get an idea of price points and strategy. The schedule A is your opportunity to summarize all of this in one place. We also strongly encourage consumers to create a spreadsheet, and calculate what the commissions could be before you negotiate rates. For example: Sold price: $1,000,000.00 Cooperating Brokerage 2.5% Listing Brokerage 1% = 3.5% + HST = $39,550.00 total realtor commissions Inc. HST = $960,450.00 NET All realtors want listings. It’s a way to also help their seller buy a property, and pick up new business on the same street. In our experience, every realtor says the same thing, and offers the same services. So pick the right ‘personality’ for the situation at hand. Do not be afraid to change realtors according to particular circumstances. Oh, and do not forget to have the deposit from the buyer go to your lawyers firm in trust. We have found these suggestions to be good healthy consumer practice, and we hope these tips are helpful in your search for a realtor. You only get one opportunity on each real estate transaction, and you want to ensure you're not only getting top market value, but also maximum NET value. After all it was you who took the risk to buy/sell the place! - EMILE SOLANKI