Selling a home in Alberta costs more than the commission: sellers should budget for real estate commissions plus GST, legal fees and disbursements, a Real Property Report with compliance if the existing one is outdated, condo document costs where applicable, and a possible mortgage payout penalty — all before moving costs. The right way to plan is a net sheet built from your actual payout statement, not a percentage guessed at listing time.

What are the main costs, one by one?

Commission is the largest item and is negotiated in your listing agreement — in Alberta it is commonly structured as a percentage on the first $100,000 and a lower percentage on the balance, split between the listing and buyer's brokerages, with GST charged on top. Legal fees cover your lawyer's work to discharge your mortgage, transfer title, and handle funds, plus disbursements such as title searches and registration. If your Real Property Report no longer reflects the property — a new deck, fence moved, addition — a new survey and municipal compliance can be required, and leaving it to the buyer's condition period is how closings stall; my explainer on the Real Property Report in Alberta covers when an existing RPR still works.

What is the cost sellers forget most often?

The mortgage payout penalty. If your term is not ending, breaking a fixed mortgage can trigger an interest rate differential penalty that runs into thousands, while a variable mortgage typically costs three months' interest. Get the exact payout figure from your lender before you price, not after you accept an offer — on a short remaining term, waiting weeks to list can be worth more than any staging. Condo sellers should also budget for the estoppel and document package buyers require, and every seller should keep a line for pre-listing repairs, cleaning, and the move itself.

"He would get back to me with an answer to my questions in no time… Very professional and kind." — Aniela Lesyk, Google review

How do you turn the list into a decision?

Build the net sheet at three price points — your hoped-for price, the comparable-sales price, and a quick-sale price — using a free home evaluation for the market side and your lender's payout statement for the mortgage side. The gap between those three numbers, not the gross sale price, is what decides whether selling now, at renewal, or after a small repair makes sense.

Want your real net number before you list? Want me to walk you through it? Call 780-720-8240 or request your home evaluation and I will call you to build the net sheet together this week.

By Travis Bannert, Realtor and Mortgage Broker

Travis Bannert, Realtor® | Bridge Realty Group, Maxwell Progressive Realty | 780-720-8240 | bridgerealtygroup.ca

Photo via Wikimedia Commons — Edmonton skyline and High Level Bridge.