The 6 fatal traps when choosing an agent to sell your home
For London sellers, all six traps are one mistake: choosing an agent on comfort, not on proof. Choose a London listing agent on four things you can check instead. Their written marketing plan. How they set your price. Their fee, in writing. And reviews you can read yourself.
You might be worried you will pick the wrong agent and only find out when the offers come in. The six traps below are how that happens.
The Bottom Line (Quick Answer)
- Pick a listing agent on proof: a written plan, a pricing method, a written fee and reviews you can read.
- The Ken Small Real Estate Team charges a $1,500 Launch Retainer and 3% when your home in London, Ontario sells. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, your call. HST goes on top.
- The six traps all do the same thing. They get you to choose on comfort, not on proof.
The short version
- Ask every agent for four things, in writing. Their plan, how they set your price, their fee and their reviews.
- Each trap gets you to choose an agent on comfort instead of proof.
- Check that an agent is registered. RECO’s search is free.
How do I choose a listing agent in London, Ontario?
Ask every agent for the same four things, in writing. Then compare the answers side by side, not the personalities.
| Check | A good answer | Ours |
|---|---|---|
| A written marketing plan | A list of what they will do, with dates | 20 marketing systems, switched on within 72 hours of the finalized listing agreement and launch date: our 20-System Activation Plan™. You get the written checklist on Day 1. A few systems depend on your home qualifying. |
| A pricing method | Recent sales near you, with a reason for every adjustment | The 8 steps we take before we say a price: how we evaluate your home. |
| The fee, in writing | Every dollar, before you sign | $1,500 Launch Retainer, then 3% when it sells. 2% recommended to the buyer’s brokerage, your call. HST on top. See what each dollar of our fee buys. |
| Proof you can check | Reviews on a site they do not control, and a registration you can look up | 4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). Read them. RECO #4727293. |
What does a listing agent cost in London, Ontario?
Commissions in Ontario are always negotiable, so we can only give you our own numbers. With us, it is a $1,500 Launch Retainer and 3% when your home sells.
We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, and that one is your call. HST goes on top. Ask every agent you interview for the same numbers, in writing.
Want to see what you would keep? Try the Seller Take-Home Calculator.
Who is the best real estate agent in London, Ontario?
We can’t rank agents for you, and be wary of anyone who does it without numbers. Judge the proof instead, and check the registration yourself.
How do I check a real estate agent is licensed in Ontario?
RECO regulates real estate agents in Ontario. Its free search shows whether an agent is registered: RECO Agent/Brokerage Search (opens in a new tab). Ken Small is RECO #4727293.
Fatal real estate traps exposed: the six that catch London sellers
Each trap gets you to choose an agent on comfort instead of proof. Here is each one, the fear behind it, and the check that beats it.
Trap 1: “A solo agent will give me more attention”
The fear: You worry a busy team will treat you as a number, or hand you to a junior.
The truth: Attention and results are not the same thing. A solo agent may have time for you. But that one person also does the photos, the paperwork and the showings.
On our team, Ken prices your home and negotiates your offers. Renmarck June Fabillar runs the marketing. The brokerage’s listing department double-checks the paperwork.
The check: Ask who does each job, by name.
Trap 2: “A discount commission puts more money in my pocket”
The fear: An agent offers to cut their fee to save you money up front.
The truth: Look at what the fee buys, not just the rate. We are not the cheapest agent in London. Our fee is a $1,500 Launch Retainer and 3% when your home sells. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, and that one is your call. HST goes on top.
The check: Call three agents. Ask what they charge, what is included, and what goes to the buyer’s side. Get all three answers in writing. The full math is here, including when the cheaper option is the right one.
Trap 3: “All agents are basically the same”
The fear: You believe every agent just puts up a sign, posts it on MLS, and waits.
The truth: That is like saying all doctors are the same. Yes, every agent can list a home. The difference is the plan behind the sign, and whether you can see it in writing. Ours is in the table above, with its conditions.
The check: Ask each agent for their launch plan in writing, with dates. Then compare the lists.
Trap 4: “The market is hot, so any agent will do”
The fear: Your home is in demand, or the market is strong. So you figure it will sell no matter who lists it.
The truth: A hot market is exactly where weak agents hide. Almost anyone can get an offer when demand is high. The risk is taking the first decent offer before enough buyers have seen your home. More buyers competing is what moves the price.
Is London hot right now? The City of London had 5.7 months of inventory in September 2026. Its median days on market was 33 (source: LSTAR Residential Market Activity Report, September 2026). What this means for you: fewer months of inventory means buyers compete harder.
A city figure hides your street and your price band, though. Your own number comes from homes like yours: What’s My Home Worth?
The check: Ask how they will build competition for your home, not just whether it will sell.
Trap 5: “Hire the agent who promised the highest price”
The fear: One agent sat at your table and promised the highest listing price of anyone.
The truth: Anyone can promise a fantasy number to win your business. It is the oldest trick there is. Once you have signed, the price cuts begin, and the lowball offers wear you down. We price on recent sales and the market, not on what you want to hear.
And we put money behind our range. For every $5,000 we sell below the agreed range: $200 cash (up to $1,000). That is one of our 6 Satisfaction Guarantees. Total brokerage contributions at closing are capped at $1,000. That is paid as a commission reduction when we act as your seller’s agent. See all six, with their conditions.
The check: Ask how they got the number. Ask which recent sales they used, and why.
Trap 6: “A big team will pass me off to a flunky”
The fear: You fear the lead agent will hand you to an assistant you never chose.
The truth: Some big teams do work that way. We do not. Think of a surgical team. The surgeon does not also run billing and prep. On our team, Ken is your lead agent and your negotiator. June runs the marketing, and the brokerage’s listing department double-checks the paperwork, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Our answer is in writing. Weekly updates, and a response to your calls, texts and emails within 24 hours (one business day). If we miss it: $100 cash to you. That is paid as a commission reduction when we act as your seller’s agent.
The check: Ask who you will talk to each week, and what happens if they miss your call.
What do all six traps have in common?
Every trap is the same trick in a different suit. It gets you to choose on comfort: a nice person, a low fee, a big promise. It pulls you away from the plan and the numbers that decide what you keep.
Who this is not for
If your only filter is the lowest possible commission, we’re probably not your team. We don’t discount the marketing that sells your home. If you want the agent who quotes the highest number to win the listing, someone else will take that job.
What London sellers say about working with us
★★★★★We would 100% recommend Ken Small if you are wanting to sell or purchase a home. After 65 years in the same house, my father and I had a huge task on our hands to clean it out and get it ready to put on the market. We were able to leave most of this with Ken and his team.
We honestly feel we could not have done this without him. He stepped right in and knew what needed to be done. We felt like he was on the same page with us and we had several offers to look at in less than a week. Ken is kind, personable, professional and turned a very stressful situation into a worry-free one for us once he was on the job.
Awesome job Ken, we can’t thank you enough. We second the other reviewer’s opinion that Ken goes above and beyond!
Denise F. · Seller · Aug 2024 · via Google
★★★★★We sold our home! In the midst of interest increases and market pricing decline, Ken was steadfast in his commitment to sell our home. Ken used multiple outlets, went above and beyond to market our property and counselled us well along the way. In the end, we SOLD, and are beginning our next journey as a family. Thank you Ken!
Kristian W. · Seller · May 2023 · via Google
4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). Read every review in full →
The honest takeaway
A promise with no penalty behind it is just a promise. So ask every agent the same thing: what do you pay me if you miss?
Questions sellers ask about choosing an agent
Is a discount-commission agent a good deal?
What are the red flags in a real estate agent?
Should I hire the agent who quotes the highest price?
Will I get lost with a busy team?
Aren’t all agents basically the same?
What should I actually ask an agent before hiring?
How much does a listing agent cost in London, Ontario?
How do I check that an agent is registered in Ontario?
Who is the best real estate agent in London, Ontario?
Interview us like it’s the biggest hire of your year — because it is.
Fifteen minutes, no obligation. Ask the hard questions. We will give you the numbers in writing, even the ones you would rather not hear. And if we are not the right fit, we will tell you that too.
If we take more than one business day to answer your call, text or email: $100 cash to you. That is paid as a commission reduction when we act as your seller’s agent. Every guarantee has its penalty and its conditions in writing. Read them before you call.
About Ken Small
Ken Small, REALTOR®, has been a real estate agent in London since 2003. He leads the Ken Small Real Estate Team at Century 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage. The office is at 420 York Street, London, ON N6B 1R1. RECO #4727293. Meet the team →