Who Is the Best Real Estate Team in London?
No single team is the best for everyone in London, Ontario. The best one for you answers five hard questions in writing.
You might be worried about picking the agent who sounds best, not the one who does the work. Measure any of us against these five — us included.
The Bottom Line (Quick Answer)
- There is no single “best” real estate team in London, Ontario. There is a team that answers the hard questions in writing.
- Judge any team by five things, the Ken Small Real Estate Team included. Do they publish fees first? Do they attach penalties to promises? Do they market, not just list? Do they tell the truth? Do they disclose the trade-offs?
- We publish what we charge and what it buys. Selling: $1,500 Launch Retainer up front, 3% listing side, 2% recommended to the buyer’s brokerage, HST on top.
The short version
- Pick the agent who puts the most in writing before you sign.
- Any agent will promise a great result. Ask which ones attach a penalty if they miss.
- Watch for the highest price promise. A price set only to win your listing can lead to price cuts later.
How do I check a London agent is licensed?
Start here, before the five tests. Look the agent up on RECO’s Agent/Brokerage Search (opens in a new tab). Ken Small is RECO #4727293. RECO puts it this way:
“Our agent/brokerage search helps you confirm that your agent or brokerage is in good standing – before you do business together.”
RECO, reco.on.ca, read October 6, 2026
1. Do they publish what they charge, before you call?
You expected us to say it is us. So here are the five questions instead.
An agent who hides their fee until you are emotionally committed is setting up to negotiate against you. The best ones put the number in daylight. Ours is on the pricing page. Selling: $1,500 Launch Retainer up front, 3% listing side, 2% recommended to the buyer’s brokerage, HST on top. No call required. Buying? Our buyer fees are published too.
What this actually means for you: you can compare our full cost before you ever call.
2. Will they put money behind the promise?
Any agent will promise a great result. Ask which ones attach a penalty if they miss. Ours are written in full on the guarantees page. Here are the three this page names, with every rule.
The whole deal, in plain English
Your Home Sold Guaranteed, or I’ll Buy It
If your home does not sell in the agreed time, we buy it at the guaranteed price. If an outside buyer offers more, you take the higher offer, not us. Six rules decide if your home qualifies:
- 1You buy your next home from one of our own listings, with Ken working for you. Nothing on our list fits? Tell us. We can look at another home you like.
- 2Your next home is worth the same or more than the one you are selling.
- 3The program runs in London, Ontario, on homes worth up to $500,000. Not rural or country properties. Just outside London, or over that price? Call Ken at (226) 271-1140. We may still be able to do it.
- 4Your guaranteed price is your agreed market value, less 7%, less the standard commission.
- 5Your new home closes 120 days after the guarantee is issued.
- 6A better offer beats the guarantee. If a buyer offers more while your home is listed, that is the one you take.
Nothing is binding until you and the buyer sign an Ontario Form 100, the Agreement of Purchase and Sale.
Not every home fits those rules: Your Home Sold In 30 Days or I Pay You $5,000
- 1Your home is in London, Ontario.
- 2You and Ken agree on a Guaranteed Minimum Sale Price, in writing, before the home is listed. It is set from the same agreed market value the buyout uses, and cannot be higher than your list price.
- 3The home is kept in showcase condition, as it looks in the listing photos, with reasonable daily showing access. Refuse showings, or pause, cancel or move the listing in the first 30 days, and the guarantee ends.
- 4Turn down a written offer at or above that minimum, at any time during your listing, and the guarantee ends. At or above the minimum means the price after any credit you give the buyer. Countering such an offer counts as turning it down. Choosing one offer over another does not.
- 5Homes listed at $350,000 or more: $5,000 paid at closing, as a rebate or off the commission (seller’s choice). Homes listed under $350,000: $3,000 paid at closing instead, as a rebate or off the commission (seller’s choice).
- “Listed at” means the original list price in the signed Listing Agreement;
- a later price change does not move a home from one tier to the other.
Sold means a written offer you accept in the first 30 days, at any price, not the closing. You never have to accept an offer below your minimum. That is always your call, and saying no to one never costs you the guarantee. The 30 days start the day your home goes live on MLS. An offer made in the 30 days counts if you accept it while it, or a counter, is open. The buyer’s conditions and the closing date are between you and the buyer. If an accepted offer falls through, the guarantee has been met; the 30 days do not start again. No accepted offer in 30 days? We keep marketing your home through your three-month listing. The remedy in (5) is paid when that sale closes. No closing, no payment.
- The $5,000, or $3,000, is paid at the closing of a sale accepted during your listing.
- That closing can come after the listing ends. No closing, no payment.
- The guarantee you sign with your listing agreement is the one that counts.
For buyers: Love Your New Home Guaranteed or I’ll Sell It For Free™
- 1Valid for 24 months after your purchase.
- 2We list your home at 0% listing-side commission when you buy your next home through the Ken Small Team.
- 3The next home must be of equal or greater value. The guarantee covers the listing-side commission only — you remain responsible for the buyer’s agency fee.
- 4Your certificate is handed to you at closing.
3. Do they market, or do they just list?
Listing is putting a home on MLS and waiting. Marketing is building an audience and manufacturing attention before the sign goes up. Ask every agent for the plan in writing. Ours: 20 marketing systems, switched on within 72 hours of listing. A few of them, like the Guaranteed Buyout, depend on your home qualifying.
We market your home everywhere buyers actually look — and go find the ones who aren’t looking yet. Here is the whole plan.
4. Will they tell you the truth when it costs them the deal?
The tell of a great agent is whether they will talk you out of something. We will tell a seller when a program is not worth it. And a buyer when a home is not worth the ask. If the truth kills the deal, you still get the truth. One London buyer put it this way:
★★★★★All the way from the start of the house search, Ken was there to help at every step. From setting up search criteria that exactly met our needs, to getting viewings scheduled, to providing honest feedback about the properties (which is often rare for most agents); Ken went above and beyond our expectations. 10/10 experience with Ken.
J H · Buyer · Apr 2023 · via Google
5. Can you read the whole deal without chasing an asterisk?
The best agent hides nothing. Every fee, every guarantee condition, every trade-off should be readable in full, in one place, before you commit. That is the standard we hold ourselves to on every page of this site.
So who is the best?
The real answer: the best team is the one that scores well on all five. For your situation, not in the abstract. We built this whole site to be judged on exactly those five. Hold us up against anyone in London and decide for yourself.
4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). Read them word for word.
Who are the top 10 real estate agents in London, Ontario?
Any top-10 list ranks agents by its own yardstick. Ask what it measured, and over what period. Then run the five tests on this page against every name on it, us included.
How do I pick the best estate agent for selling my house?
Pick the agent who puts the most in writing before you sign. Ask each one for their fee, their guarantee conditions and their marketing plan, then compare them side by side. Watch for the highest price promise. A price set only to win your listing can lead to price cuts later. Then check what you would keep with the Seller Take-Home Calculator.
Ask Ken the five questions on a 15-minute call
Fifteen minutes, no pitch. Bring the five questions and hold us to them.
Want sharper questions? Here are the 12 questions to ask any agent. One asks what share of your commission stays on your side of the table. Another asks for the marketing budget as a dollar figure, in writing.
Our own answers to the questions to ask a London real estate agent
| The question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| How many homes did you sell last year? | |
| What will you do to market my home? | 20 marketing systems, switched on within 72 hours of listing. See the plan. |
| Will you put the numbers in writing first? | Yes. Sellers see the money they will keep before they list. |
| How do you arrive at my price? | We study every comparable sale and every current listing near you. How we set that number. |
| Solo or team, and who handles my sale? | Ken is your lead agent and negotiator. June runs the marketing. Meet the team. |
| What guarantees, and what are the conditions? | Three, with every rule, in the box above. |
| Who negotiates, and what is their record? | Ken does. |
| Why choose you over the cheapest option? | We are not the cheapest. We publish what we charge and what it buys. |
| How much of my commission stays on your side? | 3% on the listing side. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage. That 2% is your call. |
| What is your marketing budget on my home? |
How to judge any London real estate team
| Criteria | The Ken Small Team | Ask any agent |
|---|---|---|
| Publishes fees before you meet | Yes — $1,500 Launch Retainer up front, 3% listing, 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, HST on top | What do you charge, in writing, before we meet? |
| Attaches penalties to promises | Yes — guarantees carry stated conditions and dollar penalties | What do you pay me if you miss? |
| Markets vs. lists | 20 marketing systems within 72 hours of listing | Show me the marketing plan and the budget. |
| Written guarantees | Guaranteed Buyout, 30-Day/$5,000, Love Your New Home Guarantee (every rule is above) | What voids your guarantee? |
| Discloses fees and trade-offs | Yes — conditions and caps stated up front | Where are your conditions written? |
| A licence you can check | Ken Small, RECO #4727293 | What is your RECO number? |
Who this is not for
We are not the cheapest, and we will not quote a high price just to win your listing. We are not for you if you want an agent who tells you what you want to hear. See who we are built for.
The honest takeaway
The real answer: the best team is the one that scores well on all five. For your situation, not in the abstract.
Common questions about choosing a London real estate team
How do I choose a real estate agent in Ontario?
Use five tests. The team should publish its fees before you meet. It should attach financial penalties to its promises. It should market homes, not just list them. It should give truthful advice even when that loses the deal. And it should disclose every fee and trade-off.
What does the Ken Small Team charge to sell a home?
The published structure is a $1,500 Launch Retainer up front, then 3% on the listing side. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage. HST applies on top. Commission is negotiable. Fees are posted before any client contact.
What guarantees does the team put in writing?
Three. First, the Guaranteed Buyout. If your London home does not sell in the agreed time, we buy it at the guaranteed price. That price is your agreed market value, less 7%, less the standard commission. It needs a home worth up to $500,000, and your next home bought from our listings. That home closes 120 days after the guarantee is issued. The 30-Day/$5,000 guarantee covers a London home that does not fit the buyout. You and Ken agree a minimum sale price in writing before listing. Keep the home show-ready, and do not turn down a written offer at or above that minimum. No accepted offer in the first 30 days, at any price? Homes listed at $350,000 or more get $5,000 at closing. Under $350,000, you get $3,000 at closing instead. The Love Your New Home Guarantee covers buyers for 24 months. Don’t love the home? We list it at 0% listing-side commission when you buy your next home through the Ken Small Team. The next home must be of equal or greater value. You remain responsible for the buyer’s agency fee. Every rule is on this page and on our guarantees page.
What is the “Love Your New Home Guaranteed or I’ll Sell It For Free” guarantee?
Buy a home through our team, and if within 24 months it isn’t right, we list it for free. That means 0% listing-side commission, when you buy your next home with us — one of equal or greater value. You remain responsible for the buyer’s agency fee.
What areas does the team serve?
London and the surrounding Southwestern Ontario region, from the office at 420 York Street. The brokerage is Century 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage. Coverage includes Old North, Byron, Masonville, Wortley Village, Old South, and Hyde Park. It also includes nearby towns like Komoka, Kilworth, Mount Brydges, Delaware and Dorchester.
How do I check that a London real estate agent is licensed?
Use RECO’s Agent/Brokerage Search. RECO says it helps you confirm that your agent or brokerage is in good standing before you do business together. Ken Small is RECO #4727293.
Talk to Ken about choosing a team
Titles are easy to claim. Book fifteen minutes and judge for yourself — no pressure, no obligation.
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 →
Terms and conditions apply. Guarantees may not apply to all properties. Service provided by Ken Small Real Estate Team, Century 21 First Canadian Corp., Brokerage. Not intended to solicit currently listed properties.