How we help you buy a home in London.
You might worry about paying more than a home is worth, or a fee you didn’t see coming. Here is our fee first: $495 to start, and $0 commission out of your pocket.
Then, before you offer, we show you what the home is worth. You decide what to pay.
The Bottom Line (Quick Answer)
- The Ken Small Real Estate Team helps you buy a home in London, Ontario.
- It costs $495 to start. Our 3% is paid from the seller’s side, so you pay $0 commission out of pocket.
- Before you offer, we show you what the home is worth. Any home you buy with us is backed by a warranty and a guarantee.
The short version
- Our fee is $495 to start, and $0 commission out of your pocket.
- Before you offer, we show you what the home is worth. You decide what to pay.
- No lock-in: you can fire us any time before you make an offer.
What does it cost to buy a home in London with us?
What it costs to buy with us
- 1$495 to start — a flat retainer that puts the team on your search.
- 23% commission — paid from the seller’s side of the deal, not by you.
- 3$0 commission out of your pocket — if a seller offers our brokerage less than 3%, you never pay the difference.
Our fee is $495 to start, and $0 commission out of your pocket. Your other costs are closing costs, and we put yours in writing before you offer.
- Land transfer tax. Ontario sets it, and it climbs with the price. First-time buyers may get some back (see below).
- Your lawyer. They handle the closing papers and the title transfer.
- Title insurance. A one-time premium that protects your ownership.
- Mortgage insurance. Only if you put less than 20% down (source: CMHC, opens in a new tab).
- A home inspection. Your choice. We book it and walk it with you.
- Adjustments. Your share of property tax or utilities the seller already paid.
See every fee, and what moves your costs up or down →
First-time home buyer in London, Ontario? Start here
Start with a pre-approval, so you know your real budget before you look. Then check which first-time help you qualify for.
One trap catches people. Ontario’s land transfer tax refund is up to $4,000. You only qualify if you have never owned a home, anywhere, ever (source: Ontario.ca, opens in a new tab).
The federal home buyers’ amount, a tax credit, uses a different test. It looks back five years: this year and the four before it (source: Canada.ca, opens in a new tab). So someone who sold a condo years ago may get one and not the other. We check yours before you count on either.
Read our first-time home buyer guide for London, see how to get pre-approved, or take the Buyer Readiness Check.
Is it a good time to buy a house in London, Ontario?
That depends on your budget and your street more than the city average. In September 2026, London had 5.7 months of inventory (LSTAR).
What this means for you: more months of inventory usually means more homes to pick from. It also means more room to negotiate. Fewer months means more competition.
Two homes a kilometre apart can be in different markets. So we read your price range and your area, not the average. Then you make the call. Book a call with Ken for the read on your price range.
What does a buyer’s agent do that Realtor.ca can’t?
The work is knowing what is wrong with a home before you fall in love. And knowing what it is worth before you offer.
Realtor.ca finds homes. So does every app on your phone. Nobody should pay an agent just to run a search.
Look at the gap you are walking into. The seller has had weeks to price, clean and stage the home, often with professional help. You get twenty minutes on a Saturday, with your heart involved, against a deadline someone else set.
Closing that gap is the entire job. The comparable sales that say what it is really worth. The knob-and-tube, the grading, the aging plumbing a staged photo will never show. The price we would walk away from, said out loud before you are attached to the place.
See everything we do, item by item, next to a listings app →
What do we do to help you buy?
You get a written plan for your purchase. Here is what it covers.
- ✓Your buying planA full pre-approval, not just a pre-qualification. Your must-haves and deal-breakers. A written plan built for you.
- ✓Finding homes, on and off Realtor.caEvery new MLS listing that fits. Plus homes not yet listed. We use our agent network, letters to the streets you want, and ads about what you want.
- ✓Checking every home you likeTitle, permits, comparable sales, and what is wrong with it. All before you fall in love.
- ✓Your offerOur Offer Confidence Brief: what the home is worth, the seller’s position, and your walk-away line. You pick the price.
- ✓From accepted offer to keysInspection with you, financing, deposit, your lawyer, and the final walkthrough.
- ✓After you own itYour warranty and guarantee, check-ins, and a yearly look at what your home is worth.
Want a home that was inspected before it was listed? Ask us about a Certified Pre-Owned Home.
See everything we do for buyers → · How we evaluate the home you’re buying →
How does buying a home with us work, step by step?
Six steps, from your first call to your keys.
- The first call
We learn what you want, your timeline, and your real budget. No pressure, no pitch.
- We get you buy-ready
A full pre-approval for a mortgage. Your closing costs in writing. Your true budget. So when the right home shows up, you are ready to offer.
- We hunt, on and off Realtor.ca
Every new MLS listing that fits. Plus homes not yet listed, through our agent network and letters to owners on your streets.
- We see them with you
We dig up what the listing won’t tell you. Then we walk each home with you. We call out the good, the bad, and what to worry about.
- We write and negotiate your offer
What it’s really worth. Where the math says stop. You decide what to offer. Then we negotiate hard for it.
- Once it’s accepted
We handle the paperwork. We help you clear every condition. We book your inspection. We get the papers to your lawyer. Right to the keys.
Love Your New Home Guaranteed or I’ll Sell It For Free
The real value is everything above: the hunt, the honest read, the numbers, the negotiation. On top of it, any home you buy with our team is backed four ways, in plain English.
- 1Love Your New Home Guaranteed or I’ll Sell It For Free. Not right within 24 months? We list it for you at 0% listing-side commission. That applies when you buy your next home with us, one of equal or greater value. You remain responsible for the buyer’s agency fee. Your certificate is handed to you at closing.
- 21-Year Canadian Home Shield SafeClose™ Warranty. Up to $15,000 protection, $100 deductible. Paid for by our team, and active the day you take possession.
- 3Fire Us Anytime. Cancel our buyer agreement any time before you make an offer. No penalty, no lock-in, nothing further to pay. Your $495 retainer stays with us, because the work it paid for is done. You keep everything it produced.
- 424-hour callback, or $100. If we don’t return your call within one business day, we pay you $100.
Are we the right team to help you buy?
We’d rather be straight now than waste your time. Here’s who we’re built for, and who we’re not.
A good fit if…
- ✓ You’re buying in London or a nearby town like Komoka, Kilworth, Mount Brydges, Delaware or Dorchester.
- ✓ You want the truth about a home’s price and problems, even when it’s not what you hoped.
- ✓ You’re ready to move when the right one shows up. The best homes don’t wait.
- ✓ You want someone who negotiates hard for you, and tells you straight when to walk.
Not a fit if…
- ✕ We’re blunt about a home’s problems. If you’d rather not hear them, we’re not your team.
- ✕ We move fast when the right home appears. If you need a week on every call, we’ll frustrate each other.
- ✕ We push back when the numbers don’t support the offer. If you want a yes to everything, that’s not us.
What do London buyers say about the Ken Small Team?
“Ken did an amazing job helping us find our first home. He scheduled many viewings on short notice in a very competitive market.”
Julie Manning
“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
“I would highly recommend using Ken as a realtor. Ken was a very knowledgeable and reliable resource for me in my home buying journey. You can tell he loves what he does in the quality of his work, and how informative and available he is throughout the process. 10/10, will be using him again in the future!”
Jesse de Dreu
4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). Check them on Google (opens in a new tab)
The honest takeaway
An agent who only sends you listings is charging for something Realtor.ca does for nothing.
Common questions about buying a house in London
How do I buy a house in London, step by step?
How much does it cost to buy a house in London?
Does it cost me anything to have you as my buyer’s agent?
What backs the home after I buy it?
How do you find homes before they hit Realtor.ca?
Which neighbourhood in London is right for me?
What do I sign when I hire you as my buyer’s agent?
I’m a first-time buyer. Where do I start?
Who qualifies as a first-time home buyer in Ontario?
Book a call with Ken about buying in London
Fifteen minutes, no obligation. Bring your budget and your questions. We’ll tell you what it costs and what happens next.
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. Renmarck June Fabillar runs our marketing. We work under a written Code of Ethics. Meet the team →