Is the Certified Pre-Owned Home Program Worth It?
It is worth it for an older home that may have issues. It also fits a home with one concern a buyer will fixate on.
You might worry it is a label made up to win your listing. Or that the inspection will find something that costs you. Both are fair. Below is what it is, what it costs, and who should skip it.
A 15-minute call. I will tell you if certification fits your home, or if you are better off without it.
The Bottom Line (Quick Answer)
- A Certified Pre-Owned Home is worth it for older homes that may have issues. It is worth it where buyers fixate on one concern, and where deals die at inspection.
- It is not worth it for newer homes in good condition, or well-documented homes with no red flags. It may add little where buyers compete hard.
- In the Ken Small Real Estate Team’s program in London, Ontario, the $1,500 Launch Retainer pays for it.
The short version
- You do not pay the inspector separately. We book and pay the inspector.
- Buyers see the condition before they offer, so there is less for them to guess about.
- A problem you do not fix stays on the summary. We do not hide it.
What you get with a Certified Pre-Owned Home
First, a plain fact. There is no industry body, government body or licence that certifies a resale home in Ontario. This is our program. We built it, and we stand behind it with a written guarantee. It is not a stamp from an authority. The full explanation is on the Certified Pre-Owned Home page.
- 1An inspection, moved to the front. An independent, third-party inspector checks the home before it goes on the market, not after. The summary sits on the counter before a buyer writes an offer.
- 2A warranty. A 1-Year Canadian Home Shield SafeClose™ Warranty covers the breakdown of major appliances and systems. It gives up to $15,000 of protection, with a $100 deductible.
- 3A written guarantee. Your buyer gets our Love Your New Home Guaranteed or I’ll Sell It For Free™ certificate. Don’t love the home within 24 months? We list it at 0% listing-side commission when they buy their next home with us, of equal or greater value.
That is the whole product: the inspection moved to the front, plus a warranty and a written guarantee.
What does a Certified Pre-Owned Home cost?
It is part of our published seller fee. Our whole fee is a $1,500 Launch Retainer up front, and 3% listing-side commission when your home sells. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, and that one is your call. HST goes on top.
The $1,500 Launch Retainer is what pays for the program. You do not pay the inspector separately. We book and pay the inspector.
See every line of our fee → · Seller Take-Home Calculator
What are the benefits of a pre-listing home inspection?
Buyers see the condition before they offer, so there is less for them to guess about. It is worth it for older homes, and where deals die at inspection.
What is the trade-off with a pre-listing inspection?
Certifying means inspecting before you list. If something is wrong, you find out before the sign goes up, not after. You cannot un-know it.
A problem you do not fix stays on the summary. We do not hide it. Ask your lawyer what you must disclose when you sell.
For a home with real issues, that is the entire point. Hoping to slide a problem past a distracted buyer? This program is the opposite of what you want. We would tell you so.
The problem it is built to solve
Many older homes ask a buyer to offer blind and hope the inspection goes their way. Surprise findings at the home inspection can collapse a deal or reopen the price.
A furnace, a roofline, a wet basement: one surprise, and the deal dies or gets renegotiated hard. The buyer gets nervous. The seller feels ambushed. Certifying the home up front takes that surprise off the table.
When it is worth it
Certification is built for three situations. Your home is older. There is a question mark a buyer will fixate on. Or you have watched deals in your London neighbourhood die at the inspection table. It is not worth it for a newer home in good condition, with no red flags.
Is it worth it? Side by side
| Worth it if… | Not worth it if… |
|---|---|
| The home is older and may have issues | The home is newer and in good condition |
| Buyers tend to fixate on a specific concern | The property is well-documented |
| Deals in your area often fail at inspection | The home shows no red flags |
| You want to handle the scary moment up front | The market has strong buyer competition |
Not sure if your home qualifies?
A 15-minute call, and I will tell you straight. Whether certification fits your home, or whether you are better off without it.
Who this is not for
Certifying may add little if your home is newer, already well documented, and shows no red flags. In a market where buyers are competing hard, good pricing and marketing may get you there anyway. We will not sell you a program you do not need to justify a commission. If that is your situation, we will say it plainly.
Right now, London has 5.7 months of inventory. Source: LSTAR Residential Market Activity Report, September 2026. What this means for you: when buyers have more homes to choose from, a known condition can set yours apart. When buyers compete hard, a pre-inspection may add less.
What London sellers say about the Ken Small Team
4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). See all of them on our reviews page →
★★★★★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
The honest takeaway
It moves the scary moment to the front, on your terms, with a written guarantee behind it. The other choice is leaving it to chance at the worst possible time.
Common questions about the Certified Pre-Owned program
What comes with a Certified Pre-Owned Home?
What does the warranty cover?
How much does a pre-listing inspection cost?
When is certification worth it?
When is it not worth it?
What is the trade-off with a pre-listing inspection?
Is your home a fit for the program?
It is not right for every home, and we will tell you straight. A 15-minute call tells us both.
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 →
The whole deal, word for word, from our written terms:
Conditions apply. “Sell for Free” guarantee requires the purchase of a next home (of equal or greater value) through the Ken Small Team and covers the listing-side commission only (seller remains responsible for buyer’s agency fee). Warranty provided via Canadian Home Shield SafeClose™ subject to deductibles and limits. Pre-inspection summary is for informational purposes. The summary is for informational purposes only; it neither encourages nor discourages the buyer from arranging their own inspection.
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.