The questions to ask before you hire any London agent
Ask every agent the same questions, and get the answers in writing. What do you charge? How will you set the price? What will you do, and by when? And how do I leave if you don’t deliver?
You might be worried you’ll get a sales pitch instead of answers, or a contract you can’t leave. So ask us too. Our answer sits under each question. Where we do not publish a number yet, we say so.
The Bottom Line (Quick Answer)
- Hire an agent in London, Ontario on written answers, not a feeling. Ask about the fee, the price method, the plan and how you can leave.
- Selling with the Ken Small Real Estate Team: a $1,500 Launch Retainer and 3% when it sells. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, your call. HST goes on top.
- Buying with us: a $495 retainer. Our 3% is paid from the seller’s side of the deal. If an agent dodges these questions, that is your answer.
The short version
- Ask what they charge, how they price, what they will do by when, and how you leave.
- Ask what you will pay, what you sign, how they value a home, and what protects you after you buy.
- Hold every agent to the same questions, and compare the answers, not the personalities.
What questions should you ask an agent when selling in Ontario?
Ask what they charge, how they price, what they will do by when, and how you leave. Ask all 12 before you sign a listing agreement. Each one has what to listen for, and our own answer underneath.
- How many homes did you sell last year — and how many like mine?
Volume and relevant experience, not vibes. A track record you can check beats a confident pitch.
Our answer: We do not publish a sales count here yet. Ask us on the call. Ask every agent how many sales their numbers come from, and over what period. - Exactly what will you do to market my home? Show me the plan.
If the answer is “MLS and a sign,” keep looking. You want to see the plan, in writing.
Our answer: The 20-System Activation Plan™. We switch on 20 marketing systems within 72 hours of the finalized listing agreement and launch date. You get the written checklist on Day 1. A few systems depend on your home qualifying. How we sell your home. - Will you put the numbers — price, costs, my net — in writing before I commit?
An agent who will not commit their numbers to paper is protecting themselves, not you.
Our answer: Yes. Before we ask you to sign, we build your Net Proceeds Estimate™. It lists every cost and what you keep. It is a worksheet built on current tax rates, average local legal fees and the mortgage balance you give us. The closing lawyer and the final sale price set the real payout. Want a rough number first? Try the Seller Take-Home Calculator. - How do you arrive at my price — and will you defend it or drop it at the first low offer?
Watch for the agent who quotes a fantasy number to win the listing, then hammers you for cuts.
Our answer: We price from recent sales near you, with a reason for every adjustment. Here are the 8 steps we take before we say a price. And there is a penalty if we miss. 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. - Do you work solo or as a team — and who actually handles my sale?
You deserve to know whether one overloaded person, or a group of specialists, is doing the work.
Our answer: Ken is your lead agent and your negotiator. Renmarck June Fabillar runs the marketing. The brokerage’s listing department handles the listing paperwork, MLS input and compliance. Meet the team. - Can I talk to a few of your recent clients?
A confident agent hands you the list. Read the reviews they cannot edit, too.
4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). A few are below, word for word. - What guarantees do you offer, and what are the exact conditions?
A guarantee comes with written terms, not vague promises. Read them before you sign.
Our answer: A guarantee has three parts. A specific promise. A written penalty if it is missed. And the conditions that void it, published before you sign. All of ours are on our guarantees page, each condition beside its promise. - If I’m unhappy, can I fire you?
An agent confident in their service will not trap you in a contract you cannot leave.
Our answer: Selling with us: ask to see the exit terms in the listing agreement before you sign. Buying with us: yes, any time before you make an offer. - Who negotiates my deal, and what is their record?
The marketing gets the offer. The negotiation protects your money. Ask who does it and how well.
Our answer: Ken does. He is your lead agent and your negotiator. - Why should I choose you over the cheapest option?
The useful answer is about what the fee buys, not just a lower fee.
Our answer: We are not the cheapest agent in London. So compare what is included, line by line. Call three agents and ask what they charge and what is included. See what each dollar of our fee buys. - What percentage of my total commission stays on your side, and what goes to the agent representing the buyer?
Ask what they post to the buyer’s side. Get it in writing before you sign.
Our answer: Our listing side is 3%. We recommend 2% to the buyer’s brokerage, and that one is your call. So on our recommendation, the total is 5%: 3% with us, 2% to the buyer’s side. There is also a $1,500 Launch Retainer, and HST goes on top. - What is your marketing budget on my home, as a dollar figure, in writing, before I sign?
Not a list of activities. A number, in writing.
Our answer: We do not publish one set dollar figure yet, because each campaign is built for your home. Our team pays for the ad spend.
One more check. RECO regulates real estate agents in Ontario. Look anyone up on RECO Agent/Brokerage Search (opens in a new tab). Ken Small is RECO #4727293.
What questions should you ask a real estate agent when buying a home?
Ask what you will pay, what you sign, how they value a home, and what protects you after you buy. Here are seven, with our answers.
- What will I pay you, and what do I sign?
You want every dollar named before you look at a single house.
Our answer: A $495 retainer to start. Our commission is 3%, paid from the seller’s side of the deal. If a seller offers our brokerage less than 3%, you do not pay the difference. It is all in your Buyer Representation Agreement before you sign. What it costs to buy a home with us. - Can I cancel if it is not working?
A good buyer’s agent earns your trust every week. You should be free to leave.
Our answer: Yes. Fire us any time before you make an offer. No penalty, no lock-in. The $495 retainer stays with us, because it already paid for work we finished. You keep that work. - How will you tell me what a home is worth before I offer?
You want numbers, not the asking price and a hunch.
Our answer: We pull recent comparable sales, check the home’s condition and set your walk-away line before you write. Then you make the call. How we check the home you’re buying. - Who handles the inspection, the lawyer and the financing?
Three moving parts, three deadlines. Someone has to run them.
Our answer: We coordinate all three and keep every deadline in front of you. - If it is a condo, will you read the status certificate with me?
The status certificate is where a condo’s money problems show up.
Our answer: Yes. We read every line with you. - What protects me after I buy?
Ask what happens if the furnace dies, or the home turns out wrong for you.
Our answer: Two things, on any home you buy with our team. First, a 1-Year Canadian Home Shield SafeClose™ Warranty: up to $15,000 of protection, $100 deductible. Second, our Love Your New Home Guaranteed or I’ll Sell It For Free™. If within 24 months it isn’t right, we list it for free: 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. - How fast will you call me back?
Slow callbacks lose homes.
Our answer: Within one business day. If we don’t, we pay you $100.
Who this is not for
If you want an agent who only tells you what you want to hear, we are probably not your team. We run the numbers out loud. We push back on a bad price and a bad house. And if we are not your fit, we will say so.
What London clients 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
★★★★★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
4.9 average from 14 Google reviews, as shown on our reviews page (October 2026). Read every review in full →
The honest takeaway
Why we hand you this list
Because we would rather be checked than trusted on a feeling. Every question here has our answer under it, in writing. An agent who is afraid of these questions is telling you something. So is one who welcomes them.
Questions about choosing an agent
How do I choose a real estate agent in London?
What is the most important question to ask an agent?
Should I just hire the cheapest agent?
Can I fire my real estate agent?
Do you mind if I interview other agents?
What questions should I ask a real estate agent when buying a home?
How do I check that an agent is registered in Ontario?
Put us through the list.
Fifteen minutes, no obligation. Ask every hard question. We will show you the numbers in writing. And if we are not your fit, we will say so.
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 →