Michelle Hojan, KW Commercial Realtor

First you should get pre-approved for a mortgage. A pre-approval tells you how much you can spend on a home and allows you to shop with confidence.  This is ultimately important in a competitive market where there often isn't the luxury of financing conditions in an offer.

Real estate is much more dependent on supply and demand, which is determined by a multitude of factors rather than just time of year.  Factors such as days on market, and what city or neighbourhood you are searching in are probably much more likely contributing factors of ease of purchase.

The Seller pays the commission to both the Buyer Agent as well as the Seller Agent.  There is a large misconception about commission and this should be an open and honest conversation between you and your agent prior to signing any contracts.

It all starts with conducting a market analysis to determine the appropriate asking price. It's important to not be pessimistic about the asking price potential, and it's even more important to conduct the market analysis thoroughly. On top of that, I provide: strategic home staging, vigorous home cleaning (and repairs), cutting-edge photography, and a seamless touring experience, whether in-person or virtual.

Among other things, one of the most important to consider is closing costs. With the sale of your home, typical closing costs will be 1.5%-4% of the sale price of the home.