Selling Checklist · Homeowners
Most of what determines how quickly and how well your home sells is decided before the listing goes live. Preparation, pricing, and documentation are pre-listing work that sets the conditions for everything that follows.
What do I need to do before listing my home in Canada?
Four categories, in order: presentation and preparation, pricing, documentation, and listing and exposure. Nothing on this list is complicated. All of it matters. Sellers who complete each category before listing day generate stronger early engagement, fewer conditional surprises, and a cleaner path to close.
01 Presentation and Preparation
Everything buyers see before they book a showing is determined by how the home is prepared. These five steps set the foundation.
Declutter and depersonalize
Pack personal photos, keepsakes, and non-essential items. Remove extra furniture to improve room flow and help buyers visualize their own use of the space. Neutral presentation consistently outperforms personalized staging.
Deep-clean key areas
Focus on kitchens, bathrooms, and main living spaces. Clean floors throughout, vacuum and deodorize carpets, clean mirrors and windows, clear countertops completely, and tidy the exterior including landscaping, walkways, and the entry.
Address visible repairs first
Fix obvious issues before photography and showings: scuffed paint, loose hardware, stained caulking, non-functioning light fixtures. Visible deferred maintenance signals neglect to buyers and creates conditions for inspection concerns.
Make beds, hide laundry, secure valuables
Before every showing, beds should be made, laundry out of sight, and personal valuables removed or secured.
Arrange professional photography
Photos determine whether buyers click through or move past your listing. Use high-quality images that include every room from multiple angles, lead with a strong exterior shot, and maximize natural light. A video walkthrough adds engagement and reduces low-intent showings.
02 Pricing
The market does not adjust to what you need to net. These four steps ground your price in data.
Review recent comparable sales
Homes that sold recently in your immediate area with similar size, finish, age, and features. These are the most reliable indicator of what buyers will pay.
Assess your active competition
Know what comparable homes are currently listed for and how your home compares in condition and presentation. Buyers evaluate your listing against these alternatives before booking a showing.
Factor in all selling costs
Include listing fees, buyer-agent compensation, legal fees, and any pre-listing repair costs in your net proceeds calculation. Bōde’s commission calculator estimates net proceeds clearly before you commit to a price.
Set a price grounded in the data
A price anchored to current sold comparables generates early engagement and a stronger negotiating position. A price anchored to a personal goal creates the overpricing cycle: fewer showings, extended days on market, eventual reductions.
03 Documentation
Missing or disorganized documentation causes closing delays. Gather these five items before your listing goes live.
Government-issued ID
Your Bōde account name should match your legal identification to avoid closing delays.
Property records
Key listing details, records of upgrades and renovations, and system ages. Useful for the listing and for disclosure.
Title and deed documentation
Your lawyer or notary will need these at closing. Having them organized in advance speeds the process.
Disclosure documents
Disclose known issues affecting value or safety, major renovations, and system ages. Accurate disclosure reduces transaction risk and is required by provincial law.
Confirm your lawyer or notary
Every real estate transaction in Alberta, BC, and Ontario must be completed by a licensed legal professional. Confirm your representation before listing so there are no delays when you receive a firm offer.
04 Listing and Exposure
Distribution and accessibility determine how many qualified buyers encounter your home. These five steps maximize both.
Complete the listing workflow accurately
Property details, measurements, room descriptions, upgrades, inclusions, exclusions, and possession preferences should all be accurate and complete before submission. Bōde’s guided workflow includes accuracy checks before your listing goes to MLS.
Confirm MLS syndication is active
Your listing should be distributed to REALTOR.ca, Zillow, and Bōde’s partner network from day one. This distribution determines how many qualified buyers encounter your home.
Share the listing URL
Post to social networks and local community groups to extend reach beyond MLS distribution. A low-effort step that consistently adds incremental visibility.
Set clear showing instructions
Accommodate reasonable showing requests. Buyers and agents who cannot easily schedule a viewing will move on to listings that make access straightforward.
Monitor your listing dashboard
Track views, enquiries, and showing volume after going live. If engagement is lower than expected in the first week, the most likely cause is pricing. Review current comparables and adjust if the data supports it.
Common Questions
Government-issued ID, property listing details, professional photos and measurements, deed and title documentation, and condition disclosures. Your lawyer or notary will confirm any additional requirements specific to your province and transaction.
Compare price, deposit strength, conditions, and possession timing side by side. A higher price with weak conditions may not outperform a slightly lower price with a firm, short conditional period. Consider requesting highest-and-best submissions if multiple competitive offers arrive simultaneously.
Known issues affecting value or safety, major renovations, system ages, and any material facts about the property. Disclosure requirements vary by province. Your lawyer can confirm what is required in your jurisdiction.
If the home is your principal residence, you may qualify for the principal residence exemption. If it is an investment property, capital gains tax may apply. Consult a tax professional before closing to understand your specific obligations.
Start with pricing. Review current comparables and assess whether your list price reflects today’s conditions. If pricing is accurate, assess photography quality and listing presentation. Collect feedback from showings if available and adjust accordingly.
Bōde is a licensed real estate brokerage operating across Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Toronto. Legal and tax obligations vary by province and individual circumstance. Consult a licensed lawyer or notary and a tax professional for advice specific to your transaction.
Welcome to Bōde
Bōde is a licensed real estate platform operating in Alberta, BC, and Ontario. The platform handles every stage of the sale: listing on MLS and 1,000+ additional sites, marketing, offers, and closing. Pricing is $949 flat plus GST, or 1% capped at $10,000 plus GST, only when the property sells. The Homeowner Dashboard is free. Bōdie, the AI interface into Bōde AI, tracks ten categories of homeownership value continuously.
Get started at Bōde.ca →1.3%
Homes listed on Bōde sell for 1.3% more than market average
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