Choose the right competing homes.
Separate detached and semi-detached comparisons. Look at lot dimensions, usable layout, parking, outdoor space, finish quality and build age. A headline square-footage figure does not explain the full difference between two infills.
Explain the adjustments rather than selecting only the most expensive nearby sale. Buyers may cross community boundaries when the home and budget fit, so review realistic alternatives as well as same-neighbourhood sales.
Document what supports the asking price.
Collect plans, renovation invoices, permit information and major-system records. Make the listing’s measurements and features accurate. Clear documentation helps buyers evaluate work that is not obvious in a photograph.
For a suite or potential development use, verify the permitted status and restrictions before advertising it. Treat a possibility and an approved use as different things.City of Calgary: existing secondary suites
Prepare the spaces that carry the value.
Prioritize the entrance, main living areas, kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor areas buyers will compare. Professional photography should show the layout and the property’s useful features. Ask Don whether staging or additional media would clarify the presentation.
Keep more with full service at 2%.
Don’s fee is 2% combined commission: 1% for the listing brokerage and 1% for the buyer’s brokerage, plus GST. That includes pricing advice, professional photography, MLS® exposure, showing coordination and negotiation through the sale.
Don has sold more than 650 Calgary-area homes using this business model and has worked in Calgary real estate since 2013. His experience helps you put the price, preparation and negotiation decisions together.
Use the commission calculator for your expected price, then include mortgage payout and other costs in the move budget.
Sources and further reading
Research checked September 26, 2026. Market figures below use the periods identified in the article.