Updated: June 2026
By Françoise Pollard, Realtor®, and Keith Goldson, Broker, Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team, eXp Realty Brokerage. We provide full seller service across the GTA and Niagara Region, including Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Etobicoke, Toronto, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, and Thorold.
2006
Françoise licensed as a Realtor®
2016
Keith licensed, now Broker
2 markets
GTA and Niagara, one team
ICON
eXp ICON Award, two years running
2025
Our own GTA to Niagara move
I already know which real estate team I’ll be calling next, and I recommend their services tenfold.
Maria Oliveira
Seller client, Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team
Every Keith & Françoise listing includes a pricing strategy grounded in current market data, professional staging, professional photography and video, full MLS and digital marketing, a targeted open house, and hands-on coordination from preparation through closing. Nothing is an add-on. We also serve both the GTA and Niagara Region, which means we can manage simultaneous transactions for clients selling in one market and buying in the other. For the full process overview, see our complete guide to selling a home in Ontario.
Selling in the GTA and moving to Niagara?
We did it ourselves in 2025. We sold our Vaughan home and moved to St. Catharines, and today we help homeowners make the same transition while coordinating both the sale and the purchase under one team.
Talk to Us About Your Home Get Your Home ValuationThinking About Selling? Find Out What Your Home Is Worth
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On This Page
Before You List Your Home
Most homeowners who lose money on a sale make one of three avoidable mistakes. Knowing them before you list is the difference between a strong result and a home that sits on the market.
Pricing too high. Anchoring to what neighbours are asking, instead of what comparable homes have actually sold for in the last two to three months, is the most common reason a home sits. Even a small pricing error can cost a seller a meaningful amount.
Listing before preparing. Going live without staging, repairs, and professional photography wastes the first week, when buyer interest is highest and hardest to win back later.
Hiring on commission alone. Choosing a listing agent on the lowest fee, rather than the strategy and service behind it, often costs far more than it saves at closing.
Why Most Listings Underperform
Most listings don’t fail during negotiations. They fail before they ever get there. Sellers in the GTA and Niagara Region don’t lose money because of a bad market. They lose it because of a weak launch. Overpriced by 5% going in, mediocre photos, no staging, and a listing that sat long enough for buyers to start wondering what’s wrong. By the time a price reduction happens, the damage is already done. The home that would have sold in two weeks in week one sells in eight weeks for less than it should have.
As a result, our seller services are built around preventing that outcome. Every listing we take gets the same full-service approach regardless of price point: proper preparation, accurate pricing, professional staging, photography, and a launch strategy timed to capture the right buyers in the right window. For a full picture of the selling process from start to finish, see our guide to selling a home in Ontario.
How We Approach Every Sale
Every listing runs through the same four-phase framework. Each phase builds on the one before it, and the quality of each decision affects the next.
Phase 1
Strategy
Pricing analysis, market positioning, and a clear plan tied to your timeline and goals.
Phase 2
Preparation
Targeted repairs, staging, and photography that decide how your home reads to buyers.
Phase 3
Launch
MLS, digital marketing, and open house coordinated to capture the first-week audience.
Phase 4
Negotiation
Offer review, terms analysis, and direct representation through firm deal and closing.
How We Think About Selling a Home
Three principles shape how we work on every listing. They come directly from what we see producing results in today’s market.
Buyers compare homes, they don’t evaluate them in isolation. Your listing will be ranked against three to five others in the same price range within minutes. How it reads against that set matters more than how it reads on its own.
The first week determines most outcomes. The homes that sell well in the first two weeks are almost always priced and prepared correctly at launch. The ones that stall can rarely recover the momentum later.
Pricing shapes perception before it attracts offers. Before a buyer considers your home, the price sets the category they put it in. Priced right, your home gets considered seriously. Priced wrong, it gets filtered out before anyone reads the description.
Included with every listing
What’s Included With Every Listing
Some brokerages offer tiered packages where staging, photography, and video are add-ons you pay for separately. The problem with that model is that sellers who skip those services to save money are the ones whose listings underperform. A home that launches without staging and professional photography starts at a disadvantage it often can’t recover from. Every seller we work with gets the same complete service, twelve points in all, because a half-prepared listing isn’t something we’re willing to put our name on.
The Services That Move the Needle Most
Marketing and Ongoing Support
Also Included With Every Listing
Strategic Property Assessment
A pre-listing walkthrough to pinpoint the improvements that most affect how your home shows and sells.
Targeted Open House
One strategically timed open house to concentrate buyer interest at the right moment.
Yard Signage
Professional signage to capture local and drive-by interest in your neighbourhood.
Focused Negotiation
Negotiation of price, terms, and conditions with your interests first, not just the highest number.
Legal and Financial Coordination
We work directly with your lawyer and lender to keep documents accurate and on time.
Clear, Consistent Communication
Regular, direct updates so you always know where things stand. Communication is central to how we work.
Guided Closing
Hands-on support through the closing phase for a clean transfer of ownership.
How the Process Works
Every listing starts with a conversation about the property, your goals, and your timeline. From there, every listing follows a defined sequence that we manage from start to finish: preparation, staging, photography, launch, showings, offers, and closing. You’re not managing multiple moving parts on your own, and nothing gets handed off between phases without our direct oversight.
Why the Preparation Period Determines Everything
More importantly, the preparation period is where most listings either gain momentum or lose it. A home that enters the market priced correctly, staged, and photographed on a Wednesday morning builds urgency in its first week. In contrast, a home that skips those steps enters quietly and often exits the same way. That window between signing a listing agreement and going live typically runs one to three weeks. Under RECO’s guidelines, sellers have the right to understand what their representative is obligated to provide at every stage. For a full breakdown of what happens in that window, see our article on what happens after you sign a listing agreement in Ontario.
From Stalled to Sold
We’ve Seen This Play Out
We took over a listing in Brampton after it had expired with another brokerage. The home had been listed without staging, photographed with a phone, and launched without any preparation. Every factor that costs a listing its first-week momentum was present in that one property.
Before relisting we recommended paint, decluttering, professional staging, and new photography. The change in how the home showed online and in person was immediate. Showing activity increased significantly after the relaunch and the home sold. The property itself hadn’t changed. The preparation and presentation had.
A stronger launch starts before the sign goes up.
Tell us about your home and your timeline, and we’ll walk you through what it needs to sell well in your specific area.
Get Your Home Valuation Talk to Us About Your HomeOr call or text Françoise at 647-204-6307 or Keith at 416-451-2592.
Why Well Presented Homes Still Aren’t Selling
When a home is staged, photographed, marketed online, and shown through open houses and still sits, the cause is almost always one thing: the list price. In a slower market, presentation gets a home noticed, but price is what gets it sold. A well presented home that isn’t selling is signalling a price gap, not a marketing one.
The most common reason for that gap is how sellers choose a number. Many anchor to what neighbouring homes are listed at, when the figure that actually matters is what comparable homes have sold for in the past two to three months in the neighbourhood. Active listings tell you what other sellers hope to get. In contrast, recent sold prices tell you what buyers have actually paid.
That’s how we price. We look at comparable homes that have sold nearby in the last two to three months, matched on bedrooms, size, and type. When there are no recent sales close by, we look to a similar neighbourhood nearby with comparable homes, rather than reaching for an asking price that the market hasn’t supported. For a sense of how pricing affects time on market, see our article on how long it takes to sell a house in Ontario.
What We’re Seeing Right Now
We’ve Seen This Play Out
We have sellers right now weighing this exact decision. Their homes are staged, photographed, and marketed well, and the showings are happening, but the offers aren’t, because the asking price is built on what neighbours are listing at rather than what has recently sold.
The hardest conversation we have is the honest one: waiting for the market to lift a price that the recent sold comparables don’t support usually means more time on market, not a better result. Pricing to what buyers are actually paying is what moves a well presented home.
Who We Work With
Our seller clients range from families selling their first home to executors managing estate sales. The preparation and execution principles are the same in every situation. What changes is the specific context and the experience required to handle it well.
GTA Homeowners Selling Primary Residences
Detached homes, semis, townhouses, and condos across Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Hamilton, Etobicoke, and Toronto. Each of these markets has its own current conditions, and the strategy for a detached home in Oakville looks different from what we’d do with a condo along the Yonge corridor. We work with current data for the specific property type and neighbourhood, not generic advice.
Downsizers
Many of our sellers are moving from a larger family home to something smaller, whether that means staying in the GTA or relocating to Niagara. The timing complexity is real: the sale and purchase need to be coordinated so nothing falls through the cracks. Keith and I made our own move from Vaughan to St. Catharines in 2025, downsizing from approximately 2,900 square feet to 1,400. We understand that process from the inside. See our Ontario downsizing guide for more detail on how we approach these transitions.
Divorce Sales
Selling a matrimonial home during a separation requires both parties to agree on listing decisions, offer acceptance, and how proceeds are handled. We work alongside family law professionals and have experience keeping these transactions moving forward under difficult circumstances. See our Ontario divorce real estate guide for a full breakdown.
Estate Sales, Investment Properties, and Complex Situations
Estate sales involve executor responsibilities, probate timelines, and properties that may not have been updated in years. We also sell investment properties that are currently rented, which brings its own considerations around the lease, showing access, buyer expectations, and notice obligations under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act. Whether the buyer is another investor or someone planning to move in shapes how the sale is handled. For more on selling with tenants in place, see our article on selling a tenanted property in Ontario.
Listings That Didn’t Sell the First Time
When a listing expires without selling, there’s almost always a diagnosable reason. Overpricing, poor presentation, weak photography, and a marketing approach that didn’t reach the right buyers are the most common causes. We’ve relisted properties that other brokerages couldn’t move and found the solution in nearly every case. For more on what causes listings to stall, see our article on why homes don’t sell in the GTA and Niagara Region.
A Sale, Start to Finish
An example of how this works in practice. We’ve kept the details general to protect our client’s privacy.
St. Catharines
A client came to us looking for an investment property, and we took the time to find the right one. It was an older century home, so we did careful due diligence and made sure she understood how knob-and-tube wiring can complicate insurance on homes of that age. We placed a long-term tenant, and the property performed well for years.
When she later moved abroad and decided to sell, she needed a team she could trust to handle everything from a distance. We managed the full sale remotely: communicating with the tenant, advising on what the home needed, arranging staging, and coordinating upkeep of the exterior while she was out of the country. The home sold for a strong return, and she never had to fly back to make it happen.
The Two-Market Advantage
A significant share of our work involves clients selling in one market and buying in the other. Selling a home in Mississauga, for example, and buying in St. Catharines involves different conditions, different buyer pools, and different timing pressures on each side. The same is true in reverse, or between any of the GTA and Niagara communities we serve. Most teams handle one market and refer the other out. We handle both directly.
That matters for two reasons. First, our team coordinates both transaction timelines directly, so nothing gets lost in a handoff. Second, we give you current, firsthand advice on both sides rather than a secondhand read from a referral agent who doesn’t know your full situation. We made our own GTA-to-Niagara move in 2025, so we know both markets from the inside.
For more on how the two markets compare and what GTA buyers are looking for in Niagara, see our article on GTA vs. Niagara home search tips.
Keep Reading
Sell Your Home Across the GTA and Niagara Region
We help sellers across both markets, and the right approach shifts with the location. In Niagara, that means homes in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, and Grimsby, where we live and work day to day. On the GTA side, we list and sell in Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Etobicoke, and Toronto.
If you want to sell your home in St. Catharines or Niagara Falls, or in Mississauga, Brampton, or Oakville, we build the strategy around your specific neighbourhood and property type, not a generic template. In addition, our work across both regions means we can coordinate a sale in one and a purchase in the other under one team.
Seller Services: Your Questions Answered
What areas do you cover for seller services?
We provide full seller representation across the GTA and the Niagara Region. On the GTA side that includes Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Etobicoke, and Toronto. In Niagara we work in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Thorold, and Welland. Working both markets is particularly useful for clients selling in one area and buying in the other.
Is staging really included with every listing, or is it an add-on?
Professional staging is included with every listing. For occupied homes, that means styling the space with your own furnishings plus accessories and finishing touches. For vacant homes, we include virtual staging or a light accessory-based styling. Rental furniture is not included, which is standard across the industry, though we can arrange it directly with the rental company if you prefer.
Can you handle both the sale and a purchase if I’m relocating between markets?
Yes. Coordinating a GTA sale with a Niagara purchase, or the reverse, is something we handle directly rather than through a referral. We align the timelines on both transactions so the transition works as one process. Clients moving between markets benefit from having a team with current, firsthand knowledge of conditions on both sides.
How often will I hear from you once my home is listed?
Regularly and directly. You’ll hear from us on showing activity, agent and buyer feedback after each visit, and any market changes that affect your listing’s position. If the showing pattern or new comparable sales suggest a change is needed, we’ll say so with the data to back it up, not a reassurance that things will pick up.
Can you sell a property that currently has tenants?
Yes. Tenanted sales require additional coordination around showing access, buyer expectations, and notice obligations under Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act. We have experience managing these situations and work alongside legal professionals where needed. The key is addressing the tenancy situation early in the process, before it becomes a problem with a buyer mid-transaction.
What makes your seller services different?
Twelve services come with every listing as standard, from pricing and staging to photography, marketing, negotiation, and post-sale support, where many brokerages charge for these separately. Beyond what’s included, we’re a hands-on team who have helped clients sell through downsizing, growing families, and separation, and we work directly across both the GTA and Niagara markets. We don’t just want to sell your home, we want to be the team for your next move.
How do you decide on my list price?
We price to recent comparable sales, not to what other homes are currently listed at. We look at comparable homes that have sold in your neighbourhood in the past two to three months, matched on bedrooms, size, and type. When there are no recent sales close by, we look to a similar neighbourhood nearby with comparable homes. Active listings show what other sellers are hoping for, while recent sold prices show what buyers are actually paying, and that is what sets a realistic, competitive price.
How much commission do sellers pay in Ontario?
Real estate commission in Ontario is not set by law and is fully negotiable. It is usually a percentage of the sale price, shared between the listing and buyer brokerages, plus HST, and the exact amount depends on the brokerage, the services included, and the agreement you sign. With our team, the commission covers the full service on this page, including staging, photography, video, marketing, and an open house, with nothing billed as an extra. We go through the exact numbers with you before you sign anything.
What repairs should I make before listing my home?
Focus on the work that changes how buyers perceive the home, not every small imperfection. Fresh paint, a deep clean, decluttering, and fixing anything visibly broken usually give the best return, while major renovations rarely pay for themselves at sale. During our pre-listing walkthrough we tell you exactly what is worth doing for your specific property and what to leave alone. For more, see our article on what to fix before listing your home in Ontario.
Should I buy before selling, or sell before buying?
It depends on your finances, the market, and how much risk you are comfortable with. Selling first gives you certainty about your budget but can create pressure to find a home quickly, while buying first secures your next home but may mean carrying two properties or arranging bridge financing if the sale lags. Because we work across both the GTA and Niagara, we can coordinate both transactions and help you time them so the gap stays manageable. We map out the options for your situation before you commit to either path.
Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team
eXp Realty Brokerage · GTA & Niagara Region
Françoise Pollard, Realtor®, has been licensed since 2006. Keith Goldson, Broker, has been licensed since 2016, following a career in the trucking industry. Together they bring three decades of combined experience to every seller client. The team has earned the eXp ICON Award two years running, along with Gold and Double Gold recognition during their Keller Williams years, and Françoise has been recognised through her career with RE/MAX’s Platinum Club, 100% Club, Executive Club, and Hall of Fame. In 2025 they made their own GTA-to-Niagara move, selling their Vaughan family home and downsizing to St. Catharines. Every listing includes professional staging, photography, video, a targeted open house, and full coordination from preparation through closing.
More Than a Transaction
Selling a home is rarely just about the house. Over the years we’ve had the privilege of helping families, couples, and people on their own through some of the biggest moments of their lives. We’ve helped a homeowner downsize after a sudden illness made the family home too much to manage, guided a growing family upsizing after a new arrival, and supported clients selling a shared home through a separation. That is the work we care about most.
Because we’ve lived these transitions ourselves, including our own move from Vaughan to St. Catharines in 2025, we know how much weight can sit behind a “for sale” sign. So we stay hands-on from the first walkthrough through closing and beyond, and communication matters to us more than almost anything. You hear from us directly, not from a junior handed your file.
We don’t just want to sell your home. We want to be the team that helps you into your next one.
What Our Clients Say
I first worked with Françoise over a decade ago when I bought my first home, so when it came time to purchase a new construction investment property, reaching out to Françoise and Keith just felt right. From the beginning, they were incredibly thorough, and they were there with me from the start through to after closing. It’s rare to find a team that is this consistent and dedicated over so many years. I would absolutely recommend Françoise and Keith without hesitation.
M. Davido
Client · Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team
Most sellers spend more time deciding when to list than getting ready to list.
Let’s talk about what your home actually needs before it goes to market. No obligation.
Get Your Home Valuation Talk to Us About Your HomeOr call or text Françoise at 647-204-6307 or Keith at 416-451-2592.
Where We Sell Homes
Greater Toronto Area: Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Etobicoke, and Toronto.
Niagara Region: St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, and Grimsby.
Services described on this page reflect the standard offering of the Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team through eXp Realty Brokerage as of June 2026. Market conditions, timelines, and selling outcomes vary by location, property type, and circumstance. For advice specific to your situation, speak with a qualified real estate professional before making decisions.