# How Sellers Can Compare Offers Beyond the Purchase Price in Ontario
Quick answer: Score every offer on six things, not one: price, conditions, deposit size, financing strength, closing date, and irrevocable period. A firm offer $15,000 lower than a conditional one is usually the better offer, because a conditional offer is a request for an exclusive option on your house, and if it dies in ten days, you relist as a property that already failed once.
The appraisal gap is the reason this matters more in 2026
Sellers used to treat financing conditions as a formality. They aren't one right now.
Prices across the GTA have moved down over the past year: the MLS® Home Price Index composite was off 4.6% year over year in July 2026, and in the condo apartment segment the HPI apartment benchmark fell 7.35% to $535,200. When values are falling, lender appraisals come in below agreed prices more often, and a buyer whose appraisal falls short either has to find the difference in cash or walk on their financing condition.
That's the mechanism behind a term sellers now hear regularly: the appraisal gap. It's exactly why "financing condition" deserves more weight in your comparison than it got three years ago.
A high price you can't close on isn't a high price. It's a delay with a number attached.
The six-factor comparison
| Factor | What to look at | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Price | The headline number | The starting point, not the answer |
| Conditions | Financing, inspection, status certificate, sale of buyer's property, lawyer's review | Each is a date on which the buyer can walk |
| Deposit | Size, and when it's due | The buyer's stake in seeing it through |
| Financing strength | Pre-approval vs. pre-qualification; proof of funds; is the lender named? | Determines whether a financing condition is real risk or paperwork |
| Closing date | Alignment with your purchase, your move, your mortgage | A misaligned date can cost you bridge financing or storage |
| Irrevocable period | How long you have to respond | Too short pressures you; too long lets the buyer shop |
Add a seventh line for chattels and fixtures. A buyer asking for the washer, dryer, fridge, TV mounts, and window coverings has quietly reduced their offer.
Reading conditions properly
Not all conditions carry equal risk.
Financing condition, the highest-risk item in the current market, for the appraisal reason above. Ask: is there a written pre-approval? From which lender? How long is the condition period? A five-day financing condition from a buyer with a named lender and a firm pre-approval is very different from a ten-business-day condition from a buyer who hasn't spoken to anyone.
Inspection condition, moderate risk, and worth understanding clearly: Ontario does not license home inspectors. The Home Inspection Act, 2017 was passed but never proclaimed into force. The quality and scope of the report your buyer receives varies enormously, and an inexperienced inspector's alarming language can sink a sound house. A pre-listing inspection can defuse this before it starts.
Status certificate condition (condos), usually low risk if your certificate is clean and already in hand. If you've ordered it in advance, some buyers will shorten or waive this. That's a real reason to order early.
Condition on the sale of the buyer's home, the highest risk of all, because it makes your deal dependent on a transaction you cannot see, price, or influence. Escape clauses help. They don't eliminate the problem.
Lawyer's review condition, typically short and low risk, but read the wording. Some are drafted broadly enough to function as a walk-away clause.
Deposits: what the number actually tells you
Deposit size is the cheapest signal of buyer seriousness you'll get, because it's the buyer's own money sitting in the listing brokerage's trust account.
There's no legislated minimum in Ontario, it's negotiated. What matters for your comparison:
- Is the deposit proportionate to the price, or is it a token?
- When is it due, on acceptance, within 24 hours, or "upon acceptance of all conditions"? A deposit that only lands after conditions clear gives you nothing during the risky window.
- Is it certified funds or a wire?
A buyer offering a large deposit payable within 24 hours of acceptance is telling you something a buyer offering a small deposit payable in three weeks is not.
Under TRESA, you control what gets shared
If you're in a multiple-offer situation, remember you now have a lever. Since December 1, 2023, if the seller directs it, the listing brokerage may share the substance of competing written offers with everyone who submitted one, no personal or identifying information. The number of competing written offers must be disclosed to those buyers regardless.
Used well, this can pull a second-place buyer up on terms as well as price, sometimes you'd rather they improve the deposit or drop a condition than add $5,000. Used badly, it reveals weakness. And note that some buyers now include clauses restricting disclosure of their offer's contents. Talk to your lawyer before giving the direction.
Our full breakdown: offer date or anytime offers.
A scoring approach that works
Ask your agent for a written side-by-side. Then, for each offer, calculate a risk-adjusted number:
- Start with the price.
- Subtract the value of chattels the buyer is requesting beyond what you'd planned to leave.
- Subtract an amount reflecting the cost to you if the deal collapses, carrying costs, lost market time, and the "already failed once" discount on relisting.
- Adjust for closing date: does it save or cost you bridge financing, storage, or a rent-back?
That fourth step alone regularly reverses the ranking. A closing date matching your purchase can be worth more than $10,000 in avoided bridge financing and moving costs.
Have offers coming and want them scored properly? Request an offer comparison review →
Figures and rules referenced
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| MLS® HPI composite, July 2026 | −4.6% YoY | TRREB July 2026 Market Watch |
| MLS® HPI apartment benchmark | $535,200, −7.35% YoY | TRREB July 2026 Market Watch |
| Open offer process | Seller may direct sharing of competing offer substance; number of offers must be disclosed | TRESA, in force December 1, 2023 |
| Home inspector licensing | Not in force, Home Inspection Act, 2017 never proclaimed | Government of Ontario |
| Status certificate | 10 days; $100 cap incl. taxes | Condominium Act, 1998, s. 76 |
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This article is general information, not legal advice on evaluating, negotiating, or accepting any specific offer. An Agreement of Purchase and Sale is a binding contract. Have an Ontario real estate lawyer review anything you're unsure about before you sign.
Sources: TRREB Market Watch · RECO, TRESA explained · OREA, TRESA Phase 2, offer process · RECO Bulletin 5.1, Advertising requirements
Related reading: Offer date or anytime offers? · Should you get a pre-listing home inspection? · Mississauga seller net proceeds · Selling a co-owned GTA home · Seller guide
Next step: Have your offers scored on all six factors before you sign anything. Request a written, no-obligation CMA and offer review →
Mohammed Mustaf · HomeLife Miracle Realty Ltd., Brokerage · Mississauga, Ontario