How Nest works · End to end

Listing to keys,
the full map.

Every step of a Nest sale — who does what, what it costs, and what keeps the transaction safe. No marketing softeners. Read it straight through or skip to the section you care about.

§ 00b · Walk-away price

Or — what’s the minimum you can accept?

The commission comparison above is for sellers asking how much could I keep? If you’re relocating, downsizing, or just need out clean, the question flips: what number do I have to hit to leave whole? That’s the walk-away price — the floor under any private listing on Nest.

The formula
  1. 01
    Mortgage balance

    Whatever you still owe the lender on closing day.

  2. 02
    Downpayment to recover

    The cash you put in. You wanted it back, didn't you?

  3. 03
    Closing costs

    Legal, title, discharge, adjustments — and land transfer in AB.

  4. =
    Your walk-away price

    The lowest accepted offer that still gets you out whole. Listings created from the walk-away tool list privately at this number — firm, no bidding.

The tool

Three inputs.
One firm number.

The walk-away calculator is a guided wizard. Pick your province, plug in your mortgage and downpayment, and Nest fills in the closing-cost line items for you (AB, ON, BC supported). You leave with a saved scenario and a one-click path to a private shadow listing at that exact price.

  • Province-aware closing costs (incl. land transfer)
  • Saved as a scenario — revisit, adjust, share
  • Becomes a private shadow listing at one click
  • Address + photos hidden until a buyer is approved

For sellers who need a firm exit, not a bidding war.

§ 01 · The process

Five steps. No agent. One closing day.

Average Nest seller finishes in 32 days. The calculator gives you your number; the process gets you to the keys.

  1. 01step

    Set your walk-away

    Open the calculator. Plug in your mortgage, province, and the buyer co-op you’re willing to offer. Nest computes the exact take-home you need. That number is your price — not a negotiating start.

  2. 02step

    Verify and list

    Upload government ID, mortgage statement, and title. Nest’s team reviews within 24 hours. Once approved, your listing goes live on Nest and syncs to MLS with your photos and copy.

  3. 03step

    Showings on your terms

    Buyers request viewings through Nest. Every buyer is ID-verified and pre-approved before they see your address. You set the windows; we handle the scheduling.

  4. 04step

    Offer Builder

    When a buyer is ready, they submit through our Offer Builder — a structured Agreement of Purchase and Sale with your province’s standard clauses. You see every change in a clean diff.

  5. 05step

    Lawyer-led closing

    Your lawyer reviews the APS, holds the deposit in trust, clears title, and runs the closing. Nest hands the file to them the moment you accept. Keys on closing day.

§ 02 · Protections

This is still a real-estate closing. Not a handshake.

The four clauses that make a private sale on Nest legally equivalent to one run by a brokerage. Each one is enforced by a party other than Nest.

Aclause · 01

ID-verified both sides

Government-issued ID and mortgage pre-approval on file before anyone sees your address. No tire-kickers, no anonymous foot traffic.

Bclause · 02

Deposits held in trust

Buyer funds go to a Canadian real-estate lawyer’s trust account. Never touched by Nest. Never by you. Regulated by the provincial law society.

Cclause · 03

Structured APS

Offer Builder produces the same Agreement of Purchase and Sale your lawyer expects to see — OREA for ON, BCREA for BC, AREA for AB. Standard clauses, no bespoke drafting.

Dclause · 04

Lawyer-led closing

Title search, lien clearance, mortgage payout, land transfer, keys. Your real-estate lawyer runs it end to end. Nest hands them the file and steps out of the money path.

Nest is a marketplace and a toolkit. We don’t hold money, we don’t draft the contract, we don’t transfer title. A Canadian real-estate lawyer does every one of those, the same as in any brokerage sale.

§ 03 · The pros

The people Nest doesn’t replace.

A sale still needs a lawyer, photos, and sometimes an inspector and stager. Nest introduces you to vetted professionals at flat rates. You book them directly — no referral fee, no markup.

Real-estate lawyer

from $1,500

Reviews the APS, holds the deposit, clears title, and runs the closing. Nest vets every lawyer in the network — provincial law-society registered and real-estate-specialised.

Photographer

from $400

Pro-grade listing photos, floorplan, and a walkthrough video. Priced per home size, not per hour. Photos are yours to keep — MLS-ready on the day of the shoot.

Home inspector

from $550

CAHPI-certified inspector walks the property and produces a full written report. Optional, but recommended for buyers to avoid conditional back-and-forth.

Stager

from $850

Light staging and prep for photo day. Nest introduces you; you pay the stager directly. Most homes need a half-day. Rooms the buyer sees first get the attention.

Prices are from the Nest network median; individual quotes vary by city and home size. Nest earns nothing from these bookings — the pros pay no listing fee and Nest takes no cut.

§ 04 · Is Nest for you?

The honest fit test.

Nest isn’t right for every seller. If more than two items on the right apply, an agent is probably the better call — and we’ll say so.

Nest fits if
  • You’ve lived in your home 2+ years and know the market
  • You can dedicate 15–25 hours over 4–6 weeks
  • You’re in ON, BC, or AB and closing conventionally
  • You want a lawyer running the paperwork, not a chat app
  • You’re comfortable pricing at your walk-away, not chasing offers
An agent fits better if
  • You want a full-service agent to run viewings and negotiate for you
  • Your timeline is under 30 days and you need a guaranteed sale
  • You’re in a province Nest hasn’t launched yet (QC, SK, MB, Atlantic)
  • The home has an unresolved title or lien issue that hasn’t been worked out
  • You’d rather delegate the decisions than make them