Right at Home Realty: A Deep Dive for New Ontario Agents

Choosing a first brokerage is one of the biggest decisions a newly licensed Ontario agent makes. This deep dive looks at Right at Home Realty (RAHR) through the brand's own published pages and reputable coverage: what the model is, how big it is, where it came from, what it publishes about the economics a new agent would face, and the kind of agent the structure tends to suit.

One caveat up front: real estate terms are frequently negotiated per office, so treat every figure below as a published starting point to confirm directly with a branch.

What Right at Home Realty is

Right at Home Realty runs on a "100% commission" model rather than the traditional split. Agents keep the full commission they earn and pay the brokerage flat fees instead of surrendering a percentage of each deal. <cite index="28-10">The brokerage is based on real estate agents taking 100 per cent of the commission on the sale of a home, with a fee charged by Right at Home for processing the transactions.</cite>

The company positions itself as full-service, not discount. In a 2023 interview, president John Lusink pushed back on the discount label: <cite index="27-3,27-4,27-5,27-6">"some of the legacy brokerages have created this narrative that we're a discount company – we're anything but. A discount company offers discounts; we don't actually do that. We're as full-service – if not more – than the traditional companies. So, what's made us unique is that we offer everything a traditional brokerage offers – and then some."</cite> He described the support structure as including <cite index="27-8">onsite full-time management, office services, admins, a concierge service, training, marketing and tech support, and a compliance department with support from two experienced paralegals.</cite>

Corporately, the brand sits within a larger group. RAHR's own pages describe it as part of a parent organization, and one corporate page lists it alongside sister brands, noting <cite index="40-3,40-4">Right at Home Realty is a RealServus brand, and other RealServus brands include Property.ca, Real Access Capital Ltd., and RealServus Inc.</cite>

Scale in Ontario

Right at Home is large and concentrated in Ontario. The company describes itself as <cite index="1-1">Canada's largest independent real estate brokerage, with 10 branches and close to 6,000 agents across Ontario.</cite> A parent-group page adds regional reach, stating the company has <cite index="32-4">a presence in 12 regions across Ontario and a network of over 6,100 agents.</cite>

On market position, the brokerage's careers site states it <cite index="36-12">placed #1 in real estate transaction units among Toronto Regional Real Estate Board member brokerages for 10 of the last 12 years.</cite> Its "about" page frames a similar claim as being <cite index="33-12">the #1 Brokerage in the GTA in transactions for the preceding decade, from Jan 1, 2013, to Dec 31, 2022.</cite>

These are self-reported figures based on TRREB data. A new agent weighing them should note two things: the specified date range, and that they measure transaction units — not agent earnings.

History in Canada

The brokerage traces to a single Toronto office and an idea imported from the US. Storeys reports it was <cite index="27-1">founded in 2004, and an industry disruptor from the start, inspired by a new business model in the United States that offered agents the ability to keep 100% of their commissions.</cite>

An office listing recounts the origin in more detail: <cite index="38-1,38-2,38-3">the evolution of Right at Home Realty started at a plastic picnic table in the empty boardroom at the single-office brokerage on Don Mills Road in 2004, which would later become the corporate office; co-founders Howard Drukarsh, Ron Peddicord and the late Arthur Bartram began discussing a new concept unusual to the standard Canadian brokerage.</cite> That model, per the same source, <cite index="38-5">put more power and commission in the hands of agents by offering a low monthly fee and a modest transaction fee on every deal, allowing the agent to keep 100% of their commission with no franchise fees.</cite>

Growth has continued through acquisition and investment. In 2021 the company announced a growth-equity partnership; at the time, Round13 Capital's Brahm Klar characterized RAHR's origin as <cite index="19-4">a disruption in the brokerage industry that began with offering a favourable alternative to the outdated commission split model.</cite> Earlier, in 2019, it expanded outside the GTA by acquiring another Ontario brokerage, with Lusink noting the firm was <cite index="29-9,29-10">"very excited with our expansion outside of the GTA and into other markets in Ontario," adding the expansion strategy was "just getting started."</cite>

What it publishes about new-agent economics

This is where RAHR is unusually transparent for a Canadian brokerage. Its careers page states the core deal plainly: <cite index="36-1,36-2">"You keep 100% of commissions, pay us $495 per transaction and $109 per month. Period."</cite>

Its comparison page cites a different transaction figure, stating members <cite index="35-2,35-3">pay only $395 per transaction and $109 per month for office services, with no hidden charges, no desk fees and no franchise fees.</cite>

So the two published pages give different per-transaction numbers — $495 versus $395. Because the discrepancy appears within the brand's own materials, and because the comparison page adds that <cite index="35-12">individual REALTORS' commission splits may vary</cite>, a new agent should confirm the current per-transaction fee — and any conditions on it — directly with the branch before committing.

Two practical points follow from the model:

• You pay largely on results. Fees are tied to closings plus a modest monthly charge, rather than a large percentage cut of each deal.
• Support is your choice. Lusink noted agents are <cite index="27-8">supported by onsite management, office services, admins, concierge, training, marketing, tech support and compliance</cite>, and the careers page says a more financially empowered agent is <cite index="36-17">free to choose the in-house support services that suit your business approach.</cite> Confirm which supports are included versus paid add-ons.

Training and mentorship it advertises

RAHR advertises training as a built-in feature rather than an afterthought. The careers page states <cite index="23-2">the e-learning program is all original content mined from the combined experience of its managing brokers, along with subject-matter experts</cite>, and pitches this to <cite index="36-19">fresh recruits, experienced agents and teams.</cite> Its recruiting copy also asks whether prospective agents <cite index="23-3,23-4">need excellent training and mentorship, and free support for their entrepreneurial growth.</cite>

Lusink has described the support as historically understated, calling the firm <cite index="29-4">"a nimble, dynamic firm that has excellent resources, which are some of the best-kept secrets – ongoing free training, great open-area offices, our own call centre, staff in every office who focus on assisting agents and customers."</cite>

As with fees, ask a specific branch what the training cadence looks like in practice — and whether structured mentorship (pairing with an experienced agent on early deals) is formally offered — since the published material describes programs at a high level.

Who the model tends to fit

Rather than ranking brokerages, it helps to match the structure to your situation.

• The flat-fee, 100%-commission model may fit you if you are comfortable running your own business, want to reinvest your full commission into personal branding and lead generation, and expect enough transaction volume that flat per-deal and monthly fees cost less than a percentage split would. The brand frames itself around exactly this agent-entrepreneur, saying its model lets you <cite index="35-4,35-5,35-6">keep all of your commission to invest back into promoting your personal brand, generating leads and serving your clients.</cite>

• A percentage-split or team model may fit you better if you are very early in your career with little or no deal flow, since flat monthly and per-transaction fees apply regardless of how much you sell, while a split model defers cost until you close. Independent guidance echoes this: monthly fees can add pressure if you are not closing regularly, so calculate your break-even point and weigh the value of included support, leads and training before choosing a flat-fee plan.

Because Ontario terms are commonly negotiated per office and can change, use the published numbers here as a starting point — then confirm the current fee schedule, included services, and any mentorship structure with a specific RAHR branch before you sign.

Sources

• https://ca.linkedin.com/company/rightathomerealty
• https://www.rightathomerealty.com/
• https://www.rightathomerealty.com/comparison
• https://www.rightathomerealty.com/financial-comparison-calculator
• https://www.rightathomerealtycareers.com/
• https://www.rightathomerealtycareers.com/about-the-brokerage
• https://storeys.com/inside-right-at-home-realty/
• https://realestatemagazine.ca/right-at-home-president-john-lusink-ponders-expansion/
• https://www.remonline.com/right-at-home-president-john-lusink-ponders-expansion/
• https://www.worthview.com/john-lusink-right-home-realty-acquisition-choice-realty/
• https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210505005332/en/Right-at-Home-Realty-Secures-Growth-Equity-Investment-to-Accelerate-Expansion-in-Ontarios-Real-Estate-Market
• https://privatecapitaljournal.com/right-at-home-realty-secures-growth-equity-financing/
• https://www.myabode.ca/mybrokerages
• https://www.alignable.com/burlington-on/right-at-home-realty-inc-brokerage-11
• https://theclose.com/real-estate-commission-splits/

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About the numbers in this article: figures come from our research of the cited public sources as of 2026-08-11. Commission structures, caps, and fees in Ontario are frequently set office-by-office — a figure may reflect the structure of ONE location at the time of writing, and your local office's terms may differ. Before making any decision, getting in touch with the local brokerage and confirming every term in writing is critical. Nothing here is advice or an endorsement. All brand names belong to their respective owners; LIQWD is independent and not affiliated with the brokerages discussed.