Divorce realtor: know what the home is worth before the hard conversations
I am a full-time real estate agent who works with separating couples and their lawyers across York Region and Simcoe County. Most people start with a free Letter of Opinion: a written opinion of your home’s market value, with the comparable sales behind it, for you, your lawyer or your mediator. If you already know you need to sell, or one of you wants to keep the home, start there instead. Either way, I handle the real estate side calmly and without taking sides.
Or call (289) 338-1433
Matthew Gizzie, REALTOR®, Keller Williams Realty Centres, Brokerage, Newmarket. Serving York Region, Uxbridge and Simcoe County. I’m a real estate agent, not a lawyer or mediator, so legal questions stay with your lawyer.
5.0 on Google from 24 reviews · Free, no obligation · Updated October 15, 2026
The free Letter of Opinion, and what it’s for
A Letter of Opinion is a written opinion of your home’s fair market value from a licensed real estate professional, based on comparable sales and current market conditions. In a separation, it gives you, your lawyer or your mediator a credible, market-based starting point.
What you receive
- Comparable sales from your immediate area, not regional averages.
- Property adjustments for updates, condition, lot size and features.
- Market conditions for your property type: inventory, days on market and pricing trends.
- A written rationale explaining how the value was reached, in plain language your lawyer can use.
- Turnaround: usually within 3 business days of viewing the home. Tell me if you have a deadline and I’ll prioritize it.
How it’s used, and its limits
- Often used for: mediation, early negotiations, buyout discussions, and checking a value the other side has put forward.
- Not an appraisal. Court proceedings or a lender may require a formal appraisal by a certified appraiser. Your lawyer decides what evidence your case needs, and I can refer you to an appraiser.
- Valuation date matters. Your lawyer should confirm the valuation date and purpose. A current selling estimate may differ from a value needed for a past date.
- Free, no obligation. Requesting a letter doesn’t commit you to selling or to working with me.
Letter of Opinion of Market Value
+ 3 more, each adjusted for size, lot, condition and updates
Every letter follows the same layout
- 1Effective dateThe date the value applies to. Your lawyer confirms which date your situation needs.
- 2A range, not a guessWhere the evidence puts your home, shown against the sales behind it.
- 3The comparable salesReal nearby sales, each adjusted for how it differs from your home.
- 4Assumptions and limitsWhat the opinion relies on, stated plainly, so no one is surprised later.
All names, addresses and figures in this sample are fictional.
When you’ve decided to sell, without making it harder
Selling during a separation involves the usual property decisions, plus careful coordination of instructions, access, timing and communication. Settling how decisions get made before the home goes on the market means you don’t need to be in the same room to make progress.
What we settle before listing
- Who receives updates, showing feedback and offers, and how.
- How price changes and offers are approved by both owners, or as a court order directs.
- How showings work if one of you still lives in the home.
- Who arranges and pays for any preparation or repairs.
- What happens if you can’t agree, and when the lawyers get involved.
Who I work for
If both owners hire me to sell, I represent you both as the sellers. Anything that affects the sale, such as price advice, feedback and offers, goes to both of you. Before anything is signed, you get the required disclosures and give your written consent, as Ontario’s real estate rules require.
Who receives what, and what has to be shared, is confirmed at the start of every engagement, whether one of you contacts me or both. If only one of you reaches out first, I’ll explain how information is handled before you share anything sensitive. In a contested situation, each of you can have your own agent, and I’m comfortable working that way too.
Confidential conversation
Your timeline, your goals and where you are in the process. Together or separately.
Value
I view the home and prepare a Letter of Opinion or pricing analysis for the recipients agreed at the start.
Plan and agreement
The decisions above, the listing price strategy, and the listing agreement, explained before you sign.
Preparation and showings
A short prep list, professional marketing, and showings arranged around whoever lives in the home.
Offers
Every offer goes to both owners with what it would net, and I negotiate price and terms.
Closing
I work with both lawyers through conditions and closing. A court-ordered sale follows the order’s terms and approvals.
See everything included when I list a home, from photography to staging advice, on the Sellers page, or estimate your proceeds with the Seller Net Proceeds Calculator.
When one of you wants to buy the other out
A buyout starts with a value both sides can accept. From there, the questions are financing and transfer costs. These are the three things to sort out, and who answers each one.
An agreed value
A Letter of Opinion gives you an independent, market-based value to negotiate from. If your lawyer or lender needs a formal appraisal, I can refer you.
Who answers: the two of you, with your lawyers
Financing
The spouse keeping the home usually needs to qualify for the mortgage alone. Some lenders and mortgage insurers have buyout programs. For example, Sagen (formerly Genworth Canada) has published an equity buyout policy for eligible purchase transactions up to 95% loan-to-value, with conditions such as both parties being on title.
Who answers: your lender or mortgage broker
Land transfer tax
Ontario has an exemption for some transfers between spouses or former spouses, including transfers under a written separation agreement or a court order. Whether it applies depends on your situation.
Who answers: your lawyer
Need a value for a client’s matrimonial home?
I prepare Letters of Opinion for clients going through separation and I’m comfortable communicating directly with counsel and mediators.
What you receive
A written opinion of market value with comparable sales, adjustments, market conditions and rationale, signed with my brokerage name.
What I need
The property address, your client’s authorization, access to view the home, who the letter is for, and any deadline.
Turnaround
Usually within 3 business days of viewing the home. Sooner for a deadline, when I can.
Separation and the home: common questions
What does a divorce realtor actually do?
A divorce realtor is a licensed real estate agent who handles the property side of a separation: a written opinion of the home’s value that both sides and their lawyers can use, the sale of the matrimonial home if that is the decision, or the valuation behind a spousal buyout. I do not give legal advice and I do not take sides. Lawyers, mediators and the court decide the legal questions; I give them accurate numbers and run the sale calmly.
What is a Letter of Opinion, and is it really free?
It’s a written opinion of your home’s fair market value from a licensed real estate professional, with the comparable sales, adjustments and market conditions behind it. Yes, it’s free, and requesting one doesn’t commit you to selling or to working with me.
How quickly can I get a Letter of Opinion?
Usually within 3 business days of viewing the home. If you have a legal deadline, tell me when you request it and I’ll prioritize it.
What’s the difference between a Letter of Opinion and an appraisal?
A Letter of Opinion comes from a licensed real estate professional and is based on comparable sales and market conditions. A formal appraisal is done by a certified appraiser. Court proceedings or a lender may require an appraisal. Your lawyer decides what your case needs, and I can refer you to an appraiser.
Do both of us have to use the same realtor?
No. One of you can ask me for a Letter of Opinion on your own, and who receives it is confirmed at the start. If you both hire me to sell, I represent you both as the sellers, everything about the sale goes to both of you, and you get the required disclosures and give written consent before anything is signed. In a contested situation, each of you can have your own agent.
What if we can’t agree on anything?
Disagreement can delay a sale. I clarify the property questions with clear, factual information and coordinate with your lawyers on next steps. Legal decisions stay with your lawyers. An independent value often narrows the disagreement.
Can I sell the matrimonial home without my spouse’s consent?
Generally not, if you’re married. In Ontario, a married spouse usually needs the other spouse’s consent to sell or mortgage the matrimonial home, even if only one of you is on title, unless a court order or agreement says otherwise. Confirm how this applies to you with your lawyer.
Are common-law couples treated the same as married couples?
No. Ontario’s property-division and matrimonial-home rules for married spouses don’t apply the same way to common-law partners. Ontario says common-law couples are not legally required to split property acquired while living together, though ownership and other claims can still arise. A family lawyer can tell you where you stand.
Is there land transfer tax when one spouse buys out the other?
There may not be. Ontario exempts some transfers between spouses or former spouses, including transfers made under a written separation agreement or a court order. Eligibility depends on the details, so your lawyer confirms it.
Can you work directly with my lawyer or mediator?
Yes. I’m comfortable communicating directly with counsel and mediators and providing documentation in a format that’s useful to them, with your authorization.
Is what I tell you kept private?
I treat what you tell me with discretion. Before you share anything sensitive, I’ll explain how your information is handled, including what must be shared if both owners later hire me to sell. A real estate agent can’t offer the legal privilege a lawyer can, so for legal advice, speak with your lawyer.
What areas do you serve?
York Region, including Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Markham and Georgina, plus Uxbridge, Bradford West Gwillimbury and Simcoe County.
Can you help me buy my next home afterwards?
Yes. Each purchase comes with my buyer benefits, with the terms written into your buyer representation agreement before you sign. If you each buy with me, each of you receives them. See the buyer benefits and terms.
General information about Ontario rules, not legal advice. Sources: Ontario: dividing property when a relationship ends; Ontario: land transfer tax, transfers between spouses; Sagen (Genworth Canada) equity buyout policy, 2019.
Start with a conversation.
Tell me what you need and how you’d like me to reach you. There’s no need to explain your separation here, and I’ll explain how your information is handled before you share anything sensitive.
- I reply personally, using the method and time you choose.
- If you say no to voicemail, I won’t leave one.
- No obligation, and you won’t be added to a mailing list.
Prefer to talk now? Call (289) 338-1433
Give the detail that matches how you’d like me to reach you, whichever is safest for you.
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Related: Estate and transition sales · Free home evaluation · First-time buyer guide · York Region market report · Client reviews
Services on this page are provided by Matthew Gizzie, REALTOR®, Keller Williams Realty Centres, Brokerage, independently owned and operated. A Letter of Opinion is an opinion of market value, not an appraisal. Nothing on this page is legal, tax, mortgage or financial advice. Matthew Gizzie is a licensed real estate agent, not a lawyer, mediator or financial advisor. Get advice from your own family law lawyer for your situation. Buyer benefits and their conditions are set out in each buyer representation agreement.
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