Working with a real estate agent

Real estate is a regulated profession, which means that agents are required to complete mandatory education, have professional liability insurance, complete a criminal reference check, and pay annual fees.

All real estate agents in Ontario must be registered with the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), which you can verify through our Agent and Brokerage Search.

Your real estate agent has many duties and obligations to you, including:

• Promoting and protecting your best interests.
• Protecting your confidential information.
• Avoiding and disclosing conflicts of interest.
• Taking all reasonable steps to determine material facts that might affect the sale of your property.
• Advising you to obtain services or expert advice from another professional when necessary.
• Keeping you fully informed of all steps taken during the course of representing you.
• Providing you with the RECO Information Guide, which explains the role of real estate agents and brokerages, the services they provide, and what you can expect during the buying process.

As a seller, your real estate agent can:

• Advise you on market conditions, set an appropriate listing price, and determine the best strategy to attract buyers.
• Market and advertise your home, including arranging photographs, videos, and virtual tours.
• Provide referrals to other professionals you’ll need, like a lawyer or home staging company. 
• Arrange and attend home inspections and appraisals. 
• Provide guidance on how to handle competing offers, sharing the content of offers, and other aspects of the transaction. 
• Vet offers and potential buyers to confirm they can afford to buy your home.
• Negotiate with buyers to achieve the best results, price, and terms. 
• Guide you through understanding the paperwork and closing the transaction successfully.

Finding a real estate agent that’s the right match for your needs is important. Your agent should be able to provide expert guidance and help you make the right decisions when selling your home.

There are more than 100,000 real estate agents in Ontario. Here are some tips for finding and choosing the agent that’s right for you.

Referrals and online searches

Start by asking friends, family, or colleagues for referrals. You can also search online for agents in your area. The right agent should understand your needs, be familiar with your neighbourhood, and have the right expertise for the type of property you are selling.

Interview before you hire

Interview a few agents – RECO recommends at least three – and make sure you fully understand their experience, how they operate, and what services they offer.

• Ask each agent to describe their knowledge and experience in real estate in your neighborhood and with the specific type of property.
• Ask about the services the agent will provide. Service offerings vary from brokerage to brokerage and agent to agent. Take the time to understand what they offer you.
• Ask about fees or commissions (see Your contract with the real estate brokerage section for more details).
• Ask about their approach to the buying and selling process. You will want to be comfortable with their methods and philosophy.
• Ask the agent how they will market your home and how they will negotiate with buyers.
• Ask each agent for references from past clients and then follow up with those clients to hear about their experience with the agent.

Verify registration

Before choosing an agent, make sure they are legally allowed to trade in real estate. We strongly encourage you to ensure your agent is registered with RECO by searching RECO’s Agent/Brokerage Search.

You have responsibilities as a client of a real estate agent. You need to:

• Be clear about what you want and don’t want (whether you want to hold an open house, specify when interested buyers can view your home, or if you want to have a lockbox installed on your property).
• Respond to your agent’s questions quickly.
• Disclose any known defects, including latent defects (which are not visible or easily noticed).
• Understand the terms of your agreement with the brokerage.
• Pay the fees you have agreed on, even if an agreement to sell your home later falls through because of your default or neglect.

If you decide not to work with a real estate agent, it will be your responsibility to look after your own best interests and protect yourself.

This is known as self-representation. Very few buyers or sellers make this choice.

There are significant risks to representing yourself in a real estate transaction. In most cases, you will be dealing with a buyer who is benefitting from the services, knowledge, and advice of an experienced real estate agent. 

It’s important to be aware that the real estate agent working for the buyer has a legal obligation to act in the best interests of their buyer client. 

Be careful about what information you share.

The buyer’s agent is obligated to share anything you tell them with the buyer, including:

• Your motivation for selling the property.
• The minimum price you are willing to accept.
• Your preferred terms or conditions for an agreement of purchase and sale.

You will need to sign the Information and Disclosure to Self-Represented Party form before engaging in a transaction with an agent representing a buyer. The agent should also provide you with the RECO Information Guide.

RECO recommends that you seek independent professional advice before you receive any assistance from a real estate agent representing the buyer. 

Some companies or individuals promote themselves as willing to purchase a home without involving a real estate agent. Often, these can be unsolicited offers sent by mail or advertised within a community to entice homeowners to sell.

For more information, see RECO’s article on unsolicited offers.