Questions to ask a real estate agent in Ontario before hiring

The questions worth asking a real estate agent before you hire them in Ontario come down to five things: what they have recently done with property like yours, what evidence is behind their price, who does the work, what you will pay, and what the contract commits you to. This page lists the questions by situation, with what a good answer and a weak answer sound like.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) recommends interviewing at least three agents. Ask each the same questions. For shortlisting and checking registration, see how to choose a real estate agent.

What must an agent give me before we start?

Ontario agents are required by law to give you the RECO Information Guide and walk you through it before they provide any services or assistance. It covers the duties owed to a client, representation agreements, multiple representation and how to complain. You will be asked to sign an acknowledgement that you received it. You can read it ahead of time on RECO's website.

So the first test needs no question at all. A good agent brings the guide out early and goes through it properly. A weak one slides it across as "just a form" and points to the signature line.

Questions to ask if you are selling

What have you sold in the last year or two that is like my home, and where?

A good answer names actual properties: similar type, similar area, with what happened and what they learned. If they have not sold much like yours, they say so and explain what they would do about it.

A weak answer is a total ("I've sold hundreds of homes") or a brokerage-wide figure.

What would you list it for, and what sales is that based on?

A good answer puts the comparable sales in front of you, explains which are most like your home and why, adjusts for the differences, and gives a range with the trade-off at each end.

A weak answer is a single confident number, a number that happens to match what you said you were hoping for, or "we can always come down later". No agent can guarantee a sale price. See pricing your home.

What exactly will you do to market it, and what does it cost me?

A good answer is a written list: preparation advice, photography, where the listing will appear, how showings are handled, and who pays for each item. RECO says the agreement must clearly set out the services you will receive, that there is no standard set of services, and that you should not assume a service will be provided if it is not written into the agreement or a schedule to it.

A weak answer is "full service" or "maximum exposure" with nothing you could hold them to.

Who will I be dealing with day to day?

A good answer names the people: who prepares the listing, who answers buyer agents, who attends showings if anyone, who negotiates, and who covers during holidays.

A weak answer leaves you unsure whether you will speak to the person in front of you again after signing.

How will you handle offers, including more than one at once?

A good answer explains your options, including how much to disclose to competing buyers. In Ontario, buyers who have made an offer are entitled to know the number of competing offers, and the seller decides how much other information, if any, to share. Sharing the content of offers requires your clear written direction. More in offers and bidding rules.

A weak answer assumes one approach for every listing, or cannot explain the rules.

What do you think will be the hardest part of selling this property?

A good answer is specific and a little uncomfortable: the dated kitchen, the busy road, the septic of unknown age, the tenant. It comes with a plan.

A weak answer is "nothing, it will sell itself".

Questions to ask if you are buying

What have you helped buyers purchase recently in the areas and price range I am looking at?

A good answer shows current knowledge of the specific places you are considering and of what has sold there lately, and explains how quickly they can get you into a new listing.

A weak answer is "I cover everywhere from Barrie to Muskoka" with no detail on any of it.

Before I make an offer, what do you check and what do you leave to others?

A good answer separates the roles. The agent pulls comparable sales, asks the listing side questions, and makes inquiries about things like zoning and permitted use. The inspector, lawyer, lender and insurer each have their part, and the agent tells you which conditions protect you while those checks are done.

A weak answer either claims to do everything or waves it all off with "the lawyer handles that".

What will I owe your brokerage, and what if the seller does not cover it?

A good answer states the amount or how it is calculated. RECO's guide warns buyers that a seller might not offer any amount toward the fees you owe your brokerage, and that this could affect what you are able to offer. Your agreement must say how the amount you pay changes if the seller agrees to cover some or all of it. A good answer also covers what happens if you want to buy one of the brokerage's own listings (see multiple representation, below).

A weak answer is "don't worry, the seller always pays".

Questions for waterfront, cottage and rural property

Around Orillia, these questions show whether an agent knows lake country property. A good answer names the office or record that settles the question.

Ask the agent	A good answer sounds like	A weak answer sounds like
How do you check the septic system?	Asks the seller for pump-out and permit records, checks what the township has on file, recommends a septic inspection as a condition, and knows whether the property is covered by a township inspection program	"It works fine, the sellers have never had a problem"
What do you look at for the well and water?	Looks up the well record on Ontario's public well records map, asks the type and depth of well, and makes water testing part of your conditions	"Everyone up here is on a well"
Is the shore road allowance owned?	Knows to check the survey and title early, and explains what it means if the allowance is still owned by the municipality	Has not heard the term, or says it does not matter
Were the dock, boathouse and shoreline work permitted?	Knows which authority has jurisdiction on that water body and asks the seller for the permits	"It's been there for years, so it's grandfathered"
Is the road public and maintained year-round?	Finds out whether it is a municipal road, a private road or a seasonal one, who ploughs it, and tells you to confirm financing and insurance with your lender and insurer	"You can get in most of the winter"
What have you sold on this lake or river?	Names recent sales and what drove the prices: frontage, exposure, water depth, access	Talks about waterfront in general

Some background, so you can judge the answers. For wells, road access and the rest, see wells and water testing, seasonal vs year-round and the rural checklist.

Septic. The province is plain that you, the owner, are responsible for the operation of your septic system. Township inspection programs differ and change: Severn, for example, inspects systems in certain designated vulnerable areas once every five years, and its council suspended the rest of its discretionary program for five years as of June 17, 2026. See septic inspections.

Shore road allowances. These are allowances along the water, generally about 66 feet wide, originally laid out for roads by Crown surveyors. The province says they are under the municipality's jurisdiction, and a municipality can close one by bylaw. Whether yours is owned is a title question to confirm with your lawyer. See shore road allowances.

Parks Canada permits. On the Trent-Severn Waterway, Parks Canada says all work on, under and over the bed and waters requires a permit, including installing, repairing, replacing or removing docks, boathouses, boatlifts and marine railways. It also states that no in-water structures are "grandfathered" or exempt from its policies. See Parks Canada permits.

If you are hiring an agent mainly for a cottage purchase or sale, read choosing a local agent for a cottage.

Contract and fee questions

When you hire an agent in Ontario, you sign a representation agreement with their brokerage: a listing agreement for sellers, a buyer representation agreement for buyers. RECO says it must be put in writing and presented to you as soon as possible, and advises reviewing it in detail, so be wary of any reason it has to be signed today. More depth in representation agreements explained and commission in Ontario.

What will I pay, and how could that change?

RECO states that you and the brokerage decide the amount, and that it is not fixed or approved by RECO, any government authority, or any real estate association or board. It can be a fixed dollar amount, a percentage of the sale price, or a combination, and the agreement must say how it might change.

A good answer gives you the figure as a dollar amount at a realistic price, breaks out any portion offered to the buyer's brokerage if you are selling, and acknowledges that fees are negotiable.

A weak answer is "that's the standard rate" or "everyone charges the same". Use the selling costs calculator to see the whole picture.

How long is the agreement, and why that length?

RECO says there is no set or standard term: an agreement can run for a day, a few weeks or months. The expiry date must appear prominently on the first page, there can be only one expiry date, and you will be asked to initial beside it.

A good answer proposes a length and gives a reason tied to your property, such as how long similar homes have been taking to sell or the season you are listing in, and is open to discussing it.

A weak answer is a long term presented as non-negotiable, or an agent who fills in the date without discussing it.

Is there a holdover clause, and how long is it?

A holdover clause can require you to pay the brokerage's fee when a sale or purchase happens after your agreement expires, within a period the clause specifies. RECO says the clause is designed to protect the brokerage, that there is no minimum or set length, and that you should agree to the length before you sign. It also tells agents that holdover clauses often give rise to consumer complaints.

A good answer points to the clause, states the number of days, and explains in plain terms when it would and would not apply.

A weak answer is "that's just boilerplate" or not knowing the number.

How can I end the agreement if this is not working?

RECO says the agreement should list all the circumstances in which it can be terminated, and that you should know when the brokerage can terminate it and what penalties or costs apply in each case, including the effect on any holdover period.

A good answer tells you what the brokerage's practice is, what it would cost you if anything, and is willing to write it into the agreement. A verbal promise to let you out is not the same as a written term.

A weak answer is "we can sort that out if it comes up" or "nobody ever asks that".

Is this brokerage representation or designated representation?

Ontario has two kinds of representation agreement. Under brokerage representation, the brokerage and all of its agents represent you. Under designated representation, introduced on December 1, 2023, one or more named agents represent you, and the brokerage and its other agents must treat you impartially and objectively. A designated representation agreement must name your designated representative, and the brokerage cannot appoint a different one unless you agree.

A good answer tells you which type the brokerage uses, why, and who would be named.

A weak answer is not knowing the difference. RECO's guide tells you to ask this question.

What happens if you or your brokerage also represent the other side?

That is multiple representation: one brokerage, or one designated representative, acting for more than one client with competing interests in the same transaction. Under brokerage representation it can arise even when the buyer and seller work with different agents at the same brokerage. Under designated representation it arises only when the same agent is the designated representative for both clients.

Multiple representation is not permitted unless each client agrees in writing, after written disclosure of how the brokerage's duties, its services and your fee will change. If you agree, the agent must treat both clients impartially and cannot advise you on the price you should offer or accept. You can refuse, and RECO suggests getting independent advice, for example from your real estate lawyer, first.

A good answer explains all of that and describes the alternative if you decline, such as a referral to another brokerage or designated representative.

A weak answer is "it happens all the time, it's fine" or any suggestion that you have no choice.

How do I compare the answers?

Write the answers down after each meeting and mark each one specific or vague: addresses, numbers, dates and documents are specific, adjectives are not. Look each agent up on RECO's public register and phone their references. Then put the proposed agreements side by side: services, fee, expiry date, holdover length and termination terms.

How Jordan can help

Jordan Rossman is a REALTOR® with Real Broker Ontario Ltd., Brokerage, and has worked in Orillia real estate since November 2014. Bring this list to a meeting with him and ask every question on it, including the ones about fees, holdover and cancellation; ask for the answers in writing, and take the agreement away to read before you decide. Call 705-345-0797 or read more about Jordan.