Why This Matters More Than Commission Rate
The wrong realtor doesn’t cost you 5%. It costs you 8–15% of your sale price through pricing mistakes, extended market time, and buyer-pool shrinkage. A realtor charging 4.99% who lists your home $40,000 too high has already cost you more than the commission difference.
Toronto home values: check a free, instant estimate for your home using our Toronto home value calculator.
Choosing a realtor is a selection between measurable competencies, not personalities. This guide walks you through 12 questions that separate performers from order-takers.
Questions 1–3: Comparable Sales & Neighbourhood Liquidity
Question 1: Show me three comparable sales closed in the last 90 days within 500m of my address.
A competent realtor produces this instantly—price per square foot, days on market, list-to-sale ratio, and sale date. If they hesitate, pause the conversation.
Ontario MLS (Toronto Regional Real Estate Board) publishes monthly market data. Your realtor should cite recent neighbourhood closings, not city-wide averages. Comparable sales are the foundation of accurate pricing. Without them, your listing price is a guess.
Question 2: How many homes sold in this neighbourhood in the last 6 months?
This reveals market depth. If 4 homes sold in your neighbourhood in 6 months, your property faces a thin buyer pool. If 40 sold, you have liquidity. A realtor who knows this number has done their homework. One who doesn’t has not.
Low transaction counts (under 8–10 per 6 months in residential Toronto neighbourhoods) mean:
- Longer average days on market
- Fewer competing offers
- Higher price negotiation risk
Question 3: What’s the average days-on-market for homes like mine in this area?
DOM is not random—it’s a function of price accuracy, marketing reach, and buyer competition. A realtor who cites neighbourhood DOM norms (e.g., “homes in Leslieville average 18 days; condos average 22”) is using data to set expectations. One who says “it depends” hasn’t studied their territory.
Questions 4–6: Pricing Strategy & Market Positioning
Question 4: Walk me through your pricing strategy for my home.
Listen for:
- Comp-based logic: “Your home is 2,100 sq ft, built 2008, corner lot. Homes matching that profile sold at $X–$Y in the last 60 days. I recommend listing at $Z based on condition and market velocity.”
- Not: “I’ll list it high and we can negotiate” (this signals overpricing and extended DOM).
- Not: “What do you want to get?” (This defers to emotion, not data.)
Read our home pricing strategy guide for the framework a skilled realtor should follow.
Question 5: What’s your average list-to-sale ratio over the last 12 months?
List-to-sale ratio = (final sale price ÷ listing price) × 100%.
- 98%+ ratio: Realtor prices accurately; homes sell near asking.
- 94–97% ratio: Slight negotiation room built in; market standard in most Toronto conditions.
- <93% ratio: Homes consistently oversold; may indicate overpricing strategy or weak negotiation.
Ask for this for single-family homes and condos separately—they trade differently.
Question 6: What’s your average days-on-market in the current market?
Compare their DOM against Ontario MLS neighbourhood averages. A realtor averaging 25 DOM in a 18-DOM market is underperforming. One averaging 15 DOM in the same market is outperforming—likely through accurate pricing or superior buyer reach.
Be sceptical of realtors claiming single-digit DOM across all property types and price points.
Questions 7–9: Marketing, Photography & Open Houses
Question 7: How do you generate buyer leads for listings?
Answers that matter:
- Direct buyer database (past clients, referrals, agent networks)
- MLS syndication across major portals (Realtor.ca, Zillow, Redfin, Kijiji)
- Email marketing to qualified buyer lists
- Paid digital advertising (Google, Facebook, Instagram with attributed spend)
- Agent open-house circuits (showing networks within their brokerage)
Not acceptable: “I’ll put it on MLS and it’ll sell itself” or “My brokerage handles that.” MLS listing is baseline, not strategy.
Question 8: Who handles photography and what’s the process?
Professional photography increases buyer engagement measurably. Ask:
- Is it included, or is there a fee?
- Do they use a professional photographer or smartphone images?
- Is staging included?
- How many photos are uploaded to the MLS listing?
- Are drone/video tours included?
Lower-tier realtors often use poor photography to avoid investment. This directly reduces offer volume.
Question 9: How many open houses do you typically hold, and when?
Open houses serve two functions: buyer engagement and agent lead generation. A standard approach is 2–4 weekend open houses (first 2–3 weeks of listing). Fewer than 2 in the first month suggests low priority. More than 6 without buyer traffic suggests poor targeting.
Ask what data they track: buyer sign-in count, inquiries per open house, offers generated per opening.
Questions 10–12: Communication, Availability & Brokerage Support
Question 10: How do you communicate with sellers during the listing period?
Establish cadence upfront. Standard is:
- Weekly market updates (feedback, showing count, buyer interest)
- 24–48 hour response time on calls/emails
- Proactive communication if DOM extends beyond neighbourhood average
If a realtor can’t commit to weekly updates or doesn’t have a defined communication system, they’ll disappear after week two.
Question 11: What’s your availability for showings, open houses, and urgent communication?
A part-time realtor managing 30+ listings cannot service each well. Ask how many active listings they carry. Over 25 is a red flag for individual attention. If they work in a team, ensure you know who your primary contact is and that person’s availability.
Verify they can accommodate evening/weekend showings (when most buyer activity occurs).
Question 12: What support does your brokerage provide?
Brokerage backing matters. Larger, established brokerages provide:
- In-house legal and transaction management
- Marketing resources and professional photography
- Agent networks (more agents = more potential buyer leads)
- Training and data systems (up-to-date comparable sales, market analytics)
- Errors & omissions insurance (protects you if transaction fails)
See our brokerage section below for context on RE/MAX, Century 21, and Royal LePage scale.
Red Flags: What to Avoid
Discount Realtors (Sub-3% Commission)
Discount commissions often correlate with reduced marketing spend, part-time agents, and higher DOM. You save 1% on commission and lose 3–5% on final sale price. The math doesn’t work.
Dual Representation
A realtor representing both buyer and seller has conflicting incentives. They profit equally whether you sell for $500k or $450k. Insist on exclusive seller representation.
The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) mandates disclosure, but many sellers don’t understand the conflict. Avoid it.
No MLS Data On Hand
A realtor who can’t pull comparable sales from Ontario MLS’s MLS system during your conversation isn’t competent at pricing. Comparable sales analysis requires live market data, not memory.
Guarantees or Pressure
Any realtor who “guarantees” a sale price or timeline is lying. Markets shift. If they pressure you into signing before you’re ready, that pressure is about their commission, not your sale.
Why Brokerage Matters: RE/MAX, Century 21 & Royal LePage Comparison
Not all realtors are equal, and neither are brokerages. Scale and infrastructure affect your outcome.
RE/MAX: Largest by agent count in North America. Agents pay desk fees rather than commission splits, creating different incentives (agents focus on volume and service quality). RE/MAX Your Community Realty operates a robust MLS presence across Ontario with marketing resources and legal support included.
Century 21 & Royal LePage: Similar scale with strong brand recognition and training programs. Both provide solid agent networks and transaction support.
Solo brokers or small boutique firms: May offer personalized service but lack back-office infrastructure. Transaction management, legal support, and buyer lead networks are thinner.
Your realtor’s brokerage doesn’t guarantee performance, but it constrains their capacity to underperform. A skilled realtor at a well-resourced brokerage > a skilled realtor at a weak brokerage.
Next Steps: Getting Your Home Ready to Sell
Once you’ve identified 2–3 candidate realtors using these 12 questions, interview them in your home. Watch how they assess your property and ask follow-up questions.
Before listing, use our free instant home value estimate to establish a baseline range. Then compare it against your realtor’s recommendation—it should align within 3–5%.
For context on the full selling process, read our complete selling process guide and review seller closing costs in Ontario so you understand the financial mechanics before signing a listing agreement.
FAQ
Q: Should I always go with the realtor who suggests the highest price?
A: No. The highest suggested price often reflects overpricing strategy designed to win your business. A realtor who price-justifies their recommendation using recent comparables is more trustworthy than one who simply agrees with your aspirations. Compare recommendations from 2–3 realtors; if one is 8%+ higher than others, it’s likely overpricing.
Q: What percentage commission should I expect to pay in Toronto?
A: Standard is 4–5% total (split between listing agent and buyer’s agent). Some negotiation room exists for higher-priced properties ($1M+), but rates below 4% typically signal reduced marketing spend. Commission is negotiable—discuss it, but don’t let it override competency.
Q: Can I fire my realtor if they underperform?
A: Yes. Most listing agreements include a 30-day exit clause (varies by brokerage). Review your contract before signing. If DOM extends well beyond neighbourhood average with no agent explanation or strategy adjustment, you have grounds to end the relationship.
Q: Does my realtor need to live in my neighbourhood?
A: No, but they should specialize in it. A realtor with 20 sales in your postal code in the last 12 months matters more than one with 1 sale who lives three blocks away. Ask for their sales history filtered by neighbourhood and property type.
Q: What’s the difference between a real estate agent and a realtor?
A: “Realtor” is a trademarked term for agents who are members of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and follow a code of ethics. All realtors are agents; not all agents are realtors. In Ontario, all require a broker affiliation. Membership in CREA adds accountability, but doesn’t guarantee competency.
Q: Should I interview realtors even if a friend referred one?
A: Yes. Personal referrals are a good starting point, but still validate using the 12 questions above. Your friend’s experience doesn’t predict your realtor’s performance with your home, price point, or timeline. Competency varies.
Run your free instant home value estimate at InstantCalculator.ca — operated under RE/MAX Your Community Realty, Brokerage.
 | Alex GoodmanSales Representative · RE/MAX Your Community Realty, Brokerage Alex Goodman is a Sales Representative with RE/MAX Your Community Realty, Brokerage, serving the Greater Toronto Area. He specializes in residential sales across Ontario — luxury, first-time buyer, and downsizing transactions — and maintains InstantCalculator.ca as a free public resource for Ontario homeowners researching their property value. |