How to choose a realtor in London, Ontario

Choosing a realtor in London, Ontario is a decision about who represents you, if anyone does.

The short answers for choosing a realtor in London, Ontario sit on the homepage. This page is the sequence to walk before you sign. Start with the paper, even when a name is what brought you.

What are you choosing?

You are choosing a registrant to act for you, or you are choosing to remain a self-represented party.

A client has a representative. A self-represented party has no registrant on their side, so the seller's agent is not their advisor. If you want advice, you want representation, in writing. Under designated representation, you name the person who represents you. Under brokerage representation, the brokerage itself is your representative, not one designated person. Learn which sentence the draft uses before you talk about timing or offers.

Do you start with a name or with the paper?

Start with the paper, even when a name is what brought you to the meeting.

A name from a friend, a sign, or another website does not tell you who will be designated, what the agreement covers, or how long it lasts. Since 1 December 2023, TRESA requires the representation paperwork up front. Ask for that writing before you rely on anyone. Then write who represents you, what is covered, how long it lasts, and what you pay, and check those sentences against the draft.

What do you read first in a draft?

Read the representation clause first, then the services, the dates, and the money clause.

Who is named? If nobody is named, ask whether the model is brokerage representation, and ask the draft to say so. Then read what is covered, and what is left with you. Then read when it starts, how long it lasts, and how it can end. Then read what you are expected to pay, and when. This page will not quote a figure or a percentage. If the money clause is blank, the draft is not ready to sign.

If a clause and the spoken explanation disagree, ask for the draft to be changed. If the same person or the brokerage would also represent the other side, that is multiple representation, and it needs written disclosure and your consent before it continues. Ask for that writing before an offer exists.

How do you read two drafts without scoring anyone?

Put the same questions to each draft, and do not turn the answers into a score.

Who is designated? What is covered? How long does it last, and how can it end? What are you expected to pay, and when? Write one sentence in your own words after each meeting, then see whether that sentence is in the draft. A gap is a reason to ask for a revision, or a reason to wait.

The six questions are on the questions to ask page. The points to spot in a draft are on what the rules require.

What if you are not ready to sign?

Then do not sign.

You can learn the two models and keep your questions without entering an agreement. Pressure to sign at the first meeting is a reason to slow down. Nothing on this page replaces the draft in your hand, and nothing here is legal advice.