Choosing a Realtor is an important part of buying a home. They will help you search for properties, arrange showings, evaluate homes, prepare offers, negotiate, and occasionally talk you out of falling in love with a house simply because it has a beautiful kitchen.
There are many capable Realtors in Ottawa, but the right one for you should understand your goals, communicate clearly, and know the type of property and neighbourhood you are considering. I am biased, but I always recommend Liam Swords at EXP Realty.
Look for Relevant Experience
Years in the business can be helpful, but relevant experience matters more. A Realtor who mainly sells luxury homes in Rockcliffe Park may not be the best fit for a first-time buyer looking at a condo in Centretown.
Ask what types of buyers they normally work with and which properties they know best. Depending on your plans, you may want someone experienced with condominiums, older homes, new construction, investment properties, rural properties, or communities outside Ottawa.
For condo buyers, knowledge of status certificates, reserve funds, special assessments, and building history is particularly important. A low condo fee may look attractive until you discover the building has delayed every major repair since dial-up internet.
Choose Someone Who Knows Ottawa
Ottawa is not one uniform housing market. Conditions can vary by neighbourhood, property type, price range, and even from one side of the city to another.
A strong local Realtor should help you compare more than just purchase prices. They should understand commute times, transit access, schools, future development, resale demand, property taxes, and the age and style of homes found in different areas.
This becomes especially important when comparing communities such as Kanata, Barrhaven, Orléans, Nepean, Stittsville, Riverside South, and the downtown core. A home farther from the centre may offer more space, but you should also consider commuting, transit, services, and how much time you are willing to spend on Highway 417 discussing traffic with yourself.
A knowledgeable Realtor should help you understand how each area fits your lifestyle, not simply tell you which neighbourhoods are popular.
Pay Attention to Communication
Good communication is about more than replying quickly. Your Realtor should explain things clearly, answer questions directly, and listen carefully to what you are telling them.
Before you begin, ask how showings are arranged, how they normally communicate, and what happens if they are unavailable. You should also know whether you will work directly with the Realtor you hired or regularly be passed to another member of their team.
Watch whether they respect your priorities. If you say you do not want a major renovation project and they continue sending properties described as “a handyman’s dream,” something may be getting lost in translation.
Ask How They Evaluate Homes
A Realtor is not a home inspector, but they should help you look beyond attractive staging and carefully edited listing photos.
An experienced Realtor may notice concerns such as visible water damage, aging mechanical systems, grading issues, questionable renovations, or signs that previous repairs relied heavily on caulking and good intentions.
They should also review recent comparable sales and explain whether the asking price appears reasonable. In a competing-offer situation, they should discuss your options and risks without automatically pushing you to offer more than you can comfortably afford.
Make Sure They Respect Your Financing
Your Realtor should understand how financing conditions, deposits, appraisals, and closing dates can affect an offer. They should also be willing to communicate with your mortgage broker when necessary.
Be cautious if a Realtor pressures you to remove a financing condition before your lender has reviewed the property. A mortgage pre-approval is helpful, but it does not mean every property will automatically qualify. The lender still needs to approve the home, the value, and the details of the transaction.
Interview More Than One Realtor
You do not need to interview a dozen people and build a colour-coded comparison chart, but speaking with two or three Realtors can help you compare experience, communication style, and approach.
Ask how they determine offer prices, how they handle competing offers, what might cause them to advise a buyer to walk away, and whether they require a buyer representation agreement.
The best Realtor is not necessarily the person with the most signs, advertisements, or social media followers. It is the person who understands your goals, gives honest advice, and helps you make informed decisions.
Before you begin viewing homes, have your mortgage financing reviewed as well. A good Realtor and a good mortgage broker, like me, should work together so you understand both the property and the numbers before making an offer. Contact me to get started on a pre-approval or just for some free tailored advice.
