An agent who works in your neighbourhood every week knows which streets sell faster, which lot positions command premiums, which comparable sales are truly comparable and which are not, where the school catchment boundaries fall and what buyers in your area are looking for. An agent who covers the entire GTA cannot provide this depth.

Ask the agent how many transactions they have completed in your neighbourhood in the past 12 months. Ask them to name the last three homes that sold on your street or nearby streets and what they sold for. If they cannot answer from memory, they do not know your market well enough.

The most important quality in a listing agent is the willingness to tell you what your home is worth based on comparable sales data, even when the number is lower than what you hoped. Agents who inflate the price to win the listing and then ask you to reduce after it sits cost you time, credibility and money.

Ask each agent for their recommended list price and the comparable sales that support it. If one agent's number is significantly higher than the others without stronger comparable data to support it, that agent is telling you what you want to hear, not what the market will pay. My selling guide covers why overpricing costs more than underpricing.

In Richmond Hill and Markham, professional staging and professional HDR photography with drone aerials should be standard, not an add-on. Over 90% of buyers start their search online. The listing photos are the first showing. An agent who does not include professional photography as part of their service is not investing in your sale.

Ask to see the agent's last five listing photo sets. If the photos are dark, poorly composed or clearly taken with a phone, that is how your listing will look too.

Ask the agent to walk you through exactly how they will market your home beyond MLS. The answer should include targeted digital advertising (with specific platforms and budget), social media campaigns, video walkthrough, virtual tour, agent networking before the listing goes live and open house strategy. If the answer is "list it on MLS and see what happens," that is not a marketing plan. That is a listing. Your home deserves a plan that actively generates buyer interest.

You should never have to chase your agent for updates. A good agent communicates proactively: showing feedback within 24 hours, weekly market updates, immediate notification of offers and regular check-ins on your selling or buying timeline. Ask the agent how they communicate (text, email, phone, app) and how often. Ask for references from recent clients and ask those clients specifically about communication.

Selling or buying a home involves coordinating contractors, stagers, photographers, lawyers, mortgage brokers, inspectors and the other party's agent. Your agent should manage the entire process so you are not project-managing your own transaction. Ask the agent what their process looks like from signing to closing. A detailed, step-by-step answer indicates experience. A vague answer indicates they are figuring it out as they go.

Real estate commission in Ontario is negotiable and typically ranges from 4% to 5% of the sale price (total, split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent) plus HST. On a $1,500,000 sale at 5%, the total commission is $75,000 plus HST. This is split between the listing brokerage and the buyer's brokerage, and each agent shares their portion with their brokerage. The seller pays the commission from the sale proceeds at closing.

A discount agent who charges 1% less but does not stage, does not photograph professionally, does not market beyond MLS and does not negotiate effectively may cost you 3% to 5% on the sale price. On a $1,500,000 home, that is $45,000 to $75,000 in lost sale price, far more than the 1% you saved on commission. The question is not "what do you charge?" but "what do I net after commission?" A full-service agent who achieves a higher sale price through better preparation, marketing and negotiation delivers more money to you even at a higher commission rate.

At a minimum, the commission should cover professional staging consultation, professional HDR photography with drone, video walkthrough, virtual tour, digital advertising campaigns, optimized MLS listing, agent networking, open houses, showing management, offer negotiation, conditional period management and closing coordination. Ask the agent to specify what is included. If staging and photography are extra, factor that into the total cost comparison.

Your buyer's agent should be able to tell you, before you write an offer, what the home is worth based on comparable sales, what the likely competition looks like, whether the asking price is below market (designed to attract multiple offers) or above market (negotiable) and what your offer ceiling should be. If the agent cannot provide this analysis, they cannot advise you on what to offer, which is the most important thing they do.

A good buyer's agent will tell you when a home is not worth the price, when the competition is too fierce to win without overpaying and when you should walk away. An agent who encourages you to bid higher without data backing the price is not protecting your interests. The agent's job is to help you win the right home at the right price, not to win every bidding war regardless of the cost.

After the offer is accepted, the buyer's agent manages the financing condition (coordinating with your mortgage broker), the home inspection (scheduling, attending, reviewing the report) and any negotiation arising from inspection findings. They also coordinate with your lawyer on closing logistics. An agent who disappears after the offer is accepted is leaving you to manage the most critical phase of the transaction alone.