Sandeep Pawar
Broker
Home / Choosing an agent
How to choose the best realtor in the GTA
Nine questions worth asking before you sign anything, how to verify the answers, and the warning signs most agents hope you will not notice.
The short answer: the best realtor for you is registered with RECO, works often in your area and property type, shows you the comparable sales behind every price, tells you what not to do, and explains the representation agreement before you sign. Verify registration on RECO’s public register, read independent reviews, and treat any unsourced “best” or “number one” claim as marketing, not fact.
Nine questions to ask any agent
Are you registered, and with which brokerage?
Every real estate agent and brokerage trading in Ontario must be registered with the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). RECO’s public register shows whether each agent is registered, their brokerage and expiry date, and any enforcement activity in the past five years. All advertising must name the brokerage. If someone is vague about their brokerage, stop there.
Are you a salesperson or a broker?
A broker has completed additional education and experience requirements beyond a salesperson. It is not the only thing that matters, but it is a fact you can verify on the RECO register, not a claim.
What designations do you hold, and what did they involve?
RENE, SRS, ABR, SRES and others each require specific coursework, and some require completed transactions. Ask what the designation covered and ask to see the certificate. Anyone who holds one can tell you. What my four designations involve.
Where can I read your reviews, independently?
Not only the testimonials on their own website. Platforms such as Rate-My-Agent, RankMyAgent and Google publish reviews that the agent does not control. Ask for the links, and read the recent ones, not just the totals.
How many clients have you represented in my area and price range?
GTA markets behave very differently. Someone excellent with downtown Toronto condos may know little about Brampton freeholds with basement apartments, or rural Caledon wells and septic systems.
What is your pricing recommendation, and what is it based on?
Ask for the comparable sales. An agent who gives you a number without showing the comparables is either guessing or telling you what you want to hear to win your business.
What would you tell me not to do?
The most useful answer on the list. An agent who only agrees with you is not advising you.
Who else is on my side?
A lawyer, a mortgage agent and a home inspector. Will you be sent off to find these alone, or will someone coordinate them? You should always be free to choose your own.
Can we do this in my language?
If English is not the language you think in, this is not a small point. A misunderstood condition or waiver is expensive.
How to verify the answers
| Claim | How to check it |
|---|---|
| Registered agent or broker | RECO’s public register: status, brokerage, registration number, expiry date and enforcement activity in the past five years. |
| Designations | Ask to see the certificate. Check the awarding body’s member directory where one exists. |
| Rankings and awards | The ranking should name its source and year. Look it up on the platform itself. |
| Reviews | Read them on the review platform, sorted by most recent, not only on the agent’s website. |
| Results | Ask for the list price, the final price and the date for each deal they mention. |
| Pricing advice | Ask for the comparable sales, with addresses, dates and sold prices. |
Read the representation agreement
Since 1 December 2023, under Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA), a brokerage must have a written agreement with you before it provides client services. Your agent must also give you RECO’s Information Guide and explain it first.
- The term: how long the agreement lasts. You can ask for a shorter one to start.
- The area or property it covers.
- The services the brokerage will provide, in writing.
- How and when the brokerage is paid, and what happens if you buy or sell privately during the term.
- How the agreement can be ended early.
- What happens if the brokerage represents another buyer or seller in the same deal.
More detail: the buyer representation agreement and listing agreements and costs.
Interviewing agents? Ask me all nine questions. I will answer each one with something you can check.
Book a 30-minute callWarning signs
- Superlatives with no source. RECO’s advertising guidance asks whether a comparative claim is truthful and supported by verifiable facts. “Best agent” with no citation is not a fact. A ranking with a named platform and year is.
- “Your home sold or I buy it” offers. Read exactly what is promised, the conditions, and what price you would get if the promise is used.
- A price that sounds too good. Some agents win listings with an inflated number and talk you down later. Ask for the comparables.
- Pressure to sign today. A good agent will give you time to read the agreement and ask questions.
- No questions about you. An agent who talks only about themselves has not started working out what you need.
- Vague answers about offers. In multiple offers, the seller’s brokerage must tell every buyer who has made a written offer how many competing offers there are. Your agent should know these rules cold.
Compare agents side by side
Score each agent you interview, then compare. Use your own notes, not the agent’s brochure.
| What to score | Agent A | Agent B | Agent C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration and brokerage checked on RECO | |||
| Recent experience in my area and property type | |||
| Showed comparable sales behind their advice | |||
| Told me something I did not want to hear | |||
| Explained the agreement clause by clause | |||
| Independent reviews, read and recent | |||
| Who handles my file day to day | |||
| Lawyer, mortgage agent and inspector coordinated | |||
| Can work in my language |
My answers, for you to check
- Registered as a Broker with RE/MAX Gold Realty Inc., Brokerage. Check me on RECO’s register.
- Designations: RENE, SRS, ABR and SRES. See the certificates.
- Ranked #1 in Brampton, 2025 (Rate-My-Agent, based on verified client reviews); #19 in Canada, Rate-My-Agent Top 100 Agents 2025; #13 in Canada, RankMyAgent 2025.
- 230+ client reviews across four platforms (Oct 2026), and 5.0 on Rate-My-Agent. Read them.
- Results with list price and price paid for each deal. Track record.
- English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, Kannada and Telugu. Service in your language.
- I am your point of contact from the first call to after closing. How I work.
Choosing a listing agent to sell your home
Selling is a different job from buying, so check a listing agent on seller evidence, not overall star ratings.
- Ask for their sold list. Address, list price, sale price and days on market for the last 12 months in your area. A good listing agent hands it over without hesitation.
- Read their seller reviews specifically. Rate-My-Agent publishes a Brampton listing-agent ranking based on seller reviews; RankMyAgent ranks Brampton agents on verified reviews, how recent they are and how many there are. Filter for reviews from sellers.
- Ask how they would price your home, and which sold comparables the number comes from.
- Ask for the launch and offer plan: photos, video, showings, and whether they would set an offer date.
- Get the commission and what it includes in writing before you sign. It is negotiable.
My own approach, step by step: how to sell your house fast in Brampton without leaving money on the table. Or start with your home’s value.
Buying instead? See first-time buyers, investing, search homes by city and pre-construction.
Questions people ask me
How do I choose the best realtor in the GTA?
Verify the agent’s RECO registration and brokerage, and read independent reviews. Ask for the comparable sales behind any pricing advice, and what they would advise against. Read the representation agreement clause by clause before you sign. Then choose the person whose answers were specific, not just confident.
How can I check that a real estate agent is registered in Ontario?
Search RECO’s public register at reco.on.ca. It shows the agent’s registration status, brokerage, registration number and expiry date, and enforcement history from the past five years. Every agent and brokerage trading in Ontario must be registered.
What should I ask before signing a representation agreement?
Ask about the term, the area and the services the brokerage will provide. Ask how and when the brokerage is paid, and what happens if you buy or sell privately during the term. Since 1 December 2023, the agreement must be in writing, and your agent must first give you RECO’s Information Guide.
Are ‘number one agent’ claims regulated?
Yes. RECO’s advertising guidance says a comparative claim must be truthful and supported by verifiable facts, with its basis disclosed. A ranking should name its source and year, such as a review platform and the year of the ranking. A bare ‘best agent’ claim is not a fact.
Does it matter if the agent is a salesperson or a broker?
Both are registered to trade. A broker has met higher education and experience requirements, which you can confirm on the RECO register. Experience in your area and property type matters at least as much.
Should I use the listing agent to buy a home?
You can, but understand the trade-off. If one brokerage represents both sides, it must first give you a written disclosure, and you decide whether to consent. RECO notes that in multiple representation, none of the clients is fully represented. Many buyers prefer their own representative, especially in multiple offers.
Is commission negotiable?
How the brokerage is paid is set out in your written agreement, and you can discuss it before you sign. Compare what is included, not just the rate: pricing work, marketing, negotiation and coordination all affect your net result.
Sources
- RECO: make sure your real estate agent is registered and RECO public register
- RECO Bulletin 5.1: advertising requirements
- RECO: TRESA FAQs (multiple representation, Information Guide)
- RECO: the real estate professional search tool
- RECO: competing offers
- Rankings: rate-my-agent.com and rankmyagent.com, 2025.
Interviewing agents?
Ask me the hard questions. I will answer with things you can check, and tell you honestly if I am not the right fit.