A real estate agent is a person licensed in their province to help people buy, sell or lease property, working through a licensed brokerage. Many people call any agent a realtor; strictly, REALTOR® is a certification mark that identifies members of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Many licensed agents are members, but membership and the provincial licence are two separate things.

This directory lists real estate agents across Canada by city and by the kind of work they do, buying, selling, condos, new builds, investment, commercial, rentals, rural property and downsizing. Listings are provided by the agents themselves or drawn from public registers. Check an agent’s registration on your provincial regulator’s public register before you sign anything.

By service

Buyer’s agents

Agents who represent buyers through the search, the offer and closing. Representation terms are set out in a written agreement.

Listing agents

Agents who list and sell homes, from full-service marketing to flat-fee and reduced-service listings.

First-time home buyers

Agents who walk first-time buyers through offers, conditions, closing costs and inspections.

Condos

Condo and strata purchases and sales, including the corporation’s finances, reserve fund and bylaws.

Pre-construction and new builds

Representation for buyers of pre-construction condos and new homes, and for assignment sales.

Investment and rental property

Rental condos, houses with suites and small multiplexes, with the numbers tested rather than repeated.

Luxury homes

High-value, waterfront and estate homes, where pricing relies on few comparable sales and privacy matters.

Commercial real estate

Sales and leases of office, retail, industrial and development property, for owners, investors and tenants.

Relocation and newcomers

Help for newcomers and people moving from elsewhere, including remote viewings and employer programs.

Rentals and leasing

Finding tenants for landlords and rentals for tenants, with screening and lease preparation.

Cottage, rural and recreational

Cottages, waterfront, acreages and rural homes, where water, septic, access and zoning decide value.

Seniors and downsizing

Downsizing moves, selling a parent’s home and estate sales, with attention to timing and the next home.

What does a real estate agent do?

For a seller, a real estate agent prices the home, markets it, arranges showings, presents offers and negotiates. For a buyer, an agent searches, arranges viewings, researches comparable sales, writes the offer and negotiates conditions. On both sides they coordinate with lawyers or notaries, lenders, inspectors and appraisers until the deal closes.

The duties an agent owes depend on whether you are a client or a customer. A client has signed a representation agreement and is owed loyalty, confidentiality and advice. A customer, for example, a buyer dealing directly with the seller’s agent, gets honest information and fair dealing, but not advocacy. Ask which you are.

How real estate agents get paid: commission and fees

Agents are usually paid a commission when a deal closes. On a sale, the seller agrees the commission with the listing brokerage in the listing agreement, and the listing brokerage typically offers to share part of it with the buyer’s brokerage. The brokerage then pays its agents under its own arrangements. Other models exist: flat fees, reduced-service listings and, occasionally, hourly or fixed-fee buyer representation.

No law fixes commission in Canada. It is negotiated between you and the brokerage and written into your agreement. Ask what is included, what the buyer’s brokerage will be offered, and whether a buyer could owe anything themselves.

REALTOR® vs real estate agent, and who regulates them

Every agent who trades in real estate for others must be registered or licensed with their provincial regulator: the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA), the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA), the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission (SREC), the Manitoba Securities Commission through the Manitoba Financial Services Agency, the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ), the Financial and Consumer Services Commission in New Brunswick (FCNB), and the Nova Scotia Real Estate Commission (NSREC). In Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador and the territories, licensing is handled by a government superintendent, registrar or consumer affairs office.

The regulator sets education requirements, handles complaints and can discipline or suspend. Each has a public register where you can search an agent’s name and brokerage. Membership of CREA, a provincial association and a local board is separate, gives access to the local MLS® System, and carries CREA’s code of ethics. The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS® and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by CREA and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA.

Titles also vary. Depending on the province you may see salesperson, agent, associate broker, broker or real estate broker. A brokerage is the licensed firm; an individual trades on its behalf.

Common questions

What is the difference between a realtor and a real estate agent?

A real estate agent is anyone licensed by their province to trade in real estate. REALTOR® is a certification mark for members of The Canadian Real Estate Association, which most, but not all, licensed agents are. The provincial licence is what allows someone to act for you; membership adds access to the local MLS® System and CREA’s code of ethics.

How do I choose a real estate agent?

Interview two or three. Ask about recent deals in your area and price range, how they are paid, what is included, how they handle offers, and how available they will be. Ask for references. Then search each name on your provincial regulator’s public register before you sign a representation agreement.

What questions should I ask a realtor?

How long they have worked in your area, how many clients they work with at a time, what the commission is and what it covers, whether they or their brokerage might represent the other side, how they will communicate, and what happens if you want to end the agreement.

What is dual agency?

One agent or brokerage representing both the buyer and the seller in the same deal. British Columbia largely prohibits it; Ontario, where it is called multiple representation, allows it only with informed written consent from both sides; other provinces set their own rules. An agent acting for both cannot fully advocate for either.

How do I file a complaint against a real estate agent?

Raise it with the agent’s brokerage first; the broker of record is responsible for supervising the agent. If that does not resolve it, file a complaint with the provincial regulator, which can investigate and discipline. Disputes about commission or damages may need a lawyer or small claims court.

Can I fire my realtor?

You can end the relationship on the terms your representation or listing agreement allows, or by agreement with the brokerage. Many brokerages will release an unhappy client or assign a different agent. Check the holdover clause, which can still apply to properties or buyers introduced during the term.

Real estate agents in Canada