Real Estate Agent

Explore the role of a real estate agent in Canada, what services they provide, and how they help buyers and sellers succeed in the housing market.

Real Estate Agent



What is a Real Estate Agent?

A real estate agent is a licensed professional who assists clients in buying, selling, or renting properties and represents their interests during real estate transactions.

Why Real Estate Agents Matter in Real Estate

In Canada, real estate agents provide essential services in one of the most significant financial transactions of a person’s life. Agents are regulated provincially and must be licensed by bodies such as RECO (Ontario), CREA (nationally), or other regional boards.

Agents help with:
  • Pricing strategy and market analysis
  • Property showings and staging
  • Offer negotiations and legal documentation
  • Coordination of home inspections and closings

They typically work under a brokerage and may represent buyers, sellers, or both (in dual agency, where permitted). Agents owe fiduciary duties to their clients, including loyalty, disclosure, and confidentiality.

Compensation is usually commission-based, paid as a percentage of the property’s sale price (commonly 4%–5%, split between buyer and seller agents). While optional, working with a qualified agent gives clients access to MLS listings, professional networks, and negotiation expertise.

Understanding the role and obligations of a real estate agent helps clients choose the right professional and navigate the market with greater confidence and efficiency.

Example of a Real Estate Agent

A first-time buyer hires a real estate agent in Vancouver to help find a condo. The agent negotiates a price reduction and walks them through each step of the closing process.

Key Takeaways

  • Licensed professional who facilitates real estate transactions.
  • Regulated at the provincial and national level.
  • Offers market expertise, negotiation, and legal support.
  • Usually paid via commission on property sale.
  • Crucial for navigating complex property deals.

Related Terms

  • REALTOR®
  • Buyer’s Agent
  • Listing Agent
  • Dual Agency
  • Commission

Additional Terms

Bridge Financing

Bridge financing is a short-term loan that helps homebuyers cover the financial gap between buying a new property and selling their existing one.. more

Bridge Loan

A bridge loan is a short-term financing option that allows homeowners to borrow against the equity in their current property to fund the purchase of. more

Firm Offer

A firm offer is a legally binding agreement to purchase a property that contains no conditions. Once accepted, it commits both the buyer and the. more

Foreclosure

Foreclosure is a legal process through which a lender takes ownership of a property when the borrower defaults on their mortgage payments.. more

Closing Costs

Closing costs are the various fees and expenses that buyers and sellers must pay to finalize a real estate transaction, separate from the property’s. more

Assignment Sale

An assignment sale occurs when the original buyer of a property (the assignor) sells their rights in the purchase agreement to a new buyer (the. more

More For You

Canopy Towers Celebrates Community And Connectivity In Mississauga

Canopy Towers porte cochère rotunda (rendering)

As Mississauga continues to grow, Liberty Development’s Canopy Towers is making its mark on the burgeoning community — not only with its architecture, but through its role in shaping a more connected, transit-oriented urban future.

On Victoria Day, the developer hosted a community celebration on-site at Canopy Towers, welcoming partners, homebuyers, and special guests to mark several major project milestones.

Keep ReadingShow less
Toronto City Council Approves 7 High-Rise Proposals From Choice, Diamante, And More
Rendering of 1798-1812 Weston Road/BDP Quadrangle via Castlepoint Numa

Toronto City Council wrapped up its May session last week and, as with every month, several development applications were up for review. Of those, the lion’s share got the green light — albeit with varying degrees of amendments — which is perhaps a testament to the intensified emphasis on homebuilding in Toronto and its development review system that’s in the process of being streamlined by a newly-formed division.

As part of the Province’s broader goal of 1.5 million new homes by 2030, Toronto has the tall order of delivering 285,000 new homes over a 10-year course, but has only achieved 71,762 starts since 2022. Last year, Toronto fell short of its target of 23,750 starts, with just 18,422 units recorded.

Keep ReadingShow less
Stylish Mississauga Home Brings Classic Mid-Century Cool to Modern Family Living

Striking the perfect balance between refined and homey is a tall task, but one that this South Mississauga home pulls off with ease.

Located in the highly-sought after Applewood Acres — a mid-century suburb built, charmingly, over what was once a collection of apple orchards — 2121 Harvest Drive offers quiet, tree-lined streets and 5,000 sq. ft of stunning custom craftsmanship.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meet The Agent: Laura McBride, Sutton Group - Heritage Realty Inc.

Laura McBride

Welcome to Meet the Agent, an ongoing series profiling real estate agents from across Canada. With more than 150,000 agents, brokers, and salespeople working in 75 different boards and associations across the country, we thought it was about time they had a place to properly introduce themselves.

If you or someone you know deserves the same chance, email agents@storeys.com to apply.

Keep ReadingShow less
​A residential street in Toronto.

A residential street in Toronto. / Erman Gunes, Shutterstock

Jakub Zerdzicki/Pexels

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) annual Mortgage Consumer Survey was released this week and the findings reveal a varied, but overall optimistic, homebuyer landscape based on responses from 3,968 mortgage consumers collected in January 2025.

While an increasing amount of homebuyers paid the maximum that they can afford for a home and more consumers are struggling to make mortgage payments, respondents are more optimistic about their home purchase being a good investment than they were in 2024 and first-time homebuyers are making up a larger share of transactions than they did a year ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
Toronto Development Marketing Firm L.A. Inc. Closes After 40 Years

L.A. Inc.

After 40 years in business, Toronto-based real estate marketing firm L.A. Inc. announced on Thursday that the company has closed its doors.

"The end of an era. L.A. Inc’s journey has come to an end. It has been 35 plus years of amazing story telling. We’ve witnessed profound changes in the real estate sector, both up and down," said the company in a LinkedIn post. "Unfortunately the headwinds we have experienced over the last several years have been too great to continue."

Keep ReadingShow less
Expert: Market Momentum Is Slowing – But Trusted Real Estate Professionals Are Rising

Canada’s real estate market is navigating one of its most uncertain chapters in years. Interest rates are softening, but affordability remains out of reach for many. Inflation is still a concern, consumer confidence is fragile, and global tensions continue to shape economic uncertainty. In this kind of environment, real estate decisions are no longer just transactional – they’re deeply personal and increasingly high-stakes.

Today’s buyers and sellers are navigating more than just listings and mortgage rates. They’re weighing questions about job stability, long-term affordability, family priorities, and whether now is the right time to make a move. From coast to coast, we’re seeing the ripple effects of that caution: sales are slowing, inventory is rising, and confidence is uneven.

Keep ReadingShow less