My Realtor Is Not Working for Me: What Should I Expect in Ontario?

by Ana Bastas

Is My Realtor Actually Working for Me?

Maybe you're constantly chasing your Realtor for updates.

Maybe you're a buyer and listings seem to reach you after you've already found them yourself.

Maybe you're selling and have no idea what's happening with your listing.

Or perhaps your Realtor is technically doing things—but you don't feel like there's any real strategy behind them.

Eventually, you start wondering:

Is my Realtor actually working for me?

That's a fair question.

But before deciding your Realtor isn't doing their job, it's important to understand what “working for you” actually means in an Ontario real estate transaction.

Because good representation isn't measured by how many texts your Realtor sends or how busy they appear.

It's about whether you're receiving the services, representation, advice and communication you agreed to receive.

What Does It Mean for a Realtor to Represent You?

When you become a client in Ontario, your relationship should be documented through a representation agreement with the brokerage.

That agreement should explain the services you'll receive, the duties owed to you, remuneration, the duration of the agreement, termination provisions and other important terms.

Depending on the brokerage and agreement, you may be under brokerage representation or designated representation.

With designated representation, one or more specific agents are identified as your designated representatives and are responsible for representing your best interests.

That means there's an important distinction between:

“My Realtor hasn't produced the outcome I wanted.”

and

“I'm not receiving the representation and services we agreed upon.”

They're not necessarily the same thing.

What Should Your Realtor Actually Be Doing?

The exact services depend on your representation agreement.

That's important.

There isn't one universal marketing package or service checklist that every Realtor must provide every client.

RECO requires representation agreements to contain a complete description of the services being provided, and specifically notes that discussing and documenting those services helps avoid misunderstandings about what clients expect.

So your first reference point should always be:

What did we agree my Realtor would do?

But there are also broader duties associated with representation.

RECO identifies duties including promoting and protecting the client's best interests, confidentiality, required disclosures and keeping the client advised of significant steps taken during the course of representation.

Let's translate that into everyday real estate.

If You're Selling Your Home

Your Realtor's role should go beyond simply placing the property on MLS—assuming your agreed services extend beyond that.

Depending on your listing strategy and representation agreement, that could involve:

Pricing Strategy

Your Realtor should help you understand the market evidence supporting your pricing strategy.

That doesn't mean your home must sell for a particular amount.

It means you should understand how your asking price relates to competing listings, recent sales, buyer behaviour and changing market conditions.

Marketing

You should understand:

What is being done to market the property?

Where is it being promoted?

Who is the likely buyer?

How are buyers and other agents being reached?

What is the strategy if the initial marketing doesn't produce the expected response?

Not every home requires the same marketing plan.

But there should be a plan.

Showing Activity & Feedback

If buyers are touring your home, that activity provides information.

If buyers aren't touring your home, that provides information too.

Your Realtor should be helping you interpret what the market is telling you.

Strategy Adjustments

Real estate isn't static.

New competing properties list.

Other homes sell.

Prices change.

Buyer demand shifts.

Your strategy may need to change with it.

You shouldn't necessarily expect your Realtor to predict exactly when your home will sell.

But you should expect them to pay attention and advise you as circumstances evolve.

If You're Buying a Home

The same principle applies.

Working with a buyer representative shouldn't simply mean receiving automated listings.

Depending on the services you've agreed upon, representation may include helping you understand properties, market conditions, comparable sales, offer strategy, conditions, negotiations and the transaction process.

And when you're considering making an offer, there is a major difference between:

providing information

and

providing representation and advice.

Ontario's rules recognize that distinction. RECO warns agents that providing opinions, advice, judgment, advocacy or negotiating on someone's behalf can create representation obligations.

If you're a client, you should know who represents you and what services they're providing.

Communication Matters — But Expectations Matter Too

One of the biggest sources of frustration between clients and Realtors is communication.

The client thinks:

“My Realtor never calls me.”

The Realtor thinks:

“Nothing has changed, so there's nothing new to report.”

Neither person necessarily has bad intentions.

The expectations simply weren't established properly.

Before or early in the relationship, discuss:

How often should we communicate?

What's our primary method—phone, email or text?

Who contacts whom after showings?

How quickly should I expect a response?

Who do I contact if my Realtor is unavailable?

Will someone else on the team sometimes assist me?

There may be times when there genuinely isn't much new information.

But you shouldn't consistently feel like you have no idea what's happening with your own transaction.

RECO specifically identifies keeping clients advised of significant steps taken during representation as a duty that should be reflected in the agreement.

Your Realtor Works for You — But You Make the Decisions

Representation doesn't mean your Realtor makes decisions for you.

Their job is to provide information, professional advice and representation so that you can make informed decisions.

Your Realtor may recommend:

a listing price;

a price adjustment;

an offer amount;

conditions;

a negotiating strategy;

whether certain professional advice should be obtained;

or a particular course of action.

But ultimately, the decision belongs to you.

Good representation should leave you feeling informed—not pressured into making decisions you don't understand.

Five Questions to Ask Yourself

If you're starting to wonder whether your Realtor is working for you, ask:

1. Do I understand the strategy?

You should know what you're trying to accomplish and how your Realtor proposes getting there.

2. Am I receiving the services we agreed upon?

Review your representation agreement.

RECO requires the services being provided to be clearly documented.

3. Am I receiving meaningful communication?

You don't necessarily need daily phone calls.

But you should receive meaningful information when something important happens.

4. Is my Realtor bringing me professional advice—or simply processing paperwork?

There is administrative work involved in every transaction.

But representation should also involve professional judgment and advice where appropriate.

5. When something isn't working, does the strategy change?

Sometimes the original strategy doesn't produce the expected result.

What matters next is whether the information is being evaluated and whether appropriate adjustments are being discussed.

What If I Don't Feel Like I'm Being Properly Represented?

Start with a direct conversation.

Don't begin with:

“You're not doing your job.”

Instead, ask:

“Can we review what we've agreed to and what the strategy is from here?”

Then get specific.

What has been done?

What hasn't?

What has the market told us?

What should happen next?

What should I expect from you?

What do you need from me?

Sometimes that conversation resolves the problem immediately.

Review Your Representation Agreement

If the relationship still isn't working, review your agreement before assuming you can simply move to another Realtor.

RECO's consumer guidance says representation agreements should explain the services you'll receive, your rights and responsibilities, remuneration, how long the agreement lasts and whether/how it can be cancelled.

Pay particular attention to:

Expiry date

Termination provisions

Services

Remuneration

Holdover provisions

and any other obligations that may continue after termination or expiry.

If you're uncertain about the legal effect of the agreement, consider obtaining independent legal advice.

What If the Problem Isn't the Realtor?

This is important too.

Sometimes a Realtor is doing exactly what they should be doing—but the market isn't producing the outcome the client wants.

A Realtor cannot force:

buyers to make offers;

sellers to accept your price;

a lender to approve financing;

an appraiser to reach a particular valuation;

or the market to support a particular price.

Good representation doesn't guarantee a particular outcome.

It means you should understand what's happening and receive competent advice about your options.

That's why the better question isn't always:

“Did I get what I wanted?”

It's:

“Did I receive the representation, communication, strategy and professional advice I was promised?”

That's a much more useful way to evaluate the relationship.

Your Realtor doesn't need to call you every day to be working for you.

And a home taking longer to sell—or losing an offer—doesn't automatically mean your Realtor has failed.

But you should understand:

what they're doing;

why they're doing it;

what the market is telling you;

what your options are;

and

what happens next.

If you consistently don't know the answers to those questions, it's reasonable to have a conversation about whether your expectations and the services you're receiving are aligned.