All buyer tools

Buyer playbook: from finding a home to choosing an agent

Found a home, planning a tour, or preparing an offer? Start with the agent questions that matter now, then follow the purchase checklist and glossary.

I found a home online — how do I choose a buyer agent?

Choose an agent for the work you still need: checking the property and price, arranging access, preparing an offer, and coordinating the purchase. Compare availability, local experience, included services, and the total fee before committing. Finding the listing yourself is useful preparation; it does not finish the transaction.

Here, self-directed means you lead your home search. It does not mean legally self-represented: finding a property online does not determine who represents you. Clarify that relationship and review any agreement you have already signed before engaging another agent.

Updated

  1. Found a home? Define the work that remains

    List what you need help with: comparable sales, property documents, offer terms, negotiations, inspections, or coordination with your lender and lawyer. Ask which services the agent includes and who will actually do them. Confirm relevant experience with the area and property type.

  2. Planning a tour? Check availability and representation

    Ask whether the agent can arrange the showing you need, who would accompany you, and who they would represent. If you are asked to sign an agreement, understand its services, duration, geographic scope, exclusivity, and cancellation terms before deciding. Do not assume a showing request is just an appointment form.

  3. Ready to offer? Compare the whole proposal

    Confirm the agent can meet your actual deadline and explain how they would assess the price and terms. Ask for the total fee in writing, any extra charges, who is expected to pay, and what you would owe if another party contributes less than expected. Compare any proposed savings alongside the services and commitments, then ask for unclear terms to be explained before signing.

On matchclose, your public buyer profile keeps your name and contact hidden. Accepting a bid lets that agent pay to unlock a connection: a private chat by default, or your contact card if you selected that mode. Agent availability and response times vary.

Representation and agreement rules depend on where you are buying. These resources are starting points for checking local requirements; a US explanation does not establish the rules in Ontario, or vice versa.

Your path, step by step

  1. 1. Get your finances ready

    Know your number before you fall in love with a home. A pre-approval makes your offers credible.

    • Get a mortgage pre-approval and lock a rate hold.
    • Use the affordability tool to set a realistic price range.
    • Budget for closing costs (land transfer tax, legal, inspection), not just the down payment.
    • Set aside your deposit — it's due within days of an accepted offer.

  2. 2. Line up your representation

    On matchclose, agents bid savings — lower commissions or rebates — to represent you. Compare the offers, then choose — you're in control.

    • Publish your buyer listing and let agents compete for it.
    • Compare bids on savings, terms, and verified licence with the decision board.
    • Ask each agent the structured pre-questions before you accept.
    • Get the savings written into your buyer-representation agreement.

  3. 3. Search and shortlist

    Tour homes, compare them honestly against your must-haves, and keep emotion in check.

    • Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves and stick to the list.
    • Revisit your top choice at a different time of day.
    • Check recent comparable sales so your offer isn't a guess.

  4. 4. Make an offer

    An offer is price plus conditions plus a deposit. Conditions protect you; a deposit shows you're serious.

    • Decide your price from comparable sales, not the asking price.
    • Include conditions that protect you (financing, inspection) where the market allows.
    • Set a deposit amount and an offer expiry with your agent.
    • Expect to counter — few offers are accepted exactly as written.

  5. 5. Home inspection

    An inspection tells you what you're really buying. Budget surprises before you remove conditions.

    • Hire a licensed inspector and attend the inspection yourself.
    • Focus on big-ticket items: roof, foundation, electrical, plumbing, HVAC.
    • Use findings to renegotiate, request repairs, or walk away if a condition allows.

  6. 6. Financing and appraisal

    Your lender confirms the mortgage and may appraise the home. A low appraisal can change your cash needs.

    • Finalize your mortgage and satisfy the financing condition in writing.
    • Understand that if the appraisal comes in low, you may need more cash to close.
    • Confirm your default-insurance premium (if your down payment is under 20%).

  7. 7. Lawyer, title, and closing

    A lawyer handles title and registration. On closing day, money and keys change hands.

    • Retain a real-estate lawyer early and send them the agreement.
    • Arrange title insurance and a final walk-through before closing.
    • Bring certified funds for the balance, land transfer tax, and legal fees.
    • Get the keys, change the locks, and update your address.

Glossary

Appraisal
A lender's independent estimate of a home's value, used to confirm the mortgage. If it comes in below your offer, you may need more cash to close.
Buyer-representation agreement
The contract between you and your agent. It sets the term, exclusivity, and — on matchclose — the savings the agent bid. Read it before you sign.
Closing costs
One-time costs to complete the purchase beyond the down payment: land transfer tax, legal fees, title insurance, inspection, and more. Budget 1.5–4% of the price.
CMHC / default insurance
Mortgage insurance required when your down payment is under 20%. The premium is added to your mortgage; in Ontario the PST on it is payable in cash at closing.
Commission
The fee paid to the agents in a sale, usually a percentage of the price. Your buyer-agent's share is what your savings come out of.
Condition (contingency)
A clause that must be satisfied for the deal to firm up — common ones are financing and inspection. Conditions are your off-ramp before you're committed.
Deposit
Money you put down with an accepted offer to show you're serious. It's held in trust and applied to your purchase — or at risk if you back out without a condition.
Firm vs conditional offer
A conditional offer can still fall through until its conditions are met; a firm offer has none and is binding. Firm offers win competitions but carry more risk.
GDS / TDS ratios
Lender affordability limits. GDS (gross debt service) caps housing costs as a share of income; TDS adds your other debts. They set the ceiling on what you can borrow.
Land transfer tax
A tax on buying property, scaled to the price (Toronto adds a second municipal one). First-time buyers may qualify for a rebate.
Lower commission
Your buyer-agent simply charges less, so the savings land at closing instead of arriving as a payment later. Nothing to claim, nothing to wait for — the other way agents deliver savings on matchclose.
Pre-approval
A lender's conditional commitment to a mortgage amount and rate. It tells you your budget and makes your offers credible to sellers.
Rebate
Money your buyer-agent gives back to you out of their commission after closing. One of the two ways agents deliver savings on matchclose — the other is a lower commission, taken upfront.
Title insurance
A one-time policy protecting you and your lender against title defects, fraud, and survey issues. Usually arranged by your lawyer at closing.
Unlock
On matchclose, the step where an agent whose bid you accepted pays to connect with you — a private chat opens by default, or your contact card is revealed if your listing is set that way. Your name and contact stay hidden until you accept and they pay.