Buying or selling a house is rather complicated in Canada. Although you don't legally need to hire a professional realtor in order to buy or sell property, a realtor's training and experience in this field can go a long way to ensuring you get a fair deal.

In Canada, the seller, not the purchaser, of a property pays a commission to a listing realtor to sell his or her property. Real estate fees are negotiable but generally range from 5 to 10 percent of the selling price, averaging about 7 percent of the selling price up to $100,000, and 2.5 percent on any amount over that.

The seller's realtor is responsible for marketing the property to attract potential buyers. This may include newspaper advertising, advertisements in real estate publications, a For Sale sign on the property, open houses at the property, and a fact sheet detailing the specifications of the property. The realtor will also usually post the property on MLS, the Multiple Listings Service, which is a directory of properties for sale in each region across Canada. The realtor then handles any purchasing inquiries made regarding the property. When the property sells, the seller's realtor must share that real estate commission with the real estate agent working for the purchaser, with each receiving half of the commission.

At the very least the purchaser's realtor should do the following:

• Make notes about the purchaser's needs and desires regarding a home, including the preferred moving or purchase date.
• Establish what kind of financing the buyer has in place. If this has not yet been taken care of, the realtor should direct the buyer to various financing establishments.
• Provide the buyer with an estimate of the costs that will result from the purchase.
• Provide the buyer with a list of available homes matching his or her needs and price
range; these lists should contain a photo of the house, its price, size, location, age, and other relevant details. A good realtor will also provide a list of the prices of houses recently sold in the neighbourhood in which the purchaser wants to buy.
• Have enough knowledge about the buyer's needs and the marketplace to recognize when a good deal or a good match comes on the market.
• Arrange with the selling realtor for the buyer to visit any properties in which he or she is interested.
• Be sufficiently articulate and assertive to be able to negotiate with the selling realtor. Negotiations can be stressful and drawn-out, so buyers need to have confidence and trust in their agent.
• Be prepared to transfer documents, keys, and cheques at the conclusion of the transaction.

The best method is always word of mouth. Ask your friends and business associates for names and don't hesitate to call the realtors recommended; you'll find out how promptly they return calls as well as getting a sense of their general professional conduct.

You can also determine a lot about an agent, as well as the housing market, by attending open houses. These are standard marketing tools used by selling agents; the realtor posts an "Open House" sign on the lawn and lets you look through the house, allowing you to poke into bathrooms and closets to see if the property appeals to you. Usually, the owner is not present. If you like the way the agent treats you as a prospective buyer, perhaps she or he could handle your purchase as well.

Look for an agent who is familiar with the area in which you want to live. Ask for a list of houses she or he has sold or purchased in that area in the past few years.

Scan all available newspapers to see which realtors are selling the kinds of houses you want in the neighbourhoods in which you are interested.

Jot down the names of realtors listed on the For Sale signs in the area in which you want to live.

Make sure you feel comfortable with your realtor and that she or he really listens to your needs. Verify potential realtors' track records, finding out things such as how long they have been in business and what previous customers think about their performance.

Talk to your realtor. Ask your prospective agent about the housing market and financing options. Ask what he or she will do for you as a client. Also, be sure to ask for references from buyers for whom the realtor previously worked.