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Canada – Finding Property to Buy

Popular Estate Agencies

  • Royal LePage: One of the largest and most well-known real estate companies in Canada, with over 18,000 agents in over 600 locations. They offer a wide range of services including buying, selling, and renting property.
  • Century 21: One of the largest real estate franchises in the world, with over 9,000 agents in Canada. They offer a wide range of services including buying, selling, and renting property.
  • Re/Max: One of the largest real estate franchises in the world, with over 18,000 agents in Canada. They offer a wide range of services including buying, selling, and renting property.

Qualifications and/or Licenses for Estate Agents

In Canada, estate agents are required to have a valid real estate license. This license is issued by the provincial or territorial Real Estate Council and requires the completion of a course and passing of an exam.

Estate Agent Fees

Estate agents typically charge a commission on the sale of a property. This commission is typically a percentage of the sale price of the property, which ranges between 5% to 7%.

Other Resources for Property Details

  • The Multiple Listing Service (MLS): A database of properties for sale that is accessible to real estate agents and consumers.
  • Realestate.ca: A website that allows you to search for properties for sale and rent in Canada.
  • Zillow: A popular website that allows you to search for properties for sale and rent in Canada.
  • Local newspapers and magazines
  • Word of mouth

Buyer’s Agent

The use of a buyer’s agent is becoming more common in Canada. A buyer’s agent is a real estate agent that represents the buyer in a real estate transaction. It is not mandatory to have a qualification/license to be a buyer’s agent, but most agents are licenced. A buyer’s agent typically charges a commission on the sale of a property, which ranges between 1% to 2%


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Organizations for Foreign Property Buyers

  • Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO): A regulatory body that oversees the activities of real estate agents in Ontario.
  • Real Estate Council of British Columbia (RECBC): A regulatory body that oversees the activities of real estate agents in British Columbia.
  • Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA): A national organization that represents real estate agents and brokers in Canada.

These organizations can provide helpful information for foreign buyers, including a list of licensed real estate professionals, and information on industry standards and regulations. Contact information can be found on their respective websites.


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Writer and Editor Kirsten Raccuia is known for her Sand in My Curls blog, which until recently, was all about her expat life in Malaysia. We last spoke at the height of the global pandemic, when she and her husband were closing in on a decade in Penang. Fast-forward a couple of years, and they’re in a new country, Mexico. I’m chatting with Kirsten again to find out what factors influenced their decision to move, and why Mexico? And what it was like to close the Malaysia chapter of their life abroad.

Writer and Editor Kirsten Raccuia is known for her Sand in My Curls blog, which until recently, was all about her expat life in Malaysia. We last spoke at the height of the global pandemic, when she and her husband were closing in on a decade in Penang.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and they’re in a new country, Mexico. I’m chatting with Kirsten again to find out what factors influenced their decision to move, and why Mexico? And what it was like to close the Malaysia chapter of their life abroad.

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A topic that comes up quite often in our Facebook groups is moving abroad with children. What’s the ideal age? Especially if they're going to need to learn a new language? What about the best time of year to move? And how do you make the assimilation process, from learning new cultural norms to making new friends, as smooth and enjoyable as possible?

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Sharon’s going to share her experience of being a third culture kid, and how it has shaped her sense of belonging as an adult.

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