You have probably already started scrolling through listings. Maybe you bookmarked a few properties in Westboro or Kanata, and now you are wondering who might help you actually walk through those doors. The feeling is familiar, that mix of anticipation and uncertainty, because choosing someone to guide you through one of the largest purchases of your life requires more than a quick Google search and a handshake.
Ottawa has roughly 4,000 registered brokers and salespeople according to the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s 2024 figures. And that number alone can make your head spin a little.
If you are looking for one person among thousands, and you need that person to know the specific streets you are interested in, the quirks of the neighbourhoods you have been dreaming about, and the market conditions that will affect your offer.
So where do you begin?
Start With Licensing and Verification
Every real estate agent practising in Ontario must be registered with the Real Estate Council of Ontario, commonly known as RECO. This registration is not optional. It means the agent has completed required education, maintains insurance, and has undergone Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks. These checks exist to protect you.
Before you have a single conversation with a potential realtor, you can verify their registration status directly through RECO’s online database. It takes a few minutes, and it tells you immediately if someone is legitimate. You would be surprised how many people skip this step and find themselves working with someone whose credentials are murky at best.
And maybe you are thinking that everyone you would find through a reputable platform would already be verified. That is often true, but checking yourself adds a layer of confidence. You know what you are walking into.
Look at Their Track Record, Not Their Promises
Agents will tell you they are excellent. They will say they know the market inside and out. And some of them do. But the only way to separate genuine expertise from self-promotion is to look at actual performance data.
When evaluating a realtor, ask about their transaction volume in the specific Ottawa neighbourhoods you are interested in. An agent who has closed 50 deals in Barrhaven may not know the first thing about buying in Centretown. Neighbourhoods have personalities, pricing patterns, and local considerations that only come from repeated work in that area.
Ask about their sold-price versus list-price ratios. This number tells you how effective they are at negotiating. If an agent consistently closes deals at or above asking price for buyers who wanted to be competitive, or secures favourable prices for sellers, that ratio will show it. Numbers do not lie in the same way that testimonials sometimes can.
Experts recommend interviewing at least 3 realtors before making your choice. This is not about making anyone uncomfortable. It is about comparison. You will quickly notice differences in communication style, market knowledge, and responsiveness. And responsiveness matters more than you might expect during the actual buying process, when timing can make or break an offer.
Consider Data-Driven Matching Platforms
Some platforms now analyse agents based on their real track record, performance, and local area expertise rather than relying on referrals or advertising spend. Wahi, for example, uses this kind of approach to connect homebuyers with qualified realtors.
The idea is straightforward: instead of hoping your friend’s recommendation happens to be a good fit for your particular search, a platform can match you based on factors like where you are looking, the agent’s sales history in that area, and their overall performance metrics. Only the top 10% of realtors are invited to become Wahi Select Realtors, which means you are starting from a pool of agents who have already demonstrated results.
This kind of vetting matters because real estate is hyperlocal. An agent’s average numbers across the entire city do not help you if you are focused on a specific pocket of Ottawa. You want someone who has walked those streets repeatedly, who knows which houses sit on busy intersections, who understands why one block sells faster than another.
The Questions You Should Be Asking
When you sit down with a potential realtor, whether over coffee or on a video call, come prepared with specific questions. Vague questions get vague answers.
Ask them: How many homes have you helped buyers purchase in this neighbourhood in the past 12 months? What was the average difference between the asking price and final sale price on those transactions? How quickly do you typically respond to messages during an active search?
Ask about their approach when you lose a bidding war. Because in Ottawa, depending on the neighbourhood and price range, you might lose a few. How an agent handles disappointment and pivots to the next opportunity tells you something about their temperament and strategy.
Ask if they work primarily with buyers, sellers, or both. Some agents focus almost entirely on listings, and their expertise reflects that. If you are buying, you want someone whose skills are sharpened by working with buyers like you.
And pay attention to how they answer. Do they give you numbers, or do they speak in generalities? Do they mention specific streets and buildings, or do they talk about the city as one undifferentiated mass? The specificity of their answers reveals the specificity of their knowledge.
Trust Your Gut, But Verify With Data
You might meet someone you immediately click with. And that feeling is worth paying attention to, because you will spend a lot of time with this person over the coming weeks or months. Liking them matters.
But liking someone is not enough on its own. Verify what they tell you. If they claim to have sold 20 homes in your target neighbourhood last year, ask for some addresses. Check those properties. See if the numbers align with what they said.
This is not about being paranoid. It is about being thorough. You are about to make decisions involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the agent you choose will influence those decisions in ways large and small.
What Wahi Select Realtors Offer
Wahi’s approach to matching buyers with realtors focuses on actual performance data rather than marketing budgets. When you connect with a Wahi Select Realtor, you are connected with someone who has been vetted based on years of experience and real results in their local area.
The platform analyses your property search location and matches you with agents who have demonstrated expertise in that specific part of Ottawa. This means you are not starting from scratch, wondering if the person across the table really knows Hintonburg as well as they claim. The vetting has already happened.
This matters because referrals, while well-intentioned, often come from people who had a good relationship with their agent rather than people who evaluated multiple options.
Your coworker’s realtor might be wonderful, but wonderful for a family buying a detached home in Orleans does not necessarily mean wonderful for you buying a condo in the Glebe.
The Interview Process
Set up conversations with at least 3 realtors. Prepare the same questions for each one, so you can compare answers directly. Take notes, because after the third conversation, you will start to forget who said what.
Notice who asks you questions in return. A good agent wants to understand your timeline, your priorities, your dealbreakers. They should be curious about your situation, not simply pitching themselves.
And notice who follows up. After your initial conversation, who sends you a summary email? Who checks in a day later to see if you have additional questions? These small gestures predict how they will behave during the more stressful moments of an active search.
Making Your Decision
After your interviews, you will probably have a sense of who felt right. Combine that feeling with what you learned from their track records, their RECO verification, and their responsiveness.
The agent you choose will become a consistent presence in your life for the duration of your home search. They will see you excited, frustrated, overwhelmed, and hopeful. Pick someone who you trust to handle all of those versions of you with competence and care.
And remember that you can change your mind. If you start working with someone and it becomes clear they are not the right fit, you are allowed to step back and find someone else. This is your home, your money, your future Saturday mornings in that kitchen. The realtor is there to serve your goals, and if they are not doing that well, the relationship should end.
Finding a trusted realtor in Ottawa takes some effort, but the effort is worth it. The right person will make the process feel manageable. And when you finally get the keys to your new place, you will be glad you took the time to choose carefully.