Montreal real-estate is complex, and if you have a bad real-estate agents it can literally cost you tens of thousands of dollars. But how do you know if you have a good or a bad real-estate agent? In this article, we give you 11 clear signs that you are working with a bad realtor and it may be time to exit that contract now!
1. Unfamiliar with the local market
Montreal is known as the city of neighbourhoods. Think Plateau vs. Rosemont, Verdun vs. NDG vs. Griffintown. Plex culture vs. modern condos vs. post-war bungalows. Each neighbourhood functions very differently. Borough bylaws, zoning rules, school catchments, and even renovation approvals can change from one area to the next.
The City of Montreal also regularly directs municipal tax dollars into infrastructure projects that can quickly reshape local property values. The REM connection between downtown and the West Island is a prime example.
A bad agent is not up to date on how the local market works. As a result, they will miss important details and make poor recommendations compared to a local expert.
2. Lacks recent experience
Local experience, property-type experience, and client-type experience all matter in real estate. A buyer’s agent who regularly represents families purchasing single-family homes on the West Island will be deeply familiar with the nuances of those homes and the specific purchase process in that area.
That experience does not automatically translate to buying a plex in Saint-Henri, where the evaluation criteria, financing considerations, rental regulations, and negotiation dynamics are entirely different.
Likewise, an agent who works consistently with families will understand what actually matters to them — school catchments, daycare availability, parks, pools, commute times, and even planned or approved infrastructure projects. A knowledgeable realtor won’t just know whether these amenities exist today, but whether they are under construction, proposed, or likely to change.
3. Out of date training or a disciplinary
In Montreal, real-estate agents are monitored by a government entity called the OACIQ. This regulatory organization has a very strict rule set for what brokers can and cannot do. If a real-estate agent breaks a rule such as, mis-advising a client, the agent can receive a fine and a disciplinary notice. You should avoid an agent if they have a disciplinary notice.
You can check your agent’s disciplinary record by entering their name into our Immovision Agent Background Check tool.
4. They do this as a side gig
There are more than 4,500 active real-estate agents in Montreal. However, a recent study shows that 71% – 74% of real-estate agents do zero transactions in a year. This means the majority of agents are not regularly buying or selling homes.
This is a problem because unless an agent is actively transacting, their skill set will have dulled over time. Their market and regulatory knowledge will be out of date, negotiation skills will be rusty, their marketing methods will be dated. You want a realtor that buys and sells between 5 – 10 homes per month. This is what keeps their skills sharp.
5. Lack of active empathy (low EQ)
A real-estate agent who listens closely, understands your priorities and concerns, and adjusts their advice accordingly is displaying active empathy. This is important because, real-estate decisions are highly personal, time-sensitive, and financially significant. If a real-estate agent is not able to understand your needs, you will lose time, money, and you could be forced into a difficult situation.
If you notice that your agent is not listening and pushing their own agenda it is probably time to move on.
6. Too eager to please
You need a real-estate agent who will tell you on the facts so that you can make decisions based on accurate information. Some real-estate agents find this hard to do and would rather “go along to get along”. However, it’s better to have someone on your team who gives honest opinions, rather than a yes-(wo)man who agrees to things that aren’t in your best interest.
7. Technically incompetent
Real-estate agents must understand local housing regulations, zoning bylaws, and permitting rules. They also need strong building literacy. For instance, they need the ability to identify red flags in electrical panels, heating systems, foundations, renovations, building certificates and so on. The agent will also need to understand key facts about local markets and how these impact property prices.
Without technical mastery of all these factors, your agent is flying blind and will be unable to correctly advise you. Combine lack of technical knowledge with low emotional intelligence and the result is a agent who confidently gives bad advice.
To spot a technically incompetent agent, look for signs such as missed deadlines, incomplete paperwork, vague answers to your questions, and gaps in market, regulatory, or building knowledge.
8. Acts as a messenger rather than a trusted advisor
Bad or inexperienced agents carry information between buyers and sellers without adding any value. They are passive observers who will depend on you for problem solving and deal guidance. This is especially noticeable during the buyer, seller negotiation where a bad agent will simply relay the details of the buyer or seller’s counter proposal.
Top performing realtors are more involved in a transaction. These agents will actively look for relevant data to help you make decisions. Of course, this will include the basic CMA but also a thorough investigation of the counterparty to see if they can find any leverage for negotiation.
9. No real-estate marketing skill
Real-estate marketing is the art of making a listing stand out online.
In Montreal, 94% of buyers start looking for a home online where similar properties are listed all year round. High performing agents know exactly how to make your property shine online, so that prospective buyers click, look closer and take the action to book a home showing with their agent.
Most of the work to market your home is done in the staging. Good realtors will either recommend that you hire professional stagers or they will help you understand how you can arrange your home using interior design techniques from basic depersonalization to more advanced techniques like biophilic design. The choice of how to stage your home depends on what type of person you want to attract. For instance, is your home more suited to young professionals or families.
Once the home is staged, a good real-estate agent will recommend that a photographer comes to take high contrast images. For some properties, especially detached or semi-detached homes, a realtor might even recommend hiring a videographer, drone and making different brochures to give away at an open house. However this can increase the cost of selling.
By contrast, a bad real-estate agent will not know how to market a property. You can spot this by asking direct questions such as “What type of buyer would be best for this home?” “How will we work together to attract that kind of buyer?”. A bad agent will side-step the question and then revert to making general recommendations such as basic cleaning and depersonalization techniques.
10. You never physically see them
A good real-estate agent will physically meet with you at key moments in the transaction.
For sellers, your agent should be physically present when you stage, photograph and set your list price. A good listing agent will also physically show people your home either privately or at an open house. For buyer’s, a good agent will go with you to the property that you want to see. Their role in the home visit is to view the quality of the home in person, so that they can correctly guide what purchase price and other conditions to offer.
If your agent starts off with a strong physical presence, but then starts to drift off over time, this means that they have lost engagement and it is time to move on.
11. You can’t get hold of them
At certain points in your transaction, you will be in almost constant communication with your agent. Or at least you should be!
Some agents are notoriously hard to get hold of. This lack of attention can cause real-estate transactions to drag on forever. If this sounds like your agent, you probably want to start consider other agents.
Final remarks
In Montreal’s fast paced, ever changing market, real-estate is a high stakes game where small mistakes cost big money. Bad agents can do this inadvertently or on purpose. Either way, the result is the same and good agents will get the better of you.
If you are looking for a top performing realtor in Montreal, check out our Immovision Agent Finder tool. This platform has been specifically designed so that you can look at who are the top performing agents in your local area and compare their performance.
