A guide for Ottawa home buyers and sellers
What questions should you ask a real estate agent? Before choosing an agent in Ottawa, ask about their plan for your goals, relevant experience, communication, pricing advice, fees and representation agreement, marketing, team responsibilities and potential risks.
Choosing a real estate agent starts with a conversation. Before committing, you should understand how they work, what services they provide and how they will help you make informed decisions.
Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Ottawa, these questions can help you find someone whose approach fits your needs.
1. How will you help me reach my goals—and what’s your plan to get me there?
Buying or selling a home is personal. Your timeline, finances and reasons for moving should help shape the strategy.
An agent should take time to understand what matters to you, then explain a clear plan—from pricing and marketing to finding the right home and negotiating on your behalf.
On The Joanne Goneau Team, we want that conversation to leave you feeling heard, informed and confident that the plan is built around you.
2. What experience do you bring, and how will it help guide my purchase or sale?
Ask about experience relevant to your property, your circumstances and the decisions ahead. Years in the industry matter, but so does how that experience translates into practical advice.
All three members of The Joanne Goneau Team are real estate brokers. In 2026, Joanne Goneau celebrates 40 years in real estate, Ray Otten celebrates 36 years, and Jordyn Reid-Stevenson brings more than 14 years of experience.
Our experience also includes brokerage leadership and industry education. Joanne has owned the brokerage for 15 years. Ray is a past president of the Ottawa Real Estate Board, while Jordyn is a brokerage manager, an Ottawa Real Estate Board director and an MLS® trainer with the Board.
For our clients, that means practical experience and industry knowledge they can draw on throughout their transaction.
3. How often will we communicate, and who will initiate the updates?
Discuss how you prefer to communicate, when you’re available and whether there are times you would rather not be contacted. Ask who will initiate updates and how urgent information will be handled.
Our team communicates with sellers at least weekly, including Friday updates covering activity, buyer feedback and next steps. We also communicate as important information becomes available, particularly after showings and during negotiations.
For buyers, communication follows their search. We may speak daily while actively viewing homes, or less frequently when inventory is limited or the buyer’s timeline is more flexible.
The goal is an agreed approach that keeps you informed and works with your schedule.
4. What evidence supports your recommended listing price?
For sellers: ask how the agent arrived at the recommendation and how the pricing strategy supports your goals.
We review recent comparable sales, competing listings, and your home’s condition, features and location. We also consider your timeline and priorities.
You should understand both the recommended price and the reasoning behind it. Discuss how buyer activity and showing feedback will be reviewed—and what might lead to a change in strategy.
5. How will you help me assess a home’s value and decide how much to offer?
For buyers: ask how the agent will evaluate the property and explain a suitable offer range.
Our team considers recent comparable sales, the home’s condition, time on the market and any competing offers. We explain where the asking price fits within that information.
From there, we help you weigh price alongside conditions, closing dates, your budget and your comfort level. REALTOR.ca’s buyer guidance also explains why an offer involves more than price, including the deposit, included items, completion date and any conditions. REALTOR.ca’s buyer guide
Our role is to provide advice and a negotiation strategy so you can make an informed decision without feeling pressured.
6. What will I pay, what services are included, and what am I committing to when I sign?
Before signing a representation agreement, ask for an explanation of:
- The services included and any additional charges.
- How fees are calculated, who pays them and when they become payable.
- The agreement’s length and scope.
- Cancellation provisions.
- Any holdover clause that could create obligations after the agreement expires.
RECO explains that fees are negotiable and are not set by a regulator, government or real estate board. Buyers should also understand any amount they may owe if a seller’s contribution does not cover their agreed brokerage fee. RECO’s guidance on representation agreements
Our buyer presentation explains the purchasing process and provides time for questions. Our seller presentation outlines services, fees, preparation, pricing, marketing and negotiation.
We also provide the RECO Information Guide before offering services or assistance, as required in Ontario. It explains representation options and important information about working with an agent. Read the official RECO Information Guide.
7. What is your marketing plan for my home, and how will you report the results?
For sellers: ask how your home will be prepared, presented and promoted—and how you’ll know whether the strategy is working.
Our approach includes thoughtful home preparation, professional photography, engaging video and social media content, online listing exposure, and outreach to agents and potential buyers. We also discuss whether open houses make sense for your property.
Our Friday seller updates review activity, feedback and next steps. You should understand what is happening and why we may recommend an adjustment.
8. Who will be my main point of contact?
Ask who handles appointments, marketing, paperwork, negotiations and follow-up. You should also know who to contact when your lead agent is unavailable.
On our team, your lead agent guides strategy and negotiations, while other team members assist with coordination, marketing and administrative details as needed.
We explain those responsibilities at the beginning so you know who is handling each step.
9. What potential risks or concerns do you see?
Clear advice includes honest conversations about concerns—even when they are difficult to hear.
Ask your agent what they know, what still needs clarification and which issues may require advice from a home inspector, lawyer, mortgage specialist or another qualified professional.
Recently, a buyer working with our team fell in love with a home and asked us to research the price. While investigating extensive renovations completed before the listing, we contacted the listing agent, who disclosed that a previous infestation had prompted the work.
We shared that information with our buyer, who decided they were not comfortable proceeding.
Another buyer might have assessed the situation differently. Our responsibility was to ask questions, gather information and explain what we learned so our client could decide.
That approach reflects the emphasis CREA places on protecting clients’ interests and providing competent, honest service. REALTOR® Code of Ethics
A good conversation should leave you with clarity
You should understand the proposed strategy, the costs and commitments, how communication will work and who will guide you through the decisions ahead.
You don’t need to arrive with every answer. Asking questions is how we begin building a plan together.
Thinking about buying or selling in Ottawa? Contact The Joanne Goneau Team through our contact form to discuss your goals and ask your questions.