Do I Need a Real Estate Agent?
Tell us about your situation and we'll help you find the right agent
Ask DINA — Real Estate Advisor
Not sure where to start? Tell DINA about your situation.
Tell DINA what's going on — buying, selling, renting, or investing — and she'll help you figure out your next step.
This is AI-generated guidance, not professional advice.
🇨🇦 Canada(13 regions)
🇺🇸 United States(41 regions)
Alabama372Arizona86California75Colorado40,105Connecticut21,110Delaware3Florida296,349Georgia400Hawaii2Idaho2Illinois71,508Indiana2Kansas1Louisiana1Maine16Maryland17Massachusetts1,067Michigan373Minnesota388Mississippi1Missouri4Nevada6New Hampshire33New Jersey80New Mexico3New York1,386North Carolina209Ohio7Oklahoma4Oregon1Pennsylvania23Rhode Island570South Carolina394Tennessee477Texas783Utah7Vermont8Virginia418Washington6Wisconsin351Wyoming2
🇬🇧 United Kingdom(195 regions)
Aberdeen City43Aberdeenshire42Angus17Antrim and Newtownabbey28Ards and North Down38Argyll and Bute18Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon43Barnsley57Bath and North East Somerset103Bedford107Belfast117Birmingham828Blackburn with Darwen68Blackpool35Blaenau Gwent12Bolton154Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole284Bracknell Forest41Bradford218Bridgend35Brighton and Hove198Bristol, City of183Buckinghamshire362Bury145Caerphilly45Calderdale88Cambridgeshire238Cardiff207Carmarthenshire44Causeway Coast and Glens22Central Bedfordshire194Ceredigion18Cheshire East172Cheshire West and Chester152City of Edinburgh195Clackmannanshire9Conwy17Cornwall159County Durham129Coventry204Croydon1Cumberland60Darlington36Denbighshire21Derby110Derbyshire200Derry City and Strabane31Devon342Doncaster104Dorset165Dudley115Dumfries and Galloway19Dundee City47East Ayrshire15East Dunbartonshire22East Lothian33East Renfrewshire24East Riding of Yorkshire96East Sussex260Enfield1Essex871Falkirk36Fermanagh and Omagh19Fife68Flintshire38Gateshead98Glasgow City365Gloucestershire248Greater London15,232Gwynedd17Halton23Hampshire596Harrow2Hartlepool24Herefordshire, County of139Hertfordshire970Highland49Inverclyde14Isle of Anglesey8Isle of Wight43Isles of Scilly1Kensington and Chelsea1Kent857Kingston upon Hull, City of67Kirklees286Knowsley22Lambeth1Lancashire454Leeds400Leicester242Leicestershire331Lincolnshire237Lisburn and Castlereagh25Liverpool266Luton178Manchester605Medway154Merthyr Tydfil7Mid and East Antrim21Mid Ulster30Middlesbrough57Midlothian16Milton Keynes262Monmouthshire37Moray14Na h-Eileanan Siar3Neath Port Talbot30Newcastle upon Tyne173Newham1Newport64Newry, Mourne and Down41Norfolk261North Ayrshire23North East Lincolnshire56North Lanarkshire104North Lincolnshire38North Northamptonshire152North Somerset82North Tyneside55North Yorkshire238Northumberland90Nottingham142Nottinghamshire250Oldham98Orkney Islands3Oxfordshire299Pembrokeshire33Perth and Kinross31Peterborough125Plymouth69Portsmouth91Powys17Reading97Redbridge1Redcar and Cleveland30Renfrewshire43Rhondda Cynon Taf69Rochdale97Rotherham88Rutland12Salford193Sandwell114Scottish Borders25Sefton105Sheffield215Shetland Islands4Shropshire97Slough108Solihull124Somerset180South Ayrshire46South Gloucestershire95South Lanarkshire115South Tyneside31Southampton80Southend-on-Sea152Southwark1St. Helens42Staffordshire257Stirling27Stockport179Stockton-on-Tees69Stoke-on-Trent81Suffolk446Sunderland63Surrey787Swansea107Swindon94Tameside88Telford and Wrekin53Thurrock106Torbay45Torfaen24Trafford170Vale of Glamorgan37Wakefield107Walsall119Warrington84Warwickshire294West Berkshire76West Dunbartonshire31West Lothian54West Northamptonshire207West Sussex447Westminster4Westmorland and Furness69Wigan102Wiltshire181Windsor and Maidenhead102Wirral107Wokingham125Wolverhampton132Worcestershire259Wrexham39York97
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a real estate agent cost?▾
In Canada, the seller typically pays the commission — usually 4-5% of the sale price, split between buyer's and seller's agents. As a buyer, you generally don't pay your agent directly. Some buyer's agents charge flat fees or offer rebates.
Do I need a real estate agent to buy or sell?▾
Legally, no. But a good agent brings market knowledge, negotiation skills, access to listings, and handles the complex paperwork. For sellers, agents typically get 5-15% more than FSBO sales. For buyers, your agent costs you nothing (the seller pays).
How do I choose the right real estate agent?▾
Look for: local market expertise in your specific neighbourhood, recent transaction history (ask for their last 10 sales), communication style that matches yours, Google reviews above 4.5, and willingness to explain their strategy. Interview at least 2-3 agents.
What's the difference between an agent and a broker?▾
An agent is licensed to help buy/sell real estate. A broker has additional education and can own a brokerage or work independently. For most buyers and sellers, the distinction doesn't matter much — focus on experience and local expertise.
Should I use the same agent to buy and sell?▾
It can simplify things, especially with timing. But it's not required. Some agents specialize in listing (selling) while others focus on buyer representation. If your agent is strong in both, using one agent can give you better coordination.