Realtor

Look at three things: a valid licence, familiarity with your target neighbourhood's market, and real client reviews. This site lets you filter by city, language and specialty, and shows each agent's official licence status and user ratings.

In Canada the buyer's agent commission is typically paid by the seller, so buyers usually pay nothing directly. Always confirm the terms of any written representation agreement with your agent.

Each province's real estate regulator (e.g. RECO in Ontario) maintains a public register. Ontario agents on this site show a licence number and status sourced from RECO's official register.