Questions to Ask a Vancouver Realtor Before Buying | Rain City

Not all realtors are created equal. After 20 years in the business, here are the questions I think every buyer should ask before hiring a realtor in Vancouver, and what the right answers sound like.

I am going to be blunt about something that most people in my industry would rather not talk about: a lot of realtors are not very good. A 2024 survey by the Canadian Real Estate Association found that 45% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with professional courtesy among realtors, and 56% of REALTORS themselves believe public trust in the profession needs improvement. Those numbers do not surprise me at all.

After 20 years of selling real estate in Vancouver, I have worked alongside hundreds of agents. Some are outstanding. Many are average. And some should probably be doing something else for a living. The difference between a great realtor and a mediocre one can cost you tens of thousands of dollars and months of stress, especially in a market like this one where there is actual room to negotiate.

So before you hire someone to guide you through the biggest purchase of your life, here are the questions you should be asking, and what the answers should sound like.

Start with Credentials: Are They Actually Licensed?

This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised. The BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) is the regulatory body that licenses real estate professionals in British Columbia. Every practicing realtor must hold a valid licence, and you can verify it on the BCFSA website in about 30 seconds.

Ask them: “Can you confirm your BCFSA licence status and which brokerage you’re with?”

A good realtor will not be offended by this question. They will tell you their licence number, their brokerage affiliation, and probably offer to send you the link to verify it yourself. If someone gets defensive or vague about credentials, that tells you everything you need to know.

While you are at it, check if they have had any disciplinary actions. BCFSA publishes enforcement decisions publicly. It takes five minutes and could save you a major headache.

How Well Do They Know Your Target Neighbourhoods?

Vancouver is not one market. Kitsilano is a completely different buying experience than Mount Pleasant, which is nothing like Dunbar or Hastings-Sunrise. School catchments, zoning changes, upcoming developments, local amenities, noise levels, flood risk, heritage overlays — these details vary block by block, and a good realtor should know them cold for the areas you are looking in.

Ask them: “How many transactions have you done in [specific neighbourhood] in the past two years?”

If the answer is zero, that is not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it means they are going to be learning alongside you rather than guiding you. I would much rather work with someone who has sold 15 homes in Point Grey and can tell me which blocks have the best walk score, which strata buildings have deferred maintenance issues, and which streets get backed up during school drop-off, than someone who “works all of Metro Vancouver” but does not really know any of it deeply.

Neighbourhood specialization is not just about sales volume. It is about pattern recognition. When you have seen 200 strata packages in Fairview buildings, you start to notice which property management companies cut corners and which buildings have healthy contingency funds. That kind of knowledge does not come from a weekend seminar.

What Does Their Buying Process Actually Look Like?

This is where the gap between good and average realtors becomes painfully obvious. A quality realtor should be able to walk you through their buying process step by step, from initial consultation through to closing. If they cannot articulate a clear process, they are winging it. And you do not want someone winging it on a million-dollar purchase.

Ask them: “Walk me through exactly what happens from the day I hire you to the day I get my keys.”

Here is what a solid answer should cover:

Needs assessment — not just bedrooms and bathrooms, but lifestyle priorities, commute patterns, school requirements, future plans
Pre-approval coordination — they should insist you get pre-approved before looking at anything, and they should have mortgage broker referrals they trust
Targeted search strategy — not just setting up an auto-search on MLS, but actively previewing properties, calling listing agents, identifying pocket listings
Showing protocol — how they evaluate properties during viewings, what they look for that you might miss
Offer strategy — how they determine offer price, what subjects to include, how to handle multiple offers
Subject removal — their process for inspections, strata document review, financing confirmation
Closing coordination — managing the timeline between lawyer, lender, and moving logistics

If they cannot describe a process that at least covers these basics, they are not organized enough to protect your interests.

How Do They Handle Strata Documents?

If you are buying a condo or townhouse in Vancouver — and in a buyers market with roughly 12,550 active listings across Metro Vancouver, many buyers are — strata document review is where deals are made or saved. I have killed more deals over bad strata packages than over home inspections. It is that important.

Ask them: “How do you review strata documents, and what are the red flags you look for?”

A knowledgeable realtor should mention, at minimum:

Contingency reserve fund — is it adequately funded relative to the building’s age and size? A 30-year-old building with $50,000 in the fund is a ticking time bomb.
Special levies — past, current, and anticipated. Has the building gone through a major envelope remediation? Is one coming?
Depreciation report — when was the last one done, and what does it project for major capital expenditures over the next 10-20 years?
Strata minutes — at least two years of council meeting minutes, looking for recurring issues like water infiltration, elevator problems, insurance claims, or disputes among owners
Insurance — what is the deductible? Some Vancouver stratas now carry $250,000 deductibles. That becomes your problem if something happens in your unit.
Rental and pet restrictions — these affect your flexibility and resale value

If a realtor tells you they “skim the highlights” of strata documents, find someone else. I personally read every page. It is tedious. It is also how I have saved clients from buying into buildings with six-figure special levies on the horizon.

What Is Their Communication Style?

This one seems soft, but it is a top-three reason buyers fire their realtors. In a market where properties can sit for weeks or months — the current composite benchmark is $1,114,800 and inventory is elevated — communication matters differently than it does in a bidding-war market. You need someone who will keep you informed about price reductions, days-on-market trends, and shifting conditions, not just send you automated listing alerts.

Ask them: “How often will I hear from you, and through what channel?”

At minimum, you should expect weekly updates even when you are not actively making offers. That update should include new listings that match your criteria, price changes on properties you have flagged, and any relevant market shifts. I use a combination of email, phone, and text depending on what the client prefers, but the frequency should never drop below once a week.

A realtor who goes quiet on you between offers is a realtor who has too many clients and not enough attention to give you. Buying a home in Vancouver is stressful enough without having to chase your own agent for information.

How Do They Handle Negotiations?

This is where the money is. In the current market, with the Bank of Canada holding at 2.25% and inventory well above historical norms, there is real room to negotiate. But negotiation skill is not something you can fake.

Ask them: “Tell me about a recent negotiation where you got a buyer a better deal. What was the strategy?”

Listen for specifics. A good negotiator will talk about comparable sales analysis, understanding the seller’s motivation, timing of the offer, strategic use of subjects, and knowing when to push and when to hold firm. A mediocre one will give you vague platitudes about “fighting for the best price.”

I will share my own bias here: I think the best negotiators are the ones who do their homework before writing a single offer. How long has the property been listed? Has the price been reduced? Is the seller already in contract on their next home? Is there a divorce or estate situation? All of that information shapes the offer, and gathering it is the realtor’s job, not yours.

Should You Meet Multiple Realtors?

Yes. Meet at least three. I say this even though it means some buyers will interview me and choose someone else. That is fine. The fit matters, and you will not know what good looks like until you have a few points of comparison.

Here is what to compare across your interviews:

Neighbourhood knowledge depth — who gave the most specific, useful information about your target areas?
Process clarity — who had the most organized, step-by-step approach?
Communication commitment — who made the most concrete promises about staying in touch?
Chemistry — do you actually want to spend weekends with this person, walking through houses and discussing the biggest financial decision of your life?

Do not choose based on who promises you the lowest price or the fastest timeline. Choose the person who asks you the best questions about what you actually need.

Red Flags to Watch For

After two decades in this industry, here are the signals that tell me a realtor is not going to serve you well:

They talk more than they listen during your first meeting
They pressure you to make quick decisions in a market where you have time
They cannot name specific recent sales in your target neighbourhood
They are dismissive about subjects like inspections or strata review
They work alone with no support staff, which means everything bottlenecks through one person
They badmouth other agents instead of focusing on your needs
They are vague about their brokerage affiliation or avoid discussing their credentials

Any one of these would give me pause. Two or more, and I would move on.

Key Takeaways

Verify your realtor’s licence through BCFSA before signing any paperwork
Prioritize neighbourhood specialists over generalists, especially for Vancouver’s diverse sub-markets
Demand a clearly articulated buying process with defined steps from search through closing
Strata document review expertise is non-negotiable for condo and townhouse purchases
Expect weekly communication at minimum, and agree on the format upfront
Interview at least three candidates and compare them on substance, not promises

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I verify a realtor’s licence in BC?

Visit the BCFSA website and use their licensee search tool. You can search by name or licence number. The results will show their licence status, brokerage affiliation, and any disciplinary history. It takes less than a minute and should be your first step before any serious conversation.

Should I use the same realtor for buying and selling?

Not necessarily. The skill set for selling — pricing strategy, staging, marketing — is different from the skill set for buying — neighbourhood knowledge, negotiation, strata analysis. Some realtors are excellent at both. Many are stronger on one side. If you are doing a buy and sell simultaneously, using the same realtor can simplify coordination, but only if they are genuinely strong on both sides of the transaction.

Is it worth hiring a realtor or should I buy on my own?

In BC, the seller typically pays both the listing and buying agent commissions, so working with a buyer’s agent usually costs you nothing directly. Given the complexity of Vancouver real estate — strata documents, property transfer tax calculations, subject clauses, and a market where negotiation skill has real dollar value — going without representation is a risk I would not recommend for most buyers.

What questions should I ask about a realtor’s commission?

As a buyer in BC, you generally do not pay your realtor’s commission directly. However, you should still ask how they are compensated, whether they expect you to sign a buyer’s agency agreement, and what happens if you find a property on your own. Transparency about money is a baseline expectation.

How important is brokerage affiliation?

More than most buyers realize. A reputable brokerage provides compliance oversight, errors and omissions insurance, mentorship for newer agents, and administrative support. It is not the only factor, but a realtor affiliated with an established, well-regarded brokerage has a structural advantage over someone operating out of a one-person discount shop.

Sources

Information current as of February 2026. Licensing requirements and market conditions change. Verify current details with the relevant regulatory bodies before making decisions.

Ready to Talk?

If you are starting your home search in Vancouver and want to see what a thorough, neighbourhood-focused approach looks like in practice, I am happy to have that conversation. No pressure, no sales pitch — just an honest assessment of what your budget can get you in today’s market.

Call Greyden Douglas directly at (604) 218-2289 or book a call to get started.

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Questions to Ask a Vancouver Realtor Before Buying a Home