In 2026, among the best-verified real-estate experts in each Canadian market, certified appraisers show a median of 18 Google reviews — about 6.5× fewer than real-estate brokers (117) — and the lowest average rating (4.49/5), despite the longest experience (median 22 years). The cause isn't competence: their work is commissioned by lenders, lawyers and courts, not by consumers who leave reviews.
Google reviews by profession
Among the best-verified expert in each market. Sorted by median review count.
| Profession | Who hires them | Reviews (median) | Reviews (mean) | Avg rating | Median exp. | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home inspectors | Consumer | 183 | 276 | 4.93 | 17 yr | 120 |
| Mortgage brokers | Consumer | 155 | 221 | 4.95 | 15 yr | 123 |
| Real-estate brokers | Consumer | 117 | 178 | 4.92 | 17 yr | 123 |
| Notaries / lawyers | Mixed | 73 | 133 | 4.7 | 17 yr | 123 |
| Appraisers | B2B (lenders, lawyers, courts) | 18 | 43 | 4.49 | 22 yr | 110 |
Data captured June 23, 2026 · refreshed quarterly.
What it reveals
The consumer reflex — "few reviews = bad" — is misleading. Home inspectors (hired by the buyer) actually have the most reviews (median 183). But certified appraisers have 6.5× fewer — not because they're worth less, but because their clients (lenders, lawyers, notaries, courts) don't leave Google reviews.
The consequence: any ranking led by reviews unfairly penalizes B2B professions. That's why the Payotte score combines five signals (reviews, experience, active licence, local roots, bonus) rather than reviews alone — and always shows the source and date.
Methodology
- Sample. Payotte publishes only one verified expert per market (city × sector × profession), the highest-scoring on its 100-point scale. These figures describe "the best-verified expert in each market," never all professionals. Scope: 630 verified experts, 128 sectors, 54 cities.
- Scale (v2.1). Google reviews 35 · experience 30 · active provincial licence 15 · local roots 15 · verifiable bonus 5 = 100.
- Stated limitation (which strengthens the finding). The score weights reviews at 35%, so the sample already skews toward review-rich pros. Yet even the best appraisers top out at 18 reviews (median) — proof the blind spot is structural, not a selection artefact.
- Sources. Public data (Google reviews, provincial licence registers) compiled and verified by Payotte. Unverifiable fields left blank, never fabricated.
Raw data
Download the full table (CSV) for your own analysis — cite Payotte as the source.
Download the CSV