A real estate broker is the professional who represents you when you buy or sell a home — pricing the property, marketing the listing, finding qualified buyers, and negotiating the deal through to closing. Because a broker's value is intensely local, the right one knows your specific sector: its price tiers, its inventory, and what actually closes there. Payotte lists a single verified broker per sector across Canada, selected on objective, public criteria rather than on advertising spend — so the name you see is the one the data supports, not the one who paid the most.
What a real estate broker does
In a typical transaction, a real estate broker carries the file from first valuation to final signature:
- Prices the property using comparable sales and current local inventory
- Markets the listing and screens for genuinely qualified buyers
- Drafts, presents and negotiates offers and counter-offers
- Manages conditions (financing, inspection) and deadlines
- Coordinates with the mortgage broker, inspector and notary/lawyer to closing
How to choose a real estate broker
Choosing a broker is mostly about verifying substance over self-promotion. Before you sign a brokerage agreement, confirm:
- An active provincial licence (see the regulator for your province below)
- Genuine, recent activity in your specific sector — not just the city
- A verifiable review history, including the volume of reviews, not only the rating
- Clear, written terms on commission and the length of the agreement
- Direct, responsive communication from the person who will actually handle your file
Provincial regulators
A genuine real estate broker holds an active licence with the regulator in their province. Confirm any licence on the regulator’s public register before you commit.
| Province | Regulator |
|---|---|
| Quebec | OACIQ |
| Ontario | RECO |
| Alberta | RECA |
| British Columbia | BCFSA |
| Manitoba | MREA |
| Nova Scotia | NSREC |
| Saskatchewan | SREC |
| New Brunswick | — |
How Payotte scores every real estate broker
Payotte ranks each real estate broker out of 100 on five objective, verifiable criteria — never on advertising spend. Only the single highest-scoring verified professional is published per sector.
- 35 pts — Google reviews — rating and review volume
- 30 pts — Experience in years
- 15 pts — Active provincial licence
- 15 pts — Local presence in the sector
- 5 pts — Bonus — media, awards, video
Green (75+) is published normally, yellow (50–74) is published with an explanation, and below 50 the sector is left empty rather than recommend an unverified profile.
Real Estate Brokers verified on Payotte
Payotte currently lists 100 verified real estate brokers across 100 sectors in 30 cities — 84 rated green and 16 yellow. Coverage expands as new sectors are verified.
Find your verified real estate broker by city
Quebec
Ontario
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
Nova Scotia
Saskatchewan
New Brunswick
Frequently asked questions
What does a real estate broker actually do?
A real estate broker represents a buyer or seller: they price the property, market it, find and qualify counterparties, negotiate the offer, and manage conditions and deadlines through to closing. Their core value is local market knowledge and negotiation.
How do I verify a broker is licensed?
Every Canadian broker must hold an active licence with their provincial regulator (for example OACIQ in Quebec, RECO in Ontario, RECA in Alberta, BCFSA in British Columbia). You can confirm any licence directly on the regulator’s public register.
How does Payotte choose the best broker for a sector?
Payotte scores brokers out of 100 on five objective criteria — Google reviews, experience, active licence, local presence and a small bonus — and publishes the single highest-scoring verified broker per sector. No placement can be purchased.
Is Payotte free, and do brokers pay to be listed?
Yes, it is free for the public, and no — brokers cannot pay to appear or to rank higher. Payotte is ad-free and commission-free; rankings come only from verifiable public data.
Why one broker per sector instead of a long list?
A long directory pushes the work of comparing and vetting back onto you. Payotte does that work and publishes one verified reference per sector, so you start from a vetted name rather than a list to sort.