SELLING AND BUYING
Should You Use the Same Realtor to Buy and Sell?
Last updated: October 2026 · By Jason Polonski, REALTOR®, Right at Home Realty
Using the same realtor to buy and sell usually makes sense when you’re moving within the same city. One person controls the timing of both deals, negotiates each one with the other in mind, and is accountable if the dates don’t line up. It’s the most reliable way to avoid carrying two homes or moving twice.
It’s worth clearing up a common confusion first. Using one realtor to sell your home and then buy your next one is not the same as one agent representing both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction. The first is normal and often the best choice for a move-up. The second is called multiple representation, and Ontario has specific rules for it.
This guide explains why one realtor for both of your deals usually works better, when two can make sense, how commission works, and what to ask before you sign.
Why Use the Same Realtor to Buy and Sell?
One person owns the timing
When you buy and sell at the same time, the hardest part isn’t price. It’s dates. Your sale’s closing date, your purchase’s closing date, any sale condition, your lender’s porting window and your movers all have to line up. With one realtor, the person negotiating your sale is the same person negotiating your purchase, so every date is chosen with the other deal in mind. Our guide to coordinating closing dates shows how much depends on this.
One strategy, not two
Should you list before you buy, or write a conditional offer first? How low will you go on your sale if you’ve already bought? These decisions affect both deals. Two agents can each be doing a good job and still pull in different directions. One agent gives you one plan.
Information moves faster
If a showing on your home leads to an offer while you’re negotiating on your next one, your agent already knows both positions. There’s no relay of messages between two offices, which matters when an escape clause gives you 72 hours or less.
Clear accountability
If something goes wrong between the two deals, there’s no question of whose job it was. One realtor is responsible for the whole move.
It can cost you less
Some realtors offer better terms when they handle both transactions, and the combined commission conversation is simpler. That’s covered in the commission section below.
One conversation with your lender and lawyer
Your lender and lawyer need the same information about both deals: dates, amounts, conditions and any changes. With one realtor, they get it from one source, consistently and on time. That reduces the chance of a missing document or a mismatched date holding up closing day.
Same Realtor for Both of Your Deals vs Multiple Representation
These two ideas often get mixed up, but they’re different things.
One realtor for your sale and your purchase
Your realtor represents you as a seller in one transaction and as a buyer in another. In each deal, there’s another party, the buyer of your home or the seller of the new one, with their own representation. Your realtor works only for you in both deals. This is what most move-up buyers mean when they ask about using the same realtor.
Multiple representation
Multiple representation happens when the same brokerage represents both the buyer and the seller in a single transaction, for example if your realtor’s brokerage also represents the seller of the home you want to buy. Under Ontario’s Trust in Real Estate Services Act, which updated the rules in December 2023, this is only allowed with both clients’ written consent, and the brokerage must explain how it will treat each client fairly. The Real Estate Council of Ontario regulates how it’s handled.
Our guides to multiple representation in Ottawa and TRESA in Ontario explain what changes for you if it comes up.
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Why pay 2.5% listing commission to sell your home when you don't have to? Jason Polonski lists Ottawa homes for a simple 1% listing commission. Full MLS® and REALTOR.ca exposure, professional photography, powerful online marketing, expert pricing, and a skilled negotiator fighting for every dollar of your sale price. Top-tier service — you just keep thousands more when your home sells. Smart sellers are already making the switch. Your home deserves the best, and your wallet deserves a break.
When Two Different Realtors Can Make Sense
There are situations where using separate agents is reasonable.
- You’re moving to another city. If you’re selling in Ottawa and buying in Halifax or Calgary, you’ll want a local agent at each end. A good Ottawa agent can refer you to a trusted colleague and stay in touch with them on timing. Moves into Ottawa are covered in guides like selling in Toronto and buying in Ottawa.
- The properties need very different expertise. A waterfront cottage and a downtown condo are different markets. Even then, many experienced agents cover both, so ask before assuming.
- You have an existing relationship. If a family member is an agent in one market, you might use them for that deal and someone else for the other.
If you do use two agents, introduce them early, share your timeline and mortgage details with both, and make it clear which of them is responsible for keeping the dates aligned.
Get Cash Back When You Buy a Home in Ottawa
Can you get cash back when buying a home in Ottawa? Yes. Jason Polonski, a Chairman's Club REALTOR® serving Ottawa and Kanata, shares part of his commission with buyers — up to $3,000 cash back at closing.* You still get full-service, award-winning representation: expert pricing, sharp negotiation, and hands-on guidance from first showing to keys in hand. No cut corners and no rebate-only shortcuts — just real money back in your pocket when you buy your Ottawa or Kanata home.
How Does Commission Work When One Realtor Handles Both?
Commission is always negotiable in Ontario, and the terms must be set out in your agreements. When you use one realtor for both sides of a move, there are two separate agreements and two separate commission structures.
On your sale
Your listing agreement sets the commission you’ll pay on your sale. That typically includes your listing brokerage’s share and the amount offered to the buyer’s brokerage. Jason Polonski offers a 1% Listing Commission on the final sold price, with the buyer-side commission separate. See how much a real estate agent’s commission is for how the structure works.
On your purchase
Your buyer representation agreement sets what your buyer’s brokerage is paid. In many Ottawa resale purchases, the seller’s listing brokerage offers a buyer-side commission that covers it, but your agreement should say what happens if the amount offered is different. Our guides to the buyer representation agreement and whether buyers pay real estate commission explain this in detail.
Cash back on your purchase
Some realtors share part of their buyer-side commission with you. Jason offers up to $3,000 cash back at closing on qualifying purchases. Combined with a lower listing commission on your sale, using one realtor for both can leave noticeably more equity for your next home.
Before you sign either agreement, read how to negotiate realtor commission in Ontario and RECO’s consumer guidance on what agreements must include.
Both agreements are legal contracts. If anything in them is unclear, ask a real estate lawyer to review them before you sign. You can find one through the Law Society of Ontario, and if you’re using a mortgage broker for the purchase, you can confirm their licence with FSRA.
One Realtor, One Plan, Two Closings
Jason Polonski sells your current home and finds your next one as a single coordinated project, with a 1% Listing Commission and up to $3,000 cash back on qualifying purchases.
What to Look for in a Realtor Who Handles Both Sides
Being a good listing agent or a good buyer’s agent isn’t quite enough. Someone managing both sides of a move needs a particular mix of skills.
- Experience with simultaneous moves. Ask how they’ve handled clients who bought first, sold first and did both together, and what went wrong.
- Local knowledge of both areas. If you’re moving from Barrhaven to Kanata, or from Nepean to Manotick, your agent should know both markets well enough to price your home and judge value in the next one.
- Comfort with the money. Porting, penalties, bridge financing and net proceeds shape every decision. Your agent doesn’t replace your lender, but they should understand the questions.
- An eye for the house itself. Spotting condition issues before you write an offer protects you on the purchase, and preparing your home properly protects you on the sale.
- Availability. Two deals means twice the chance that something happens on a Sunday night.
- Proof. Read reviews from clients who bought and sold at the same time, not only from first-time buyers.
You can confirm an agent’s registration on the RECO public register, and our guide on how to choose a realtor in Ottawa covers the interview in full.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign
- How would you sequence my sale and purchase in today’s market, and why?
- What happens if my home hasn’t sold when I find the right one?
- How do you choose closing dates when two deals depend on each other?
- What’s your commission on my sale, and what’s covered on my purchase?
- Do you offer cash back or any other benefit for handling both?
- How will you market my home, and how will you find my next one?
- Who else is on your team, and who will I deal with day to day?
- Can I see reviews from clients who bought and sold at the same time?
- How long are your listing and buyer agreements, and how can they be ended?
If you’re not happy with the answers, you’re not obliged to sign. If you’ve already signed with someone and things aren’t working, read how to change or fire your realtor in Ontario. For market context, the Ottawa Real Estate Board and CREA publish regular statistics, and listings are searchable on REALTOR.ca. CMHC’s home buying resources are a good general checklist for the purchase side.
Planning your move? See selling and buying a home at the same time and how Jason runs the whole process on the move-up coordination page.
One Realtor for Your Whole Move: Jason Polonski
Jason Polonski handles both sides of a move as a single plan. He prices and prepares your current home, finds and assesses your next one, and negotiates both deals so the dates, conditions and money line up. You deal with one person from the first call to the final key exchange, with a 1% Listing Commission on your sale and up to $3,000 cash back on qualifying purchases.
Jason has more than 15 years of experience as a REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty and has helped hundreds of buyers and sellers across Ottawa. He has a background in construction and the electrical trades, a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University with a double major in Marketing and Finance, and recognition including the Chairman’s Club and seven consecutive years as a Best in Ottawa Top REALTOR®. Learn more about Jason, read his Google reviews, or call or text (613) 601-9333.
Same Realtor to Buy and Sell (FAQs)
If you’re buying and selling in the same area, using one realtor usually makes sense. One person controls the timing of both deals and negotiates each with the other in mind.
No. When one realtor sells your home and buys your next one, they represent you in both deals. A conflict only arises when the same brokerage represents both the buyer and seller in a single transaction, which Ontario allows only with written consent.
Commission is always negotiable. Some realtors offer better terms or cash back when they handle both your sale and purchase. Jason Polonski offers a 1% Listing Commission and up to $3,000 cash back on qualifying purchases.
Multiple representation is when one brokerage represents both the buyer and seller in the same transaction. Under TRESA it requires both clients’ written consent and a clear explanation of how each will be treated.
Two realtors can make sense if you’re selling in one city and buying in another, or if the properties need very different local expertise. Make sure both agents share your timeline.
Yes. You sign a listing agreement for your sale and a buyer representation agreement for your purchase, each with its own terms and commission.
