Before you entrust your property to a real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme, one document really matters: the brokerage contract. It is also the one sellers read least carefully, often because the meeting focuses mainly on the listing price.
Yet this contract determines how long you are committed, how much you will have to pay, the circumstances in which remuneration becomes payable even without a sale, and the documents you will have to provide. Choosing well therefore means understanding what you are signing, not only whom you are signing with.
Here are seven precise questions to ask at the meeting, with the exact place where the answer appears in the forms. If a point remains unclear, the signature can wait.
Verify the licence of the real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme
Is your licence in force, and what category does it fall under?
In Quebec, real estate brokerage is an activity governed by the Real Estate Brokerage Act. Every broker must hold a valid licence issued by the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec, and that licence can be suspended or revoked.
The OACIQ licence holder registry is public. You will find the licence status, its category and any disciplinary history. The check takes two minutes and should be done before the meeting, not after.
Also ask whether the broker acts for an agency or on their own account. That distinction determines who receives the remuneration and who assumes contractual responsibility.
Know whom the broker actually represents in the transaction
Are you representing me, or will I simply be treated fairly?
Since June 10, 2022, dual representation has been prohibited in residential brokerage. A broker can no longer represent both the seller and the buyer for the same property, except in a few cases provided by regulation.
The consequence is direct. A buyer who visits a property listed by a broker without having a brokerage contract of their own is not represented. They are entitled to fair treatment, which is not the same as having their interests defended.
Also remember that no verbal contract with a real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme has any value in Quebec. Representation exists in writing, or it does not exist.
Understand the contract term and the conditions for termination
What is the exact term, and how can I end it?
A brokerage contract is a contract for services under the Civil Code of Québec. That classification has a concrete and little-known effect: the client may end it without having to justify the decision.
The broker, on the other hand, must invoke a serious reason to terminate unilaterally, and the termination must not cause prejudice to the client. The relationship is therefore not symmetrical, and that works in your favour.
Be careful, though: terminating does not wipe out every financial obligation. The remuneration clause continues to have effect, as the next section explains.
Establish the remuneration and when it becomes payable
How is your remuneration calculated, and when does it become due?
The OACIQ does not get involved in brokers’ remuneration. There is no fixed rate or imposed fee: the form and amount are negotiated between you and the broker. Remuneration may take the form of a percentage of the accepted sale price, a lump sum or another method, such as an hourly rate, provided in the Annex RC – Remuneration and costs form. Taxes are added in every case.
When it becomes payable often comes as a bigger surprise. According to the OACIQ, remuneration payable by the seller becomes due in four situations set out in the exclusive brokerage contract:
- a sale agreement is concluded during the term of the contract, through the broker or not, and all of its conditions are fulfilled except the signing of the deed and payment of the price;
- a promise to purchase that matches the sale conditions set out in the contract is submitted to the seller during the term of the contract and the seller refuses it;
- a sale occurs within 180 days after the end or termination of the contract with a person who was interested in the immovable during its term;
- the seller voluntarily prevents performance of the contract.
The second situation deserves a closer look. If a promise fully matches the price and conditions you yourself entered in the contract and you refuse it anyway, the remuneration remains due.
Before you settle those conditions, a property evaluation helps you list a price you are actually prepared to accept.
Anticipate the 180-day clause that survives the end of the contract
What happens if I sell to a visitor a few months after the expiry date?
This is the clause that causes the most misunderstandings. The 180-day period is calculated from the end date written in the contract, or from the termination date if you exercised your right to end it.
There is an exception. If, during that period, you conclude in good faith a new contract stipulated to be exclusive with another agency or another broker, the former broker cannot claim their remuneration.
The notion of a person who was interested in the immovable remains broad, and the courts decide it case by case. The OACIQ notes, however, that the clearest situations are those in which a person visited the immovable or submitted a promise to purchase during the term of the contract. So at expiry, ask for the list of people who visited your property.
Prepare the documents the contract will require you to provide
Which documents will I have to complete or obtain before listing?
The Declarations by the seller of the immovable form is a mandatory annex to the brokerage contract for the sale of a chiefly residential immovable containing fewer than five dwellings by a natural person. A refusal to complete it prevents the broker from performing the brokerage contract signed with you.
Depending on the case, you should also add the certificate of location, invoices for work, previous inspection reports and, for divided co-ownership, the attestation on the condition of the co-ownership that became mandatory in August 2025.
Gathering these documents before signing avoids delays when a serious buyer appears. Our article on mistakes to avoid when selling a home covers the most costly omissions at this stage.
Know the protections that apply if a problem arises
What remedies do I have if the transaction goes wrong?
Working with a licensed real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme gives you access to mechanisms that a private sale does not offer. The OACIQ describes these protections and how to use them.
Two distinct funds cover two different realities. The Fonds d’assurance responsabilité professionnelle du courtage immobilier du Québec compensates losses resulting from a fault, error or involuntary omission. The Real Estate Indemnity Fund instead covers fraud, dishonest tactics and misappropriation of funds.
The OACIQ assistance service, the office of the syndic and the discipline committee are also available. An ethical breach does not, however, automatically lead to compensation.
| Question to ask | Where to find the answer |
|---|---|
| Is the licence valid? | OACIQ licence holder registry |
| Whom do you represent? | Representation clause of the brokerage contract |
| What is the term? | Clause on the term and termination |
| How is remuneration calculated? | Remuneration clause and applicable annex |
| What does the post-expiry period provide? | Paragraph on the 180 days |
| Which documents must I provide? | Declarations by the seller of the immovable and annexes |
| What remedies if a problem arises? | FARCIQ, indemnity fund and OACIQ assistance |
Sign with a real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme with full knowledge of the facts
A good brokerage contract is not the one with the fewest clauses, but the one whose every commitment you understand before you sign. The seven questions above concern written, verifiable elements, not impressions.
A competent broker will welcome these questions as a sign of seriousness. Reluctance to explain a clause is itself an answer. To go further on selection criteria beyond the contract itself, read our guide on how to choose a real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme.
If you are preparing to list in the coming months, discuss your project and have every clause reviewed before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a real estate broker in Saint-Jérôme cost?
No fee schedule is imposed in Quebec, and the OACIQ never gets involved in a Saint-Jérôme real estate broker’s remuneration. The amount and form are negotiated directly with the broker, whether as a percentage of the accepted sale price, a lump sum or another calculation method agreed between the parties. Applicable taxes are always added to the remuneration set out in the exclusive brokerage contract.
Can you cancel a brokerage contract that has already been signed?
Yes. Because a brokerage contract is a contract for services under the Civil Code, the client may end it without having to give a reason. The broker, however, must have a serious reason and cannot cause prejudice to the client. Be careful, though: the remuneration clause survives termination, including the 180-day period provided in the exclusive contract.
Does a buyer need to sign a contract with their broker?
To be truly represented, yes. Since June 10, 2022, dual representation has been prohibited in the residential sector, and no verbal brokerage contract has any value in Quebec. Without a signed brokerage contract to purchase, a buyer receives only fair treatment from the listing broker, which is not the same as having their own interests defended.
