Buyer guide · 03 / 04
Making an informed offer
Price, terms & important protections.
Understand the questions behind an offer before making a commitment.
Read the market context
Ask what the available evidence says about this property.
The guide identifies comparable sales, days on market, inventory, pricing trends, and competition as useful discussion points. Ask how current and relevant the information is.
- What have similar properties sold for?
- What other homes are competing for buyers?
- What is known about the seller’s timing and competing interest?
Think beyond the price
Terms and timing deserve attention too.
Offer strategy includes more than a number. Discuss the proposed terms, conditions, and timing with your representative, and make sure the approach reflects your circumstances.
- Ask how each term affects your priorities.
- Discuss trade-offs before deciding how to respond.
- Avoid treating negotiation as a price-only conversation.
Review the protections
Understand conditions before deciding what to do with them.
The guide calls out inspections, financing, legal review, and condition fulfilment. Work with the relevant professionals to understand what needs review and when.
- Discuss inspection questions with an appropriate professional.
- Confirm financing questions with your mortgage professional.
- Have legal questions reviewed by your lawyer.
Make a considered decision
Give questions and uncertainties room to be resolved.
Skipping professional advice, overlooking property risks, and waiving protections without understanding them are highlighted as mistakes in the guide.
- List anything you still do not understand.
- Ask who should answer each outstanding question.
- Review the proposed offer and next steps before committing.
Making offers in Markham and the GTA
Offer dates and bully offers. Many Markham sellers set an offer date and review all offers together. A buyer can try a pre-emptive offer, often called a bully offer, before that date. The seller decides whether to look at it.
Competing offers. If there are several offers, everyone who made one is told how many there are. Since April 1, 2023, a seller can also choose to share the details of competing offers, but does not have to.
Deposit. The deposit is usually delivered within 24 hours of acceptance and held in trust by the listing brokerage. In the GTA it is often around 5% of the price, though it can be negotiated.
Condos. For a resale condo, make your offer conditional on reviewing the status certificate. A new condo bought from a builder comes with a 10-day cooling-off period under Ontario's Condominium Act.
From Kenneth's salesOf the 22 purchases with published prices on Kenneth's results page, 15 closed below asking, $784,700 below list in total.
Before your next conversation
A short checklist to help you prepare. Your ticks stay on this page until you leave or refresh.
Common questions
Is there a cooling-off period when buying a house in Ontario?
Not for a resale home. Once your offer is accepted and its conditions are met or waived, it is binding. New condos bought from a builder have a 10-day cooling-off period.
How much deposit do I need when I make an offer?
In the GTA the deposit is often around 5% of the price, delivered within 24 hours of acceptance. The amount can be negotiated, and it counts toward your down payment.
Can I find out what other buyers offered?
You will be told how many competing offers there are. The details of those offers are shared only if the seller chooses to disclose them.
What is a bully offer?
A pre-emptive offer made before the seller's set offer date, usually strong and with a short deadline, to try to buy the home before others compete. The seller can consider it or wait for the offer date.
Ready to start looking?
Get new Markham and GTA listings by email, or book a short call to talk through your budget, timing and the areas you are considering.
Adapted from the RE/MAX Realtron Buyer Guide, August 2026, printed pages 6–10. This overview is for planning; confirm property-specific, financing, and legal questions with the appropriate professionals.