If you want to know how to get listings as a new real estate agent, start with the people who already trust you, then add one or two steady prospecting habits such as open houses, expired listings, FSBO outreach or a farm area. Back it all up with a prepared listing presentation and honest pricing advice. First listings usually come from consistent follow-up, not one lucky call.
New agents in Ontario face a real problem: sellers want proof that you can sell their home, and you have no sales record yet. Your brokerage can help close that gap. At a brokerage with in-house marketing services for real estate agents, you can show sellers just listed and just sold flyers, feature sheets, social media posts and monthly market reports, so your pitch looks professional from your first appointment.
This guide covers 10 practical ways to win your first seller clients, the Ontario rules that apply to each one, and a simple 30-day plan.
Why Getting Listings Is Hard for New Agents
Buyers often take a chance on a new agent because showing homes feels low risk. Sellers think differently. They are trusting you with what is often their biggest asset, so they look for local knowledge, a pricing plan and a marketing plan.
Listings are worth the effort. One listing can bring sign calls, open house visitors and buyer enquiries, and each of those can turn into another deal. A listing also gives you real material for your marketing.
The current GTA market also matters. TRREB reported 16,500 new listings and 5,040 sales across the GTA in September 2026, or roughly one sale for every three new listings. When supply runs well ahead of sales, some listings expire without selling, and those owners may want a fresh approach.
How Do Real Estate Agents Get Listings? A Quick Comparison
Many experienced agents mix a few methods rather than relying on one. Here is how the main options compare for someone just starting out.
| Method | Cost | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sphere of influence | Low | Medium | Every new agent |
| Past buyer clients | Low | Slow at first | Agents with a few closed deals |
| Open houses | Low | Medium | Meeting nearby owners |
| Expired listings | Low | Fast | Agents comfortable on the phone |
| FSBO outreach | Low | Medium | Patient, helpful agents |
| Geographic farming | Medium | Slow | Building a long-term pipeline |
| Referral partners | Low | Slow | Natural networkers |
| Mentor or co-listing | Shared commission | Fast | Agents with no track record |
| Local content | Low | Slow | Agents who enjoy writing or video |
For a wider list that also covers buyer leads and paid options, see our guide to real estate lead sources for new agents in Canada.
10 Practical Ways to Get Your First Listing in Real Estate
1. Tell Your Sphere You Are Now in Real Estate
Your sphere of influence is everyone who already knows you: family, friends, neighbours, former coworkers, classmates and people from your sports league or community groups. These people already trust you, and trust is often the hardest part of winning a listing.
Write down every name you can think of, then contact each person one by one. A personal call or message usually gets a better response than a single social media post. Keep the ask simple: “If you or anyone you know is thinking of selling in the next year, I would love to help.”
Log every conversation in your CRM and follow up on a schedule. Before you add contacts to a newsletter, make sure you have consent under Canada’s anti-spam law (CASL). For a full system, read our guide on turning your SOI into a steady real estate referral source.
2. Reconnect With Past Buyers and Renters
If you have already helped buyers or tenants, they are future sellers. Many owners start thinking about a move after a job change, a need for more space or a plan to downsize.
Send a short check-in on the anniversary of their purchase with a simple update on recent sales nearby. Buyers who must sell before they buy their next home are also natural listing leads, so ask about their plans early.
3. Host Open Houses for Agents in Your Office
You do not need your own listing to run an open house. Ask busy agents in your brokerage if you can host theirs, with their approval and the seller’s.
Neighbours who drop in are often curious about what their own home is worth. Have a clear sign-in process, ask for consent before you follow up, and offer something useful, such as a free comparative market analysis. Make sure your open house signs and ads clearly show your brokerage’s name, as RECO requires for all advertising.
4. Work Expired Listings the Ontario Way
If you are wondering how to get expired listings in real estate, the first rule is timing. Expired sellers already want to sell, but you must confirm the listing has truly expired and that the owner has not relisted or signed with another brokerage.
RECO’s professional conduct guidance says an agent must not communicate directly with another agent’s client without that agent’s written consent. If you are not sure whether the owner is still under an agreement, call the listing brokerage first. Also follow your real estate board’s MLS rules and your brokerage’s policy on using listing data.
When you do reach out, research why the home did not sell. Price, photos, timing and condition are common reasons. Bring a short written plan that addresses them, and never criticize the previous agent.
If you call, the CRTC’s telemarketing rules apply (see the rules table below). Door knocking with a printed market snapshot is a good option for owners you cannot call.
5. Reach Out to FSBO Sellers With Help, Not Pressure
For-sale-by-owner (FSBO) sellers are not clients of another agent, so you can approach them. Respect any “no agents” note in their ad, and follow the same calling rules you use for expired listings.
Lead with value rather than a pitch. Offer a pricing snapshot based on recent nearby sales, a paperwork checklist or tips for running safe showings. Many FSBO sellers try on their own for a while first, so stay in touch politely.
If you bring a buyer to an FSBO seller, RECO requires you to give the seller, as a self-represented party, the RECO Information Guide and a disclosure form for self-represented parties before you assist them.
6. Farm One Neighbourhood
Geographic farming means picking one area and becoming the agent people there know. Choose a neighbourhood with steady turnover, prices that suit your market and streets you already understand.
Mail or drop off a monthly market update, show up at local events and knock on doors with something useful in hand. Farming is slow, and results usually build over many months. Our guide to real estate farming techniques includes a 90-day plan you can follow.
One caution for “just sold” mailers: RECO says ads must not identify a specific property or a party to a deal without consent.
7. Build Referral Partners Who Meet Sellers First
Some professionals meet future sellers before any agent does. Think mortgage agents, real estate lawyers, home stagers, contractors, property managers and financial planners.
Book coffee meetings, learn what their clients need and send business their way when you can. Before offering anything of value in return for referrals, check your brokerage’s policies and RECO rules with your Broker of Record.
8. Partner With an Experienced Agent or Mentor
A co-listing gives a nervous seller the experience they want and gives you a real listing to learn from. Ask a senior agent in your office if you can co-list or shadow their listing appointments, and agree on how commission is shared under your brokerage’s policy.
Training also speeds this up. RE/MAX Millennium, for example, says it runs three to five training sessions a week covering marketing, legal updates and mortgage fundamentals. You can read more about RE/MAX careers at the brokerage and the support it offers agents.
9. Create Local Content That Shows You Know the Market
Sellers want an agent who understands their street. Short monthly market videos, neighbourhood guides and a complete Google Business Profile all help sellers find you and judge your knowledge before they call.
Keep every claim accurate. RECO says advertising statements must be factually correct and verifiable, comparative claims need a truthful basis, and awards need their source and date. Your brokerage’s name must be clear and prominent on your profiles and posts too.
10. Prepare a Listing Presentation Before You Need It
Do not wait for your first appointment to build your pitch. A ready presentation makes you look prepared, even with no sales history. Include these parts:
- About you: Your story, your local knowledge and the support your brokerage gives you.
- Comparative market analysis: Recent comparable sales, active competition and homes that expired.
- Pricing strategy: A clear recommended range and the reasoning behind it.
- Marketing plan: Photos, feature sheets, social posts, signs and open houses.
- Preparation checklist: Repairs, decluttering and staging ideas.
- Communication plan: How often you will update the seller and how.
- Agreement and disclosures: The listing terms and the RECO Information Guide, which you must give and explain before the seller signs.
Practise the presentation with a mentor until it feels natural. Never inflate the price just to win the listing, because an overpriced home that sits on the market hurts both the seller and your reputation.
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Ontario Rules to Know Before You Prospect for Listings
Prospecting for listings involves phone calls, messages and ads, and each one has rules. Here is a quick reference.
| Activity | What the rules say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contacting an owner listed with another brokerage | No direct communication without the written consent of that client’s agent | RECO Bulletin 1.1 |
| Cold calling | Register with the National DNCL, subscribe and use a list version no more than 31 days old; call 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends; add do-not-call requests within 14 days | CRTC |
| Emails and texts | Have consent, identify yourself, include an unsubscribe option and honour opt-outs within 10 business days | CRTC (CASL) |
| Signs, ads and social posts | Brokerage clearly and prominently identified; statements accurate and verifiable; no identifying a property or party without consent | RECO Bulletin 5.1 |
| Signing a seller | Give and explain the RECO Information Guide before the agreement | RECO Bulletin 2.1 |
Note that the CRTC’s do-not-call exemptions, such as an existing business relationship, still require you to keep your own internal do-not-call list.
A 30-Day Plan to Get More Listings as a Real Estate Agent
If you want to know how to get more listings as a real estate agent, a weekly routine beats random bursts of effort. Here is a simple first month.
- Week 1: Build your sphere list, set up your CRM and contact the first 20 people personally.
- Week 2: Host your first open house, choose a farm area and draft your listing presentation.
- Week 3: Check DNCL and RECO requirements, then start expired and FSBO outreach and send your first farm mailer.
- Week 4: Follow up with every lead, practise your presentation with a mentor and book two referral partner meetings.
Track four numbers each week: conversations, appointments booked, presentations given and listings signed. They show which channel is working.
How Long Does It Take to Get Your First Listing?
There is no standard timeline. It depends on your sphere, your market, the hours you put in and how consistently you follow up.
Agents who talk to people every day and follow up on a schedule usually see results sooner. Sphere outreach and co-listing can produce a listing within weeks, while farming and content tend to pay off over many months.
Common Mistakes New Agents Make When Chasing Listings
- Overpricing to win: Agreeing to an unrealistic price leads to a stale listing and an unhappy seller.
- Weak follow-up: Many sellers are not ready on the first call, so the agent who stays in touch wins.
- Ignoring the rules: DNCL, CASL and RECO breaches can bring complaints and penalties.
- Talking only about yourself: Sellers care about their goals, their timeline and their net proceeds.
- Trying everything at once: Pick two or three channels and do them well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Lean on your sphere, borrow experience through a mentor or co-listing, and show sellers a well-prepared presentation backed by your brokerage’s marketing.
Yes, if you follow the CRTC’s telemarketing rules. That means registering with the National DNCL, checking numbers against it, calling only during permitted hours and keeping an internal do-not-call list.
Not directly. Under RECO guidance, you need the written consent of the agent representing that seller. Wait until you have confirmed the listing has expired and the owner is no longer under an agreement.
Bring a comparative market analysis, marketing samples, a preparation checklist, the listing agreement and the RECO Information Guide, which you must give and explain before the seller signs.
It is optional. Free methods such as your sphere, open houses and expired listings often work well first. If you test paid leads, start small and track cost per appointment.
They can. Neighbours who visit are often thinking about their own home’s value, and a quick, helpful follow-up can turn a visit into a listing appointment.
Start Building Your Listing Pipeline
Your first listing usually comes from steady daily habits: talking to your sphere, hosting open houses, following up with expired and FSBO sellers, and walking into every appointment prepared. Strong marketing materials make each of those steps easier.
If you are thinking about joining RE/MAX as a new agent, RE/MAX Millennium’s New Agent page outlines its in-house marketing, technology, training and coaching, and you can book a confidential meeting with the Broker of Record.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Rules can change, so check current RECO and CRTC guidance and speak with your Broker of Record about your situation.
Grow Your Real Estate Career at RE/MAX Millennium
Get hands-on training, full marketing and admin support, and access to a powerhouse network across the GTA.
