How Buyers Find Homes Today

Ten years ago, a buyer's agent played a significant role in property discovery - agents knew inventory their clients didn't, and showing decisions were often agent-driven. That dynamic has largely reversed. Today, Calgary buyers are doing the majority of their property search independently.

A typical Calgary buyer in 2025 has been watching Realtor.ca for weeks or months before they actively engage an agent. They've set up saved searches with specific filters: community, property type, price range, bedrooms, parking. When a new listing appears that matches their criteria, they receive a notification. They look at the photos. They read the description. If it's interesting, they call or text their agent and say, "I want to see this one." The buyer has already found the home. The agent's job at that point is to arrange the showing. In this model, whether the buyer's agent is enthusiastic about the commission structure is largely irrelevant - the buyer has already made the discovery decision before the agent is involved.

A nuanced view

When Buyer Agent Relationships Do Matter

The buyer-finds-first dynamic is strong, but there are scenarios where the cooperating agent relationship still influences showing activity.

In niche or thin markets - properties priced over $1.5M, specific rural acreages, or unusual property types where buyer search volume is low - the cooperating agent's active role in property discovery is more significant. In these segments, agent-to-agent relationship marketing and higher cooperating commissions can still make a measurable difference.

For the vast majority of Calgary residential listings - detached homes in established communities, apartment condos in high-density areas, and townhomes in family neighbourhoods - the buyer-discovers-online model dominates. Your Realtor.ca presence, your price point relative to buyer search filters, and your listing presentation are the variables that determine whether buyers book showings.

Don's 600+ Calgary transactions include homes across this spectrum. The 2 Percent Realty model consistently produces showings and sales in mainstream Calgary price ranges because the listings are visible, accurately priced, and well-presented.