# Realtors in Toronto



## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

hi all!

Is anyone able to recommend any really helpful, reliable, and friendly real estate agents that they have dealt with throughout their relocation process? I am having near to no luck with house hunting from Perth for my move, I have found all the websites really unhlepful as a lot of people listing places don't want to know you until you are in the country.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, or even a shove in the right direction. 

Thanks!


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

What area are you looking to buy in?


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

i am lookin gat renting around the downtown/chintaown areas as my work will potentailly be on Universtiy ave near Dundas street. i didn't think i would be able to buy on a WHV since i will only be there for potentially 2 years, do real estate agents only deal with sales not rentals in Canada?


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## Liam(at)Large (Sep 2, 2012)

I've never used a realtor for rentals in TO. Always owner/landlord direct.

Most people I know, come and take a room at the backpackers or elsewhere for a few weeks, then view and arrange a rental from here.


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

i am thinking that's how i am going to have to do it, i am hoping meeting new people and making friends will outweigh the costs of a hotel/hostel for a few weeks.


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

My wife and i personaly dont like hostels...your bunking with complete strangers, having to safe guard your personal belongings.

There are a few site were you can look up places to rent.

Apartments For Rent | Boardwalk Rental Communities
www.viewit.ca

These are some, hope this helps.


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## Caz n Neil (Oct 6, 2010)

We took a month long holiday let cottage whist we looked. It gave time for things to be shipped too. Like you have found very difficult to get a response before you arrive, and to a certain extent after as you will not have Canadian rental references. We found our house through Kijji, good luck have faith someone will respond!


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

I dont know if i will have the luxury of a few weeks off, my current employer want me to stay as long as possible to train my replacement before starting up in Canada, i think i will lash out a bit and stay in a proper hotel if i will be working straight away. The sites like kajiji and viewit have been no help to me as yet, especially since Im chasing out friendly housing.


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

We will see if we cant secure an apartment an month before were due to leave we will pay for a basic hotel for a couple of weeks and go from there.

Most renters preferred 30-90 days notice we were told.


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

my current employer has just agreed my last date will be 15th June, 9 weeks to prepare


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> my current employer has just agreed my last date will be 15th June, 9 weeks to prepare


Nice , though you havent got much time...you better get a wriggle on a secure a place to stay, etc. Best of luck bud, ive got about another 30wks to go and have booked anything, nor saved any money yet (financial issues ) but things are looking up now


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

a lot of people have been telling me 8-9 weeks isnt long enough so i am really really worried i have missed something now? i will be booking my flights and some short term accommodation (4 weeks should be enough) this weekend and organising a bank account and medical cover next week. from there it's just a waiting game. my current employer is still helping me find employment in our Toronto office so the only two things i have to do when i arrive will be search for a long-term rental appartment and get a social security number (if that is what they are called). i have been going crazy with contacting landlords and owners from View it and other similar sites so fingers crossed i find something before i land otherwise a hotel it is! 

good luck with your planning etc too!


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> a lot of people have been telling me 8-9 weeks isnt long enough so i am really really worried i have missed something now? i will be booking my flights and some short term accommodation (4 weeks should be enough) this weekend and organising a bank account and medical cover next week. from there it's just a waiting game. my current employer is still helping me find employment in our Toronto office so the only two things i have to do when i arrive will be search for a long-term rental appartment and get a social security number (if that is what they are called). i have been going crazy with contacting landlords and owners from View it and other similar sites so fingers crossed i find something before i land otherwise a hotel it is!
> 
> good luck with your planning etc too!


Its called a SIN (Social Insurance Number) there is info on the CIC website about how you can apply, application form, etc.


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## MapleLeafs (Apr 16, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> i am lookin gat renting around the downtown/chintaown areas as my work will potentailly be on Universtiy ave near Dundas street. i didn't think i would be able to buy on a WHV since i will only be there for potentially 2 years, do real estate agents only deal with sales not rentals in Canada?


It depends on your budget and what you're looking for 1, 2 bedroom etc. Rents vary a lot there, even from one street to the next. If your work is around University/Dundas you can even rent anything along the Yonge-university subway line. Its just as convenient and rents maybe a little cheaper if you're away from the downtown core.

So whats your budget for rent are your requirements?


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

I was looking at anywhere between 900-1300 a month for a one or two bedroom, does that sound about average?. The only problem is it really needt be dog friendly which is probably why Im struggling.


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## canadianbilal (Mar 3, 2013)

I know a very good agent. He is young, charismatic and full of energy. He may not be that well versed with Toronto but he'll take it on! 
Email me your requirements and a little about yourself. Also of your availability. I work with Century 21 Elite Estates and have access just as any other agent to 100's of properties for sale and rent.


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## headzred (Mar 20, 2012)

I also know an excellent agent who is quite familiar with Toronto and the rest if the GTA. Let me know of you need his assistance. He found us a townhouse, and we had final ok within 24 hours of making an offer.


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## MapleLeafs (Apr 16, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> I was looking at anywhere between 900-1300 a month for a one or two bedroom, does that sound about average?. The only problem is it really needt be dog friendly which is probably why Im struggling.


I did go over a few listings , there are a few places that do allow pets. The ones that I saw were around 5-7 mins by subway. If you'd like you can PM me your email and I can send those listings?


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

hi guys, thanks so much for your help. 

i found a realestate agent through Internations who has been helping me though a lot of the places wont let me apply until i view the place, which is fair enough i wouldnt want to lock into soemthing long term that is a dump.

i may just hold off until i actually get there, im sure it wont take too long to find something, a few weeks in a hotel wont kill me!


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> hi guys, thanks so much for your help.
> 
> i found a realestate agent through Internations who has been helping me though a lot of the places wont let me apply until i view the place, which is fair enough i wouldnt want to lock into soemthing long term that is a dump.
> 
> i may just hold off until i actually get there, im sure it wont take too long to find something, a few weeks in a hotel wont kill me!


How is everything going Rhychelle 

The wife and i have decided Toronto is for us...plus our best chance of securing work in our fields.

Hope all goes well


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

best of luck with securing work, Toronto does sound like the right place for it.

all full steam ahead for me, flights booked and insurance sorted. just trying to figure out how long i should stay in a hotel; 2 or 4 weeks. on the long term renatl/accommodation front a lot of places have been saying contact us just before you arrive so we can organise viewings etc so all on hold on that front for now!


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

Some questions:

How much where you one way flight to Toronto and which path are you flying ?
Who did you get your health insurance through, how long for and how much ?


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

flights were AUD$2041 with Emirates from Perth to Toronto with a 4hr stop in Dubai. 

medical insurance was a bit more expensive as i got more than just the bare minimum emergency cover, i wanted to see GP's and a physio/chiro if i needed to so the extras got me; 
*Country of Residency: *Canada (and covers you Worldwide excluding USA)
*Annual Premium: *AUD $2003.34
*Deductible: *$400 deductible applies for Worldwide Medical Insurance & $160 deductible applies for Worldwide Medical Plus 
*Cover Type: *Worldwide Medical Insurance + Worldwide Medical Plus + Worldwide Evacuation 

here's the details of the guy i was dealing with, he was great to deal with and offered suggestions and understood the visa requirements and was very reassuring as i had my little 'what if they dont let me in or only give me entry for 1 year' breakdown on the phone! also explained no where will you be able to buy a policy for 24 months but ' proper medical' insurance doesnt have an end date as such like "travel" so as long as i have 2K in my pocket for the next year i *should be ok apparently.

Ray Mirza - Bupa Australia International Sales Specialist
Ph: +61 3 9937 3296 I Ext: 34275 I Fax: +61 3 9937 3565
Email: [email protected] l Web: Health Insurance - Health Cover - Health Fund - Bupa


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## GRETZKY427 (Jan 5, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> flights were AUD$2041 with Emirates from Perth to Toronto with a 4hr stop in Dubai.
> 
> medical insurance was a bit more expensive as i got more than just the bare minimum emergency cover, i wanted to see GP's and a physio/chiro if i needed to so the extras got me;
> *Country of Residency: *Canada (and covers you Worldwide excluding USA)
> ...


Your certainly well on your way, just accomodation to sort out, when do you leave for Toronto ?

The only thing im still not sure on is if my wife and i can get a couple cover or if we need to individually take our separate cover? there is a $2k difference between the 2 covers, priced it up - that a big difference imo...so would be keen to find out.


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

that's the part i am strugglign with, i really dont know how long i will need in a hotel and would hate to over or under book something :\ i leave perth 16th June and land late arvo on the 17th.

it would be good if someone from CIC or IEC could give you an answer on it rather than risk it, i know they can't legally give insurance advice as they are not qualified but surely they know what the visa requirements would allow for and point you in the right direction.


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## katqq (Mar 31, 2013)

RhychelleW said:


> best of luck with securing work, Toronto does sound like the right place for it.
> 
> all full steam ahead for me, flights booked and insurance sorted. just trying to figure out how long i should stay in a hotel; 2 or 4 weeks. on the long term renatl/accommodation front a lot of places have been saying contact us just before you arrive so we can organise viewings etc so all on hold on that front for now!


You should try airbnb.com for holiday rentals. I use it all the time when travelling because it's much cheaper than a hotel and you can usually stay in more fun areas of a city rather than the usual touristy areas  Also very flexible to your dates and means you can also meet some locals


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## RhychelleW (Jan 25, 2013)

katqq said:


> You should try airbnb.com for holiday rentals. I use it all the time when travelling because it's much cheaper than a hotel and you can usually stay in more fun areas of a city rather than the usual touristy areas  Also very flexible to your dates and means you can also meet some locals


thanks for the suggestions, much appreciated!


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