When speed genuinely matters
- Booking a showing on new inventory. In a moving segment, a day is the difference between seeing a home and reading about its sale.
- Anything inside a condition period. These are dated deadlines. A missed one has consequences that an apology does not undo. What happens →
- An offer in play, especially in competition, where hours genuinely decide outcomes.
- Anything involving your lawyer or lender near possession.
When it does not
Most of the rest. An agent who replies within a few hours on a Tuesday afternoon is not failing you, and one who answers instantly at all hours may simply be someone who never stops — which is a different quality from being good at the job. Constant availability and sound judgement are not the same trait, and if you have to choose, judgement is what protects your money.
What you actually want is predictability, not immediacy. An agent who tells you they respond within four hours and then does is easier to work with than one who is sometimes instant and sometimes silent.
How to test it before you commit
- Ask a real question before you sign anything and see how long it takes, and whether the answer is considered or reflexive.
- Ask who replies when they are away. On a team, find out who and whether that person knows your file.
- Ask what their normal hours are. A straight answer is a better sign than a claim of constant availability.
- Ask how they will reach you when it is genuinely time-sensitive — and tell them how to.
See also: what a good REALTOR® actually does.
Still deciding who to work with? Start with choosing a Calgary REALTOR®.