Before you tour
The tour is a poor place to discover whose side you are on. The order of that decision is the subject of London Buyers Agent.
The listing agent represents the seller once retained. Liking the rooms does not change that. A buyer with no written representation is a self-represented party. You can still buy the home. You do not get advice, opinion, or advocacy from the seller's agent.
A written agreement, or not
The provincial law on the buyer's side of the file is the Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA). Key changes took effect on 1 December 2023, which is why a tour should wait for a written agreement. Read RECO's page on signing a contract with a real estate brokerage. A buyer who wants representation needs a registrant. Search RECO's registrant search.
Do not treat a text message, a friendly introduction, or a lockbox code as the agreement. If you cannot point to a written document that says who represents you, do not assume you are a client yet. A self-represented party is not a client. The seller's agent can share facts the seller is content to share. Helpful is not the same as retained.
A registrant must give a copy of the RECO Information Guide, and explain it, before providing services. Read that guide, and read the agreement you are offered. A conversation in a doorway is not a signed duty.
One person, or the firm
Designated representation names one person. The form can name more than one. The brokerage remains responsible for supervision. Brokerage representation names the firm: the firm, and the brokers and salespersons it employs, represent you, rather than one designated salesperson. Ask which one the form creates before you tour.
You can decline a particular agreement. Declining one form is not the same as touring with no form at all. If you do not know which arrangement a form creates, you do not yet know who owes you a duty.
What the listing side still is
Once retained, the listing agent has a client, and that client is the seller. An opinion on price, on dropping a condition, or on a closing day is advice. You do not get that from the seller's agent. If you wait until you want to write, you will sort out representation in the same hour as the deposit, the closing day, and the conditions.
The terms themselves are on the offer.
Questions
Does a showing make the listing agent your adviser?
No. The listing agent represents the seller once retained. A showing can include factual answers. It does not include advice, opinion, or advocacy for the buyer.
What should you ask before you sign a representation agreement?
Ask who is named, and whether the form is designated representation or brokerage representation. If the form is unclear, slow down before you tour.