Buy a home in the GTA, Hamilton or Niagara Region with one team, from your first showing through to closing. We represent buyers in Mississauga, Vaughan, Brampton, Milton, Burlington, Oakville, Etobicoke, Toronto, Hamilton, St Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, and Grimsby.
Updated: October 2026
By Françoise Pollard, Realtor®, and Keith Goldson, Broker, Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team, eXp Realty Brokerage
2006
Françoise licensed as a Realtor®
2016
Keith licensed, now Broker
2 markets
GTA and Niagara, one team
ICON
eXp ICON Award recipients
2025
Our own GTA to Niagara move
I first worked with Françoise over a decade ago when I bought my first home, so when it came time to purchase a new construction investment property, reaching out to Françoise and Keith just felt right. … and they were there with me from the start through to after closing. … I would absolutely recommend Françoise and Keith without hesitation.
M. Davido
Buyer client, Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team (excerpt)
When you buy a home in the GTA or Niagara with us, one team handles your search, your showings, your offer, and the coordination through to closing. Françoise is your Realtor®, and Keith prepares the comparable analysis so you know what a property is worth. Because we work both markets, we can help you buy in one while selling in the other. For the full process from offer to keys, see our complete guide to buying a home in Ontario.
Selling in the GTA and buying in Niagara?
We did it ourselves in 2025, selling our Vaughan home and buying a house in St Catharines, so we know this corridor from the inside. Today we help households make the same move, with the sale and the purchase handled by one team.
Talk to Us About Your Move Get the Home Buyer’s ChecklistOn This Page
What’s Included When You Buy a Home With Us
When you buy a home in the GTA or Niagara with us, we handle five core jobs: a focused search, showings, writing and negotiating your offer, protecting you through conditions, and coordinating the closing. Here’s how Françoise and Keith share that work.
Your buyer representation agreement
We go through the buyer representation agreement with you, clause by clause, before you sign it. It sets out our services, its start and expiry dates, and how it can end. The agreement also states what you’ll pay and how that changes if a seller’s brokerage covers some or all of it. As RECO advises, any service you expect should be written into it.
A search built around your decision
We start with your non-negotiables and a budget backed by a written mortgage pre-approval, then filter the market down to fewer, better showings. In Mississauga or Oakville, that often means weighing commute against space. Across Niagara, it usually means weighing price against older homes that need careful inspection.
Showings that tell you something
A showing is research, so we look past the finishes to what affects value and resale. Think of knob-and-tube wiring in an older St Catharines home, or parking in downtown Toronto. We also flag finished basements advertised as separate apartments when their legal status needs verification. It’s better to spot these before you fall for the kitchen.
Writing and negotiating the offer
Before we write, Keith reviews comparable sales, competing listings and unsuccessful listings, with broader market trends providing additional context. Françoise then structures the price, deposit, closing date and conditions, and negotiates with the listing brokerage. For multiple-offer situations, see our article on winning offers in the GTA.
Conditions That Protect Your Purchase
Financing, home inspection and, for condos, a lawyer’s review of the status certificate each need their full window. Waiving one before it’s satisfied is one of the costliest mistakes a buyer can make. Condo buyers should also read our guide to buying a condo in the GTA.
Closing coordination so nothing slips
Once your deal is firm, we coordinate with your lawyer and lender so documents, funds and insurance line up before possession day. Our guide to closing day in the GTA covers what to expect.
Included when you work with us
What You Get When We Represent You
We help you assess each home, understand its value and make informed decisions throughout your purchase.
What Buyers Pay Separately
Your deposit isn’t an extra fee, because it forms part of your purchase funds, and the rest of your down payment is due on closing. Beyond that, budget for Ontario land transfer tax, legal fees, a home inspection, title insurance, and moving costs. Toronto purchases also carry the municipal land transfer tax. If a seller’s brokerage doesn’t cover all of our compensation, your buyer representation agreement sets out what you’d pay.
We’ve Seen This Play Out
A buyer we represented fell in love with a renovated home in Etobicoke that checked almost every box. On the walkthrough, we flagged two things they hadn’t weighed: the home sat under a busy flight path, and its school catchment didn’t match where their family was heading.
They weighed the trade-offs and bought it anyway, and we respected that decision. Years later, their priorities shifted, and we listed it for them.
When they later sold, aircraft noise became a recurring concern in buyer feedback. The experience reinforced why we discuss location, everyday comfort and future resale alongside a home’s finishes.
Selling in the GTA and Buying a Home in Niagara
We can sell your GTA home and help you buy a home in Niagara as one coordinated move, so nobody gets handed off. With one team handling both transactions, you have a single point of contact for coordinating conditions, deposits and closing dates.
Buying in the Niagara Region after a GTA sale
After a GTA sale, buying in Niagara often means a larger detached home at a lower price point, with real trade-offs: older homes, more driving outside the core, and a slower market that rewards patient due diligence. Because we live and work in Niagara, we can tell you plainly when St Catharines, Welland or Niagara Falls fits your life, and when it doesn’t.
If you’re thinking about buying a house in St Catharines, start with our Lakeshore guide. Our GTA vs Niagara home search tips and our guide to moving from the GTA to the Niagara Region cover the rest.
One team, two simultaneous transactions
When you’re selling in the GTA to buy a house in St Catharines or elsewhere in Niagara, the timing has to fit together. Offer conditions, closing dates, and deposits on both deals all interact. We manage that sequence directly, as one team. If you are weighing what your current home will bring, start with a home valuation before we plan the buy side.
Buying a House in St Catharines and Across Niagara
Not every Niagara buyer is coming from the GTA, and we also represent first-time buyers, move-up buyers, and downsizers who already live in the region. If you want to buy a house in St Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, or Grimsby, the local market runs at its own pace. Older homes, inspection-driven due diligence, and real price gaps between towns all shape the search.
We live in St Catharines and provide local advice on neighbourhoods, property types and the practical trade-offs that shape your purchase. For a closer look at specific areas, see our guides to St Catharines neighbourhoods, Welland and Thorold, and Niagara Falls real estate.
From Our Experience
When we left Vaughan in 2025, we became GTA-to-Niagara buyers ourselves. We sold our 2,900 square foot home. Then we bought a house of roughly 1,400 square feet in St Catharines.
That move taught us how the Niagara buyer pool behaves and why older homes here need a proper inspection. It also showed us how to line up a sale and a purchase so neither leaves you exposed.
Thinking about buying a home in the GTA or Niagara?
Tell us about your situation and your timeline, and we’ll walk you through what your purchase needs, from financing order to offer conditions.
Talk to Us About Your Move Get the Home Buyer’s ChecklistOr call or text Françoise at 647-204-6307 or Keith at 416-451-2592.
No obligation and no sales pressure, just honest advice based on today’s market.
First-Time Buyer Programs, in Brief
In Ontario, first-time buyers can use the First Home Savings Account and the Home Buyers’ Plan for a down payment. They may also qualify for Ontario’s land transfer tax refund and, in Toronto, the municipal land transfer tax rebate. Eligible new-home buyers may also qualify for federal and Ontario HST rebates, depending on the purchase price, agreement and construction dates, and other requirements. We help you identify the programs to discuss with your lawyer and tax adviser.
Our guide to Ontario home buyer programs and rebates covers the details, and the CRA publishes the federal rebate rules.
Who We Help Buy
We build our buyer work around life transitions, because the real estate decision usually sits inside a larger one.
First-time buyers
These buyers carry the most programs and the most uncertainty, so we cover financing, closing costs and offer conditions before the search begins. We also watch for the three mistakes that trip up first-timers most: shopping before financing, focusing only on the monthly payment, and choosing finishes over location. Our Ontario first-time home buyer checklist keeps it all in one place.
Relocating and downsizing households
Some households are moving from the GTA to buy a house in St Catharines or elsewhere in Niagara, while others are downsizing in their own community. Either way, we manage both sides of the move together, and our Ontario downsizing guide covers the decisions that run alongside the purchase.
Buyers in transition after divorce
Buying after a separation changes how you qualify and where your down payment funds sit, so the order of events matters. Both of us have been through divorce personally. Our article on buying a home after divorce in Ontario covers the financing and timing questions that come first.
Keep Reading
Buyer Representation: Your Questions Answered
What does GTA and Niagara buyer representation include?
GTA and Niagara buyer representation includes running your home search, managing showings, writing and negotiating your Agreement of Purchase and Sale, protecting you through financing, inspection, and condo status conditions, and coordinating with your lawyer and lender through to closing. With the Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team, Françoise represents you as your Realtor® and Keith prepares the comparable market analysis behind your offer.
Does a buyer pay their Realtor® in Ontario?
In many Ontario resale transactions, the seller’s brokerage offers to pay some or all of the buyer’s brokerage compensation from the sale proceeds, so buyers often don’t pay their Realtor® directly. Commission is negotiable, and your buyer representation agreement should state what you’ll pay and how that amount changes if a seller’s brokerage covers some or all of it. Read those terms with your Realtor® before you sign.
Can the Keith & Françoise team help me sell in the GTA and buy in Niagara at the same time?
Yes. The Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team works both the GTA and the Niagara Region, so one team can list your GTA home and represent you buying in the Niagara Region. We coordinate the closing dates, deposits, and conditions across both transactions. That includes clients selling in the GTA to buy a house in St Catharines or elsewhere in Niagara.
What programs can first-time buyers in Ontario use?
First-time buyers in Ontario can use the First Home Savings Account and the Home Buyers’ Plan to fund a down payment, and can claim the Ontario land transfer tax refund and, in the City of Toronto, a municipal land transfer tax rebate. Eligible new-home buyers may also qualify for federal and Ontario HST rebates, with amounts that depend on the purchase price, agreement and construction dates, and other eligibility requirements. Program rules change, so review current details with your lawyer, your tax adviser, and the Canada Revenue Agency.
Do you represent buyers in Brampton?
Yes. The Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team represents buyers in Brampton and across the GTA, including Mississauga, Toronto, Oakville, Burlington, Etobicoke, Milton, and Vaughan, as well as Hamilton and the Niagara Region. Françoise started her real estate career in Brampton in 2006, so we know its neighbourhoods well.
Why confirm financing before starting a home search?
A written mortgage pre-approval helps establish your search budget and shows sellers you’re prepared. Final approval still depends on the property, your financial circumstances and the lender’s requirements. Without a pre-approval, GTA and Niagara buyers risk falling for a home they can’t finance or losing one to a better-prepared buyer. It also shows you where you stand on the mortgage stress test before you tour a single property.
Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team
eXp Realty Brokerage · GTA, Hamilton & Niagara Region
Françoise Pollard, Realtor®, has been licensed since 2006. Keith Goldson, Broker, has been licensed since 2016. Together they bring about three decades of combined experience representing buyers across the GTA, Hamilton and Niagara Region. The team has also earned the eXp ICON Award.
They also advise corridor buyers from their own GTA-to-Niagara move.
The best buyers don’t start with showings. They start with a plan.
Tell us your situation and we’ll map out what your purchase needs, from financing order to offer conditions.
Talk to Us About Your Move Get the Home Buyer’s ChecklistOr call or text Françoise at 647-204-6307 or Keith at 416-451-2592.
Where We Help Buyers
We help buyers in both markets every week, from first condos to family homes and downsizing moves.
Greater Toronto Area: Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, Oakville, Burlington, Etobicoke, and Vaughan.
Hamilton
Niagara Region: St Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Thorold, and Grimsby.
This page is general information for buyers in the GTA and Niagara Region and is not legal, financial, mortgage, or tax advice. Program rules, eligibility thresholds, rebate amounts, and market conditions change. Confirm current figures with the relevant government source, your mortgage professional, your lawyer, and a licensed Realtor® before acting. Keith & Françoise Real Estate Team, eXp Realty Brokerage, as of October 2026.