Your First Big Purchase in Montreal
Buying at the top of the market uses the same steps as any purchase, only with more zeros and less room for sloppiness.
Quebec has one quirk to learn early: a notary handles the transfer, not a lawyer. The notary checks the title and prepares the deed. Ask your broker to walk you through the sequence at the start so nothing sneaks up on you.
Then the money nobody mentions. Montreal charges a transfer tax, usually called the welcome tax, with brackets that climb as prices do. Your notary can calculate yours exactly. Add inspection, insurance and the cost of moving a whole household, and the total creeps up.
Inspections matter more with older houses. Charming, yes. Also full of surprises like knob-and-tube remnants, original windows that leak air, a foundation that has moved a little over a century. A good inspector costs very little compared with a bad discovery in month two. Your broker will also point you to the certificate of location, which shows the boundaries and flags problems.
What kind of home do you actually want? Some buyers prefer a condo with security and services. Others need land and privacy, and that is usually where people start browsing Westmount mansions. Visit a few in person before deciding. Photos hide ceiling heights and noise.
A luxury real estate broker in Montreal can also tell you how negotiation tends to go at this price level, which listings move quietly, and when a seller is flexible.
Don’t let anyone rush you. At this level there’s normally time to think, and a broker who gets irritated by questions isn’t the right broker.