Buying a resale condo in Montreal follows a set order: budget, representation, search, documents, offer, inspection, notary. Each step has its own deadlines and its own ways to go wrong. This guide covers the eight steps in the order they happen, with links to the detailed pages where you need more.
Step 1: Budget and pre-approval
Start with the full monthly cost, not the price. Lenders look at the mortgage payment at a stress-tested rate, property taxes, heating and half of the condo fees, then compare that to your gross income. Other debts, such as a car loan, raise the income you need.
Before you visit anything:
- Get a written pre-approval from a lender or mortgage professional.
- Set your own monthly ceiling, which may be lower than the pre-approval.
- Plan your cash: down payment, the welcome tax, notary fees, inspection, adjustments and moving. With 5% or 10% down, add the provincial sales tax on the mortgage insurance premium, paid in cash at closing.
- Check your down payment sources: FHSA (CELIAPP) and the Home Buyers' Plan (RAP) may apply.
For worked numbers at $425,000, see How much income do you need for a $425,000 condo in Montreal?. For a full list of closing costs, see Closing costs for a $425,000 condo in Montreal.
Step 2: The buyer's brokerage contract
In Quebec, a broker who represents you as a buyer does so under a signed brokerage contract. The OACIQ's mandatory form for this is the Exclusive brokerage contract, Purchase. It sets out what you are looking for, your target price and terms, and the obligations of each side.
What representation means in practice. Your broker's role includes:
- Defending your interests and advising you based on your needs
- Negotiating and presenting your offers to the seller
- Informing you of factors that can affect the property's value
- Obtaining and helping you understand the co-ownership documents
- Looking for properties that fit your criteria, including ones not yet on the market
Without a signed contract, a broker cannot represent you or promote your interests. Read the contract before you sign it and ask about anything that is unclear, including the duration and remuneration terms.
Step 3: Search and visits
Most listings are on Centris. Set alerts by neighbourhood and price, and keep a short scoring sheet for each visit: light, noise, storage, parking, the state of the common areas, and anything the building seems to be putting off.
One structural point to settle early. Most condos are divided co-ownership: you own your unit outright, share common areas, and a syndicate of co-owners manages the building. Undivided co-ownership means several owners share one property title, which changes financing, down payment requirements and resale. Many first-time buyers set a divided-only filter from day one. The OACIQ explains both in more detail.
Step 4: Syndicate documents and Law 16
In a condo, you are buying into a building and its finances, not just a unit. Before you commit, you want to see:
- The declaration of co-ownership (rules, by-laws, description of your fraction)
- Recent minutes of general meetings and board meetings
- Financial statements and the current budget
- The contingency fund balance and the contingency fund study
- The maintenance log
- Any planned or voted special assessments
Law 16 made the contingency fund study and maintenance log obligations for syndicates, which gives buyers far better information than before. The OACIQ recommends asking the syndicate for key information through its request-for-information form.
For the full checklist and what to look for in each document, see Law 16 for condo buyers.
Step 5: The promise to purchase and its conditions
When you find the right unit, your broker prepares a promise to purchase on the OACIQ form for co-ownership. It sets the price, the deposit, how you will pay, inclusions and exclusions, the key dates, and the conditions that protect you.
The three conditions most first-time buyers include:
- Financing: your offer depends on obtaining your mortgage by a set date.
- Inspection: you may have the unit inspected by a set date. You can waive it, but the OACIQ does not recommend doing so.
- Document review: you have a set period to receive and review the syndicate documents, and may withdraw if they are not satisfactory.
Two points to know before you sign. Once you sign, you cannot withdraw the offer while the seller's acceptance period is running. Once the seller accepts, the promise becomes a binding contract for both sides, subject to its conditions. The seller may also reply with a counter-proposal, which you can accept, refuse or counter.
Step 6: Inspection
In a condo, the inspector focuses on your unit: electrical, plumbing, windows, ventilation, signs of water, and what they can see of the common elements. They do not audit the whole building. That is why the contingency fund study and maintenance log in Step 4 matter as much as the inspection report.
Attend the inspection if you can. Ask the inspector which items are normal wear and which need a quote. If something significant comes up, your broker can help you decide whether to ask for a price adjustment, a repair, or to withdraw within the inspection deadline.
Step 7: Notary, deed, adjustments and keys
In Quebec, the buyer usually chooses the notary. The notary drafts the deed of sale and the deed of loan, checks the title and the certificate of location, and handles the money.
A few days before signing, the notary sends you a statement of adjustments. It divides costs such as municipal and school taxes and condo fees between you and the seller based on the transfer date. You bring the balance of your down payment and closing costs by bank draft or transfer, as the notary instructs.
You sign the deed at the notary's office. Keys and occupancy follow the date set in the promise to purchase.
Step 8: After closing, claim the welcome tax credit
A few weeks after closing, the City of Montreal sends the welcome tax bill (transfer duties). Pay it on time.
Since January 1, 2026, eligible first-time buyers in Quebec may recover up to $5,875 through a refundable tax credit. At most prices in the $400,000 to $450,000 range, that covers the full Montreal amount for an eligible buyer. You claim it on your tax return, or request an advance payment from Revenu Québec (deadline December 1 of the tax year). Eligibility rules apply, including a first-time buyer test for you and your spouse. Details: Welcome tax refund 2026.
Typical timeline
These are typical ranges, not guarantees. Every file is negotiated.
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Pre-approval | 1 to 7 days |
| Search and visits | A few weeks to several months |
| Seller's response to your offer | 24 to 48 hours |
| Inspection condition | 7 to 10 days after acceptance |
| Document review condition | 7 to 10 days after receipt of documents |
| Financing condition | 10 to 15 days after acceptance |
| Notary signing and keys | 30 to 60 days after acceptance |
| Welcome tax bill | A few weeks to a few months after closing |
Common questions
Do I need a broker to buy a condo in Montreal?
No. You can buy without one. A broker who represents you under a signed contract has specific obligations to you, including advice, negotiation and document follow-up.
Who pays the notary?
In most cases the buyer, since the buyer chooses the notary and the deed of loan is part of their file.
Can I buy with 5% down?
In most cases, yes, for a price under $500,000, with mortgage insurance. Your lender confirms your own file.
How long is the whole process?
From accepted offer to keys, often one to two months. The search itself varies the most.
What if the syndicate documents show a problem?
If your document review condition is still running, you and your broker can ask questions, negotiate, or withdraw within the deadline.
Next step
Download the first-time homebuyer kit. Budget worksheet, condo document checklist and the full timeline in one file. Download the first-time homebuyer kit
Want to talk through your situation? Book a 30-minute buyer call
Related guides
Delaram Farzin, Residential Real Estate Broker (Courtière immobilière résidentielle), Groupe Sutton Centre-Ouest, real estate agency. This page is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.
Sources: OACIQ (1) · OACIQ (2) · OACIQ (3) · OACIQ (4) · OACIQ (5) · OACIQ (6)
