Your playbook for handling the single most common deal-killer in Canadian residential real estate: the roof.
This is your playbook for handling the single most common deal-killer in Canadian residential real estate: the roof. As an agent on this team, you are not paid to be a roofer, but you are paid to manage risk. A roof is not just a bundle of shingles; it is a financial instrument that impacts your client's insurance eligibility, their mortgage approval, and the final sale price of the home.
If you ignore a roof issue during the showing, you will face a crisis during the inspection. If you ignore it during the inspection, you will face a crisis at closing. We handle issues upfront.
In Canada, a roof over 15–20 years old often triggers a switch from "Replacement Cost" to "Actual Cash Value" coverage. This shifts thousands of dollars of risk onto your buyer. You must know the age of the roof before you write the offer.
You must be able to distinguish between a "cosmetic" issue (like granule loss in a gutter) and a "functional" failure (like curling shingles or bare spots). One is a negotiation point; the other is an insurance block.
In a condo, the physical roof matters less than the Reserve Fund Study. You need to know how to read the engineering report to see if the corporation has saved enough money to replace it.
In Canada, snow hides defects. You must protect your buyer with specific holdback clauses or price adjustments when the roof cannot be inspected.
When a roof is end-of-life, do not argue about whether it leaks. Argue about the "effective life" remaining and the capital cost the buyer inherits.