What happens in our initial [onboarding consultation] meeting before looking at homes
If you're picturing your home search starting with me sending you a batch of MLS listings, I want to reset that expectation right now.
It doesn't start there. It starts with a conversation.
Before we look at a single house, we sit down for what I call the onboarding consultation. No paperwork gets signed at this meeting — it's just us, talking through what buying actually looks like so you walk into your search knowing what to expect instead of figuring it out as you go.
I like to do this in person when we can swing it, but a video chat works just as well if you're not on the Island yet — especially handy for relocation buyers who are still a plane ride away.
It's Also a Fit Check — Both Ways
Here's something people don't always expect about this meeting: it's not just me learning your budget and timeline. It's us figuring out if we're the right people to work together.
As a REALTOR®, I end up privy to information most new acquaintances don't get. Are you planning to grow your family? How many bedrooms do you actually need — not just right now, but in five years? Those aren't small-talk questions. They change what we should be looking at. And I ask them with zero judgment — there's no "right" answer, I just need to know what I'm working with.
I'm also a mom myself, so when I walk through a house, I'm not just thinking about square footage. I'm thinking about what it's like to actually raise kids in it — sightlines from the kitchen, where bath time happens, whether that "fenced yard" in the listing photos is real fencing or a suggestion. Those are the kinds of things you might not think to ask about yet. I do, because I've lived it. [Ask me sometime about the house I toured where I clocked the staircase as a toddler hazard before I'd even looked at the listing photos.]
So yes — we're talking budgets and paperwork. But we're also figuring out whether my perspective is one you actually want in your corner.
Here's exactly what we cover.
Making Sure Your Budget Is Real
We talk pre-approval first — not because it's a box to check, but because "what you can afford" and "what a lender will actually approve you for" aren't always the same number. I want you shopping with a real budget, not a guess. If you haven't saved a full downpayment yet, it's worth reading about PEI's down payment assistance programs before we meet — there's a good chance you qualify for more help than you think.
A Walkthrough of the Paperwork — Before You Need It
I show you the Agreement of Purchase and Sale before you're staring at one under pressure. Here's why that matters: on PEI, good properties can move fast. If we find the right home and need to write an offer quickly, I don't want the first time you're seeing that document to be the moment you're also trying to decide if you love a house enough to buy it. We look at it together, calmly, ahead of time.
Your Homework: Needs, Wants, Deal Breakers
You leave this meeting with an assignment — sorting out your needs, wants, and deal breakers. [Yes, actual homework. I was a teacher first — old habits.] This isn't busywork. It's what keeps your search focused instead of you wandering through 40 listings that don't actually fit.
And it's not set in stone. Once we actually start touring homes, that list often shifts — something you thought was a deal breaker turns out not to matter, or a "want" moves up to a "need" the second you see it in person. That's normal. We just keep adjusting as we go.
Talking Timeline (This Is Where the Misconceptions Show Up)
This is usually the part that surprises people most — and it looks different depending on who you are.
First-time buyers often underestimate how long the whole process takes, start to finish. We talk through a realistic timeline so "how long is this going to take" isn't a mystery three weeks in.
Relocation buyers run into a different misconception — distance. Charlottetown to Summerside is 45 minutes. Some people do commute that route either way — it happens. But if you're used to commuting in a city, don't assume it feels the same here: it's 45 minutes of straight highway driving, not stop-and-go traffic you can zone out through.
And here's my honest advice on it: if part of why you're moving to PEI is a slower pace of life with your family, don't sign yourself up for a commute you don't actually need. Land somewhere that gets you the life you're relocating for, not one that just recreates your old commute with better scenery. I get into more of this — plus healthcare, daycare, and schools — in my Moving to PEI FAQ post.
Deposit vs. Downpayment (They're Not the Same Thing)
I explain the difference early because people mix these up constantly:
Downpayment — part of your mortgage, handled with your lender.
Deposit — the money you put down with your offer, usually within 48-72 hours of acceptance. It's a separate thing. The funds do go toward the home [you will see it on the statement of adjustments] and if you decide to not purchase the home within the conditional period, these funds are returned to you.
We also talk about how much cash you'll want available to cover both your deposit and your inspection costs, so there are no surprises when an offer moves fast. If you want the fuller cost breakdown ahead of time, I've laid out real inspection and closing cost ranges in this post on renting vs. buying on PEI.
A Preview of the Statement of Adjustments
You'll get this from your lawyer before closing, and I'd rather you see it coming than be confused by it later. We talk through what it is now so it's familiar when it lands in your inbox.
The PEI-Specific Stuff (When It Applies)
Depending on what you're looking for, a few Island-specific pieces come up:
IRAC — if we're looking at rural or waterfront property, this becomes part of the conversation. I've written a full breakdown of what IRAC actually is and when it applies if you want the details ahead of time.
Non-resident property rules — if you're relocating from outside Canada, PEI has restrictions on non-resident land purchases that can affect what you're able to buy. We talk through how that applies to your situation.
Dual agency — only comes up if you're interested in one of my own listings. If that happens, I'll walk you through exactly what it means and how it works.
What Doesn't Happen at This Meeting
Nothing gets signed. This isn't a commitment meeting — it's a groundwork meeting. The goal is that you leave informed, not obligated.
What You Walk Away With
Two homework items: get your pre-approval completed, and fill in your needs/wants/deal-breakers sheet. Beyond that, you'll have a realistic sense of the timeline and a decent understanding of the paperwork and terms you'll run into later. When we do find the right home, you're ready to move on it — not learning the process for the first time under pressure.
If you're thinking about buying on PEI and want to know what that first conversation actually looks like, that's exactly what this meeting is for.