Categories for Professional Representation & Consumer Guidance

Mortgage Fraud in Ontario Real Estate: How Buyers, Sellers and Property Owners Can Recognize the Risk

Most people entering a real estate transaction do not imagine themselves becoming involved in mortgage fraud. The phrase tends to bring to mind stolen identities, forged documents, artificially inflated property values or organized schemes involving properties and borrowers who may not even know one another. Those situations certainly occur, but ...

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Multiple Offers in Ontario Real Estate: How Buyers and Sellers Can Make Better Decisions in a Competitive Offer Process

Multiple offers can change the atmosphere of a real estate transaction very quickly. A buyer who has spent several days carefully evaluating a property may suddenly learn that four or five other written offers have been submitted, while a seller who expected a relatively straightforward negotiation may unexpectedly find several ...

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Commission Reduction Agreements in Ontario Real Estate

When a seller hires a real estate brokerage to market and sell a property, the representation agreement establishes how the brokerage will be compensated for the services it provides. Depending upon the arrangement, the agreement may also address remuneration payable to another brokerage involved in bringing a buyer to the ...

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Can a Real Estate Commission Rebate Have Tax Consequences?

Commission rebates can be an attractive part of a real estate representation arrangement. Depending on the agreement between the client and brokerage, a portion of the remuneration earned on a transaction may be returned to the buyer after the purchase is completed. For someone already making a substantial investment in ...

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OREA – Fighting for Fair Housing

The report from the Ontario Real Estate Association’s Presidential Advisory Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The overarching goal of the PAG is to identify where systemic racism occurs in the real estate and housing sectors… Over the past two years, a racial reckoning has taken place, triggered by a ...

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Mississauga Approves Renovictions By-Law: What Landlords and Tenants Should Know

On April 1, 2026, Mississauga joined Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Kitchener in adopting a municipal renoviction by-law. Mississauga’s Rental Repairs and Renovations Licensing By-law will come into effect on September 1, 2026. The new by-law introduces a municipal licensing framework for landlords undertaking certain major repairs or renovations that require ...

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How to Transfer Oshawa Real Estate Property During Your Lifetime

Are you looking to transfer real estate property during your lifetime to your children? Maybe your rental property or a cottage? First of all, yes it’s possible, but take the time to evaluate all the possible scenarios. There are many solutions available and they all come with their share of ...

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What Does a Full-Service REALTOR® Really Provide?

Selling a home is one of the largest financial transactions many people will undertake, so it is understandable that homeowners pay close attention to the cost of selling. When interviewing REALTORS®, sellers may encounter different commission structures, flat-fee arrangements, limited-service offerings and professionals describing themselves as providing “full service.” The ...

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Referral Fees in Ontario Real Estate

Real estate transactions rarely involve only a buyer, seller and REALTOR®. Depending on the property and transaction, clients may also need lawyers, mortgage professionals, home inspectors, appraisers, contractors, surveyors, environmental consultants, movers, staging professionals and other specialists. It is therefore perfectly normal for clients to ask their real estate representative ...

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Failed Agreements of Purchase and Sale: Why Real Estate Transactions Sometimes Do Not Close

An accepted Agreement of Purchase and Sale is an important milestone in a real estate transaction, but it does not necessarily guarantee that the transaction will ultimately close. Between acceptance and completion, buyers and sellers may still need to satisfy conditions, arrange financing, complete investigations, resolve title matters, meet contractual ...

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