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Why REALTORS® Earn Their Commission

REASON # 1 The numbers are In. Statistics from the National Association of Realtors® prove that homes listed with a licensed full-time agent sell for approximately 26% more than those sold “For Sale By Owner”, even after the commission. Why? Mainly because active agents know the market and what a ...

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Risks of Not Employing a Property Management Professional

Owning a rental property can be a rewarding investment. Many landlords begin by managing their own properties, particularly when they own a single rental home or condominium. Others simply enjoy remaining directly involved in every aspect of the investment. There is certainly nothing wrong with self-managing a rental property. The ...

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Do I Need a Realtor to Lease My Property?

One of the most common questions landlords ask is: “Do I really need a REALTOR® to lease my property?” The short answer is no. Many landlords successfully lease their own properties every year. The better question, however, is not whether professional representation is required. It is whether the time, responsibilities, ...

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Money Laundering and Ontario Real Estate Prices

The Objective Of Money Laundering When you buy an asset, whether a home or an investment property, you try to get the best value for your time and money. You want a deal. The seller is trying to extract the maximum price they can get from you, without driving you ...

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First-Time Home Buyers GST/HST Rebates in Canada (2026 Guide)

Understanding the New GST/HST Rebates for First-Time Home Buyers For many first-time home buyers, GST/HST on newly constructed homes can represent a significant additional cost during the purchase process. In 2025 and 2026, new federal and proposed provincial rebate programs were introduced to help eligible first-time home buyers reduce the ...

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Clause Architecture: Best Practices for Structuring Clear, Enforceable, and Operationally Effective Clauses

Well-structured lease and transaction clauses do far more than simply “add legal language” to an agreement. Properly drafted clauses help define expectations, allocate risk, establish operational procedures, reduce misunderstandings, and improve enforceability throughout a transaction or tenancy. From a professional real estate advisory perspective, clause drafting should be approached as ...

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Ambiguous Lease Clauses: How Unclear Wording Creates Financial, Operational, and Relationship Risk

  Whether leasing a residential property, negotiating a commercial tenancy, or managing an investment portfolio, the lease agreement serves as the foundation of the landlord-tenant relationship. It establishes expectations, allocates responsibilities, and provides the framework that guides the tenancy long after the lease has been signed. Most lease disputes do ...

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Assignment Sales and GST/HST Implications in Ontario

The Federal Budget for 2022 has made amendments to Part IX of the Excise Tax Act (“ETA”). Effective May 7, 2022, all assignment sales in respect of newly constructed or substantially renovated single unit residential complexes or residential condominium units are taxable. For clarity, with respect to residential housing transactions, ...

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Industrial Leasing Terms Explained

Industrial leasing introduces a vocabulary that can seem unfamiliar to businesses entering the market for the first time. Terms such as Triple Net (NNN), Additional Rent, Permitted Use, and Tenant Improvements appear throughout lease negotiations, yet many business owners understandably focus their attention on the rental rate rather than the ...

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Understanding the RECO Information Guide and Your Representation Options in Ontario Real Estate

Whether you’re buying your first home, selling an investment property, leasing commercial space, or exploring a real estate opportunity, one of the first decisions you’ll make is how you wish to be represented throughout the transaction. In Ontario, real estate professionals are required to provide consumers with the RECO Information ...

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