Why I Include a Pre-Listing Home Inspection and Property Survey

October 10, 2026

Preparing a property for sale usually brings immediate attention to pricing, presentation and marketing. Those are all important, but I believe effective seller representation should also include a careful look at the property itself and the information a prospective buyer is likely to examine once the transaction is underway. The ...

Mortgage Rates, Property Prices and the Real Cost of Waiting to Buy

October 7, 2026

When mortgage rates begin to decline, it is understandable that prospective homebuyers may consider waiting. The reasoning seems straightforward: if borrowing becomes less expensive in the future, waiting for another rate reduction should make the eventual purchase more affordable. But real estate affordability is determined by more than the mortgage ...

Commission Rebates May Have Tax Implications

October 6, 2026

Commission rebates have become one of the ways some real estate brokerages differentiate their services. A buyer or seller may be offered a portion of the remuneration associated with their transaction back as a rebate, sometimes described in advertising as a percentage of commission, a fixed dollar amount or simply ...

What Is an Escape Clause in Ontario Real Estate?

October 2, 2026

An escape clause is a provision in a conditional Agreement of Purchase and Sale that can allow a seller to continue considering other offers and, in defined circumstances, require the original buyer to make a decision about an outstanding condition within a specified period. A seller who accepts a conditional ...

Buying an Estate Sale Property in Ontario: What Buyers Should Understand Before Making an Offer

October 1, 2026

Buying a property from an estate can look very similar to any other resale transaction. The property is listed, buyers arrange showings, an offer is prepared and, if accepted, everyone works toward closing. The difference is that the person selling the property may not be the person who lived there, ...

How the Sale of a Business Typically Unfolds

Selling a business is very different from selling a conventional residential property. A home can usually be marketed openly, prospective buyers can view it, compare it with other properties and make an offer based largely upon information that is already available in the marketplace. A business sale often requires a ...

Sole Discretion Clauses are NOT “get out of jail free cards”

Conditional clauses are an important part of real estate transactions because they give a buyer or seller time to deal with uncertainty before becoming fully committed to a particular outcome. A buyer may need to arrange financing, inspect the property, review condominium documents or investigate whether a property can support ...

How Small Landlords Can Reduce Liability in Ontario

September 26, 2026

Owning a rental property involves considerably more than collecting rent and maintaining a building. Every decision a landlord makes—from selecting a tenant and documenting the tenancy to responding to maintenance concerns, arranging repairs and communicating about problems—can affect both the success of the tenancy and the landlord’s potential exposure when ...

Why Clear Communication Reduces Real Estate Disputes in Ontario

Real estate transactions involve a large number of decisions, deadlines, expectations and professional relationships. Buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, lenders, lawyers, inspectors and real estate representatives may all be involved at different stages, and each participant may be working with only part of the information required to complete the transaction successfully. ...

Knowing When to Walk Away: When a REALTOR® Should Consider Declining a Listing

September 24, 2026

Real estate professionals naturally want to help people who approach them about selling a property. A new listing represents an opportunity to provide professional services, develop a client relationship and, if the property sells successfully, earn remuneration for the work performed. That can make declining a listing feel counterintuitive, particularly ...