Categories for Industry News

What Every Homeowner Needs to Know About Toronto’s Vacant Home Tax

All homeowners will need to declare the status of their property as part of an effort to crack down on real estate investors and improve housing Letting a home sit empty in the middle of a housing crisis will cost you, with the introduction of Toronto’s vacant home tax back ...

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Flipping a House? Your Gain Could be Fully Taxable Under This Rule

Don’t forget, a residential property flipping rule applies to flipped residential property dispositions that occur after January 1, 2023. The rule deems profits from a “flipped residential property” as business income, targeting individuals that misclassify these profits as a capital gain to avoid taxes. It’s important to understand this rule ...

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Residential Rent Increase for 2026

Rules for rent increase In most cases, the rent for a residential unit can be increased 12 months after either: the last rent increase the date the tenancy begins The landlord must give a tenant written notice of a rent increase at least 90 days before it takes effect. The proper forms for this notice ...

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Radon Gas and other Environmental Concerns

Failure to identify and address such issues may result in parties unknowingly assuming substantial liabilities. Environmental issues routinely arise in all types of real estate transactions, from the sale of individual residences to the transfer of large commercial and industrial facilities. Managing the associated risks is almost always possible. The ...

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Is It Okay to Have Multiple Real Estate Agents?

Can a buyer work with multiple real estate agents? Yes, a buyer can work with multiple agents as long as they don’t have a written exclusive (buyer representation) agreement with an agent or an agreement for same services from multiple REALTORS®. The most common service agreement would state that a ...

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CCHR – Help Stop Discrimination in Housing

The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) is Canada’s leading non-profit organization working to advance the right to housing. For the first 35 years of their existence – from 1987 until 2022 – CCHR was called the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation (CERA). The Canadian Centre for Housing Rights ...

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Commission Rebates May Have Tax Implications

A real estate commission rebate is a portion of the real estate agent’s commission that is legally returned to the buyer after closing. This is a legitimate practice in Ontario, overseen by the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), and must be put in writing, often in a Buyer Representation ...

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Knowing When to Walk Away: 5 Instances to Decline a Listing

This one is for agents…. Published by Kartik Subramaniam, founder, Adhi Schools Introduction: In the competitive world of real estate – sometimes, it’s in their best interest to walk away from a potential deal. Aspiring agents are often eager to take on any listing, assuming it’s a stepping stone to success. In ...

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Commission Reduction Agreements

When REALTORS® use commission reductions, it is essential to create an appropriate agreement in order to comply with the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA 2002). In a commission reduction agreement, the listing brokerage agrees with the seller to reduce commission that was previously agreed to. The following are ...

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Real Estate Agents Commission Rebates Can Be Taxable to Clients

There are nearly 40,000 real estate agents in Toronto; that is one agent for every 140 Torontonians! In Vancouver, the numbers are even more staggering – one agent for every 61 Vancouverites. It helps, of course, that the market is sizzling hot, but across Canada, the competition among realtors is ...

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