Categories for Industry News

Impact of Mortgage Rate Decreases with Property Price Increases and New Mortgage Enhancements

There are several important messages that I want to share with you that I have been discussing with my clients. Mortgage rates are dropping, unit sales are increasing, inventory is high, and prices are stable,  but too many buyers continue to sit on their hands. For many market segments, especially ...

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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 our 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 To Clients and Customers

Under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA 2002), REALTORS® cannot provide any form of compensation to an unregistered third-party for activities that would be considered to be in furtherance of a trade. This restriction is explained in the Registrar’s Bulletin entitled Referral fees. However, a rebate or ...

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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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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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Referral Fees in Real Estate

This post deals with the topic of REALTORS® receiving and/or paying referral fees to third parties who may not be directly involved in a real estate transaction. Depending on the specific situation, this may not be permitted under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA 2002) and in other situations written ...

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Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020

The Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act, 2020 amends the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, the Housing Services Act, 2011, the Building Code Act, 1992 and repeals the Ontario Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act. Originally posted on July 22, 2020 The changes to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) strengthen protections ...

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Ontario Human Rights Code – Housing Discrimination

Every person has the right to be free from discrimination in housing because of Code-protected grounds. You have the right to equal treatment when buying, selling, renting or being evicted from an apartment, house, condominium or commercial property. This right also covers renting or being evicted from a hotel room. Housing ...

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