27 plain-English explainers on the rules, money and paperwork of Ontario real estate — the same authoritative sources Automaite grounds its drafting on, written for new agents.
The Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) is the contract that sets out the terms on which a buyer will buy and a seller will sell real property in Ontario. In residential resale deals, most brokerages
Read the guide →Real estate trading in Ontario is governed by the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA) — consumer-protection legislation that regulates the conduct of real estate salespeople and brokerages
Read the guide →"Closing" is the day the transaction legally completes: title transfers from seller to buyer, the purchase price is paid, and the buyer takes possession. In Ontario the mechanics run through real esta
Read the guide →Realtors don't give mortgage advice, but understanding financing lets you set realistic budgets, structure sound conditions, and know when to route a client to a mortgage broker or lender.
Read the guide →Regulatory note: REBBA 2002 was renamed and substantially amended and now operates as TRESA (Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002), with phased changes that took effect through 2023. RECO administe
Read the guide →Anyone who buys or acquires land in Ontario pays Land Transfer Tax (LTT) to the province when the transfer is registered. If the property is located within the City of Toronto, the buyer pays a second
Read the guide →Ontario's Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) is 13% (a 5% federal GST portion plus an 8% Ontario provincial portion). Whether HST applies to a real estate transaction depends chiefly on what is being sold and
Read the guide →Two distinct regimes restrict or tax foreign purchasers of Ontario residential real estate. They operate independently and can both apply to the same transaction:
Read the guide →Ontario property tax has two main components:
Read the guide →Sources: Ontario e-Laws, Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002, S.O. 2002, c. 30, Sched. C — https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/02r30 · Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) — https://www.reco.on.c
Read the guide →Sources: Ontario e-Laws, Code of Ethics, O. Reg. 365/22 under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 — https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/220365 · RECO, "Legislation RECO administers" — https
Read the guide →Reference summary for an Ontario realty knowledge base. General information, not legal advice. Fees, insurance limits, education hours, and penalty amounts change over time — verify anything load-bear
Read the guide →FINTRAC obligations apply to real estate brokers, sales representatives, and real estate developers. In practice this means the brokerage carries the reporting-entity obligations, and the individual b
Read the guide →A realtor in Ontario juggles three overlapping regimes plus professional duties:
Read the guide →Ontario realtors are bound by human rights law on two independent tracks that both apply at once:
Read the guide →Buying a condominium in Ontario is not the same as buying a freehold home. The buyer is purchasing a unit plus an undivided share in the common elements and a membership in a corporation that owns and
Read the guide →Buying a brand-new home from a builder is a fundamentally different transaction from a resale. There is no MLS listing history, no home inspection of a lived-in property, no seller's lawyer negotiatin
Read the guide →Ontario buyers often ask whether a basement apartment, garden suite, coach house, laneway suite, in-law suite, tiny home, or triplex conversion is "legal." That question has several layers:
Read the guide →Ontario does not have one simple province-wide rule that makes short-term rentals legal everywhere. Short-term rental permissions usually come from a mix of:
Read the guide →The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 (RTA) is Ontario's law governing most residential landlord-and-tenant relationships. It sets the rules for rent, deposits, maintenance, entry, notices, and ending a
Read the guide →A seller cannot simply promise "vacant possession" because the buyer wants it. In Ontario, most residential tenants keep their RTA rights when a property is sold. A realtor needs to separate:
Read the guide →Ontario's land registry contains official records of ownership and registered legal interests in land, including transfers, mortgages/charges, leases, easements, plans, and some notices. Most modern r
Read the guide →Zoning controls how land may be used and developed. It can regulate:
Read the guide →A rural or waterfront property carries risk a city lot never does: the water supply and the sewage system are private infrastructure the buyer inherits and must maintain, the land may sit in a regulat
Read the guide →In Ontario, a "matrimonial home" can create rights that are not obvious from title alone. A spouse who is not on title may still have important possession and consent rights. This can affect listing a
Read the guide →The common thread across estates, powers of attorney, guardianship, bankruptcy, and power of sale is a single question: who has the legal authority to sign this listing and this Agreement of Purchase
Read the guide →Ready to put it into practice?
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