The Convicted Real Estate Agent
Has your real estate sales representative ever been in trouble for breaking some rules? If an official complaint has ever been filed and acted upon by the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), you can find out.
REALTORS® are governed under legislation as well as a Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. As consumers become more educated and as the industry itself becomes less tolerant of improper practices, complaints are increasing and personally, I think that’s a good thing. A very good thing. As a member of our local real estate board professional standards committee, I’m pleased to say that the number of problems in our area is relatively minimal although they do surface from time to time.
The Real Estate Council of Ontario, (RECO), was established in 1997 as a delegated administrative authority under the Safety and Consumer Statutes Administration Act. It is overseen by the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services and is charged with administering the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA 2002) and associated regulations on behalf of the provincial government. Their job is to protect the public interest.
On the RECO website, you can search to make sure your salesperson is registered and if there are any pending complaints or convictions against them. You can read the details of convictions, charges and hearings. You can learn how to file your own complaint and, you can find information on many topics of interest to consumers such as rules applying to listing agreements, commissions, advertising and much more. Anyone who thinks the real estate industry lacks transparency, is at least a decade out of date. The RECO site will prove otherwise.
Related Posts:
REALTOR® Code of Ethics
How Do You Choose a Real Estate Agent?
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When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who is ready whenever you are!
