Property Counsel represents Ontario real estate registrants — salespersons, brokers, and brokerages — in RECO complaints, investigations, and discipline hearings, TRREB and OREA proceedings, Licence Appeal Tribunal appeals, and proactive TRESA, FINTRAC, and trust account compliance. Real estate regulatory defence is a focused part of our practice.
For an Ontario registrant, the regulator is always in the room. We work on both sides — defence when needed, compliance before it is.
What we handle
Two sides of regulatory work.
Most registrants come to us in one of two moments — a complaint has just landed, or the brokerage wants to make sure one never does. Each area below corresponds to a dedicated practice page with procedure, timelines, and the specific outcomes available.
Regulatory matters move on RECO’s clock, not yours. Response deadlines, investigation timelines, and hearing dates are all driven by the regulator — and the registrants who fare best are the ones who get legal advice before responding, not after.
A RECO complaint or investigation letter has arrived.
The response window is short, and what you write in your initial submission shapes the entire investigation. Before you draft a single word, talk to a lawyer — what feels like an obvious explanation can be read as an admission.
You’ve been told a discipline hearing has been scheduled.
A hearing before the RECO Discipline Committee determines whether you keep your licence and on what terms. Settlement, joint submissions on penalty, and the path to a Licence Appeal Tribunal review all need to be considered well before the hearing date.
A FINTRAC or RECO audit is coming — or has just finished badly.
Brokerages without a compliance program in place are exposed to fines and operational restrictions. We help build the program, review records, identify gaps, and respond to audit findings before they escalate into enforcement.
Something has gone wrong but no complaint has been filed yet.
A failed deal, an unhappy client, an internal issue with one of your agents. Pre-complaint legal advice — privileged and confidential — is far less expensive than defending a RECO investigation after the fact, and often the difference between a complaint and a non-issue.
Our approach
Regulatory defence built for registrants.
A RECO file is not a courtroom and is not a press release. It is a regulated process with its own rules, its own evidence standards, and its own consequences. We run these files with that reality in mind.
01 — Discretion
A privileged conversation, first.
The first call is confidential, the strategy is confidential, and how you respond to the regulator is built around protecting that privilege. Nothing goes out in your name until the legal implications are clear.
02 — Process Discipline
The right answer at the right stage.
A complaint response is not a hearing submission, and neither is an appeal factum. We tailor what is said — and what is held back — to the procedural moment, because what wins at one stage can lose you the next.
03 — Career Protection
Your licence is the case.
Penalty mitigation, settlement structure, and appeal options are all evaluated against one question — what keeps you registered and working. Reputation, fine quantum, and conditions on registration all flow from that.
The Property Counsel Standard
“In real estate, your licence is your livelihood — but your reputation is your career. A regulatory matter puts both on the table at once.”
Regulatory defence is a focus, not a sideline
We act for salespersons, brokers, and brokerages in RECO, TRREB, and OREA matters. It is a defined part of the practice — not something we do on the side of other work.
Transparent on cost and merit
A fee estimate and a candid assessment of your exposure before any retainer is signed.
Province-wide, remote-first
We act for registrants across Ontario from a paperless practice — virtual consultations, electronic signing, and digital filing.
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this page does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For advice specific to your situation, contact Property Counsel or your own legal counsel. Property Counsel makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the information provided. Content reflects the law as of its publication date and may not reflect subsequent legal developments.