If you are the subject of a complaint
The Real Estate Council of Ontario established this complaints process to ensure impartial and flexible handling of complaints regarding the conduct of real estate brokerages, brokers and salespersons.
We understand that being the subject of a complaint can be a stressful experience. All complaints should be taken seriously, but please keep in mind that at this stage, the complaint is only alleging misconduct and nothing has been proven.
The complaints process is intended to be fair to all participants. You are entitled to certain rights throughout the process.
- You are entitled to be notified of the nature of the complaint.
- You are entitled to have the complaint dealt with in a timely and unbiased manner.
- You are entitled to seek legal advice and to be represented by counsel, if you so choose.
- You will be provided with written notification of the action taken by the Registrar and an explanation or reasons for the action. A copy will also be sent to your broker of record.
The Act also requires you to respond to the complaint and provide any relevant details or documentation requested by the Registrar. [Section 19(3) REBBA2002]
Receiving notification of and preparing your response to a complaint
You and your broker of record will be notified in writing if you are the subject of a complaint. A summary of the complaint or a copy of the complaint form will be included.
You will be asked to provide the Registrar with a written response to the complaint as required by section 19(3) of REBBA 2002. You may also be interviewed.
The Registrar may also require that you provide additional details about the matter, including contact information for any other parties involved who may be of assistance in the course of our inquiries and
investigation.
Before you respond to the complaint, take time to carefully review the material provided to you. We suggest you discuss this matter with your broker of record or another practitioner before you submit
your response. You may also wish to seek legal advice. It is important to respond within the time period specified and to provide copies of all supporting information and documents with your response.
Once the Registrar has received your response, it will be reviewed along with other information obtained in relation to the complaint.
The Registrar will assess what, if any, action is appropriate based on the original complaint together with your response and all available information (see “Possible Outcomes”).
Do not submit original documents with your response.
Original documents should be retained in the event they are required at a later date. A detailed response along with all relevant supporting information and documentation will allow the Office of the Registrar to address the complaint appropriately and in a timely manner. You may want to identify other parties the Registrar should contact in connection with the matter in the event that further inquiries or investigation are required.
Responses must be made in writing, and may be submitted by fax, mail or e-mail to:
Office of the Registrar
Real Estate Council of Ontario
3300 Bloor Street West
West Tower, Suite 1200
Toronto, ON M8X 2X2
Fax: 416-207-8851
E-mail: complaints@reco.on.ca
How long will the complaints process take?
There is no set time period for the complaints process. The steps taken to review a complaint vary depending on the nature of the alleged misconduct and the information available to the Registrar. Because each complaint is unique, there may be a variety of factors that affect how quickly a complaint will be processed. It is, however, RECO’s intent to deal with all complaints in a timely manner.
RECO recommends that you do NOT postpone your search for legal advice during the complaints process.
Please see
Possible Outcomes for related information.
