COMPLAINTS, COMPLIANCE & DISCIPLINE RECO addresses inquiries, concerns and complaints about the conduct of registrants and takes appropriate action to protect the public interest. Registrants must follow the law when conducting their business. The law aims to protect consumers when they complete real estate transactions with the assistance of a brokerage and helps ensure public confidence in Ontario’s real estate profession. The year 2017 was unique for Complaints, Compliance & Discipline (CCD) for two primary reasons: RECO worked steadily to reduce an inventory of complaints, some of which dated back to 2014, and RECO launched Client Services to manage most inquiries on-the-spot, where possible. Reducing RECO’s inventory of complaints Between 2014 and 2016, RECO experienced a 42 per cent growth in complaints opened, which resulted in a large inventory of complaints. Two possible factors for the increase may be the hot real estate market that the province experienced in 2016, as well as increased awareness of RECO as a result of consumer outreach efforts. In January 2017, RECO had over 1,600 open complaints. Growing complaint volumes also meant that processing times grew. At that time, processing a complaint took an average of 241 days. In 2017, RECO introduced new measures to manage and reduce the inventory, including an enhanced screening process to determine, from the start, if a complaint was frivolous, outside our jurisdiction or could be resolved informally. Our efforts to facilitate a dialogue between parties to a complaint, where possible, and encourage them to resolve issues together sooner and with less administrative effort have been very well received. We also saw continued benefits from a more streamlined approach to advertising complaints, which we introduced in 2016. For years, advertising had been RECO’s single largest complaint topic. Our strategy places greater accountability with brokerages, and provides support for those who need help with advertising compliance. 2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0 RECO’s Complaints Inventory Decreased Throughout 2017, After Streamlining Measures Were Introduced Jan Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb 22/ RECO 2017 ANNUAL REPORT/BY THE NUMBERS 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 RECO’s Complaints Processing Times Decreased Throughout 2017, After Streamlining Measures Were Introduced DAYS Employing all these initiatives proved successful. By the end of 2017, our complaints inventory was reduced by 75 per cent. As we worked through the inventory, the average number of days it took to close complaints increased, but ultimately processing times were reduced by 60 per cent. ACTIVE COMPLAINTS Jan Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb