What is it?
The RECO Information Guide is a consumer guide published by RECO (the Real Estate Council of Ontario, which regulates real estate agents in Ontario). Before an agent provides you with services or assistance in buying or selling, they must give you this guide and explain it.
If an agent walks you through this guide at your first meeting, that is the law at work. It is a consumer protection step, not a sales pitch.
There is a Residential version and a Commercial version, in English and French. This page is about the residential guide (content version December 1, 2023).
Why does it exist?
When the new TRESA (Trust in Real Estate Services Act) rules took effect on December 1, 2023, the guide replaced documents such as OREA Form 810, "Working with a REALTOR®". RECO Bulletin 2.1 explains that the guide replaces the old Code of Ethics section 10 duty to give information before agreements.
The law (O. Reg. 567/05, s. 13) requires RECO’s registrar to prepare the guide and publish it on RECO’s website, and lists exactly what the guide must contain.
What is in it?
The residential guide is 12 pages long and has five sections.
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Working with a real estate agent | Examples of services for sellers and for buyers, the duties brokerages and agents owe clients (undivided loyalty, disclosure, confidentiality, avoiding conflicts of interest), and your responsibilities as a client. |
| Know the risks of representing yourself | What a self-represented party must do alone, what the other side’s agent cannot do, what not to tell them, and that you can become a client at any time. |
| Signing a contract with a real estate brokerage | Brokerage representation vs designated representation, scope, services, payment (no fixed rate), termination terms, expiry date and holdover clause. |
| Understanding multiple representation | When it arises, what you give up if you agree, the written disclosure you get first, and your right to refuse. It also explains "open offers" (sharing offer contents). |
| How to make a complaint | First the brokerage’s broker of record, then RECO. A brokerage cannot make you sign anything that stops you from complaining to RECO. |
The last page has an Acknowledgement box for the agent and the buyer or seller to sign.
What the law says the guide must include
O. Reg. 567/05, s. 13 (2) lists 16 items the guide must contain. The ones that matter most to consumers:
- The two ways to work with an agent: as a client under a representation agreement, or as a self-represented party.
- A summary of the rights and duties the law gives agents, clients and self-represented parties.
- An explanation of the risks of being a self-represented party, and a statement advising you to seek independent professional advice.
- Guidance on the duties and services of a brokerage (and a designated representative) under brokerage and designated representation agreements.
- Any other information the registrar considers relevant.
When and how do you get it?
- Before providing services or assistance, the agent must give you a copy or a link to the guide on RECO’s website (s. 13 (3)). This comes before you sign any representation agreement.
- The agent must explain the contents (s. 13 (4)). Sending a link alone is not enough. This is the time to ask: what services will you provide, which kind of representation does the brokerage use, how does the fee work, and what is your policy if multiple representation arises?
- Many agents use RECO’s online tool, which emails you a link. The link expires within seven days, and if you confirm receipt, both you and the agent get a confirmation email.
- If you are a self-represented party (no agent of your own), you must also receive and have explained the "Information and Disclosure to Self-represented Party" form along with the guide.
Do you have to sign it?
The law does not require a signature confirming you received the guide. RECO Bulletin 2.1 states that there is no legal requirement for the agent to obtain an acknowledgement that the guide was provided and explained. But if a complaint is made, the agent must prove they met their obligations, so many brokerages require the signature as a company policy.
The signature only confirms that you received the guide and heard the explanation. It is not a service contract and creates no fee or other obligation. Read the guide, ask your questions, then sign.
The self-represented party form is different: for that form, the law requires the brokerage to make best efforts to get your written acknowledgement (s. 13.1 (3)).
Where can you find it?
The "RECO Information Guide" page on RECO’s website has the residential and commercial versions, in regular and printer-friendly formats. The residential PDF is at reco.on.ca/wp-content/uploads/RECO-Information-Guide.pdf. The French version is on the "Guide d’information du COI" page.
As of October 30, 2026, RECO does not publish a Korean version. The English guide is the official text; ask your agent to explain anything unclear. I explain it in Korean during consultations.
Example
Eunjung and her husband contact an agent to buy their first home. Before any showings, the agent emails them a link to the RECO Information Guide, and at the first meeting walks through it page by page: the services clients get, the risks of self-representation, what to check in the agreement (expiry date, holdover, fee), multiple representation and how to complain.
They ask what happens if an agent at the same company has the seller, and the agent explains which kind of representation the brokerage uses and its policy. They sign the acknowledgement box on the last page, and only then receive the buyer representation agreement.
What the law and official sources say
Quotes are copied word for word. The "In plain words" lines are our explanation, not an official translation.
The registrar shall prepare an information guide and publish it on the administrative authority’s website.In plain wordsRECO’s registrar must prepare the information guide and post it on RECO’s website, so anyone can read it for free.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050567 · checked Oct 30, 2026
The information guide shall include the following information: … i. as a client under a representation agreement, or ii. as a self-represented party. 2. A summary of the rights and duties set out in the Act and the regulations in respect of registrants, clients and self-represented parties. 3. An explanation of the risks of being a self-represented party if a person chooses not to receive services, including representation, from a registrant. 4. A statement advising a person contemplating being a self-represented party to seek independent professional advice.In plain wordsThe guide must explain the two paths (client or self-represented party), summarize everyone’s rights and duties, explain the risks of self-representation, and advise getting independent professional advice.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050567 · checked Oct 30, 2026
Before providing services or assistance to a person in relation to trading in real estate a registrant shall provide the person with a copy of the information guide or a link to the guide on the administrative authority’s website.In plain wordsBefore giving any services or assistance, the agent must hand you a copy of the guide or a link to it on RECO’s website.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050567 · checked Oct 30, 2026
Before providing services or assistance to a person in relation to a trade in real estate a broker or salesperson shall explain the contents of the information guide to the person.In plain wordsHanding it over is not enough. The agent must explain what is in the guide before providing services or assistance.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/regulation/050567 · checked Oct 30, 2026
There is no requirement under the legislation for an agent to obtain an acknowledgement that the guide was provided and explained. However, in the event a complaint is made to RECO, the onus will be on the agent to prove they met their obligations.In plain wordsThe law does not require a signed acknowledgement for the guide. But if there is a complaint, the agent must prove they did their duty, which is why many brokerages ask for a signature.
Source: reco.on.ca/agents-and-brokerages/reco-bulletins/reco-bulletin-2-1-reco-information-guide/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
The content of the RECO Information Guide is intended to help buyers and sellers make informed decisions. The RECO Information Guide must be given to a buyer or seller before services or assistance are provided.In plain wordsThe guide exists to help buyers and sellers make informed decisions, and it must be given before any services or assistance.
Source: reco.on.ca/about/what-we-do/plans-and-publications/reco-information-guide/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
Common questions
If I sign the guide, have I hired that agent?
No. Your signature in the acknowledgement box only means you received the guide and heard the explanation. The representation agreement is a separate document you sign later, and that is where fees and obligations come from.
What if the agent does not give me the guide?
Giving and explaining the guide before services or assistance is a legal duty. Ask for it. If the agent still does not provide it, contact the brokerage’s broker of record, and if that fails you can complain to RECO.
Do I get the guide at an open house?
RECO treats giving factual information (number of rooms, handing out feature sheets) as information, not a service. But once an agent starts giving advice or assistance, the guide must come first. If you plan to write an offer without your own agent, you must also get the self-represented party form.
Is there a Korean version?
As of October 30, 2026, RECO publishes only English and French versions. Ask your agent to explain it, and I can walk you through it in Korean during a consultation. The English text is the official document.
How often does the guide change?
The residential guide shows its version at the bottom of each page. The version checked on October 30, 2026 reads "content December 1, 2023, graphics April 2025". Check RECO’s website for the current version.
Guides that use this term
Sources checked
- O. Reg. 567/05: General (TRESA regulation) — ss. 13, 13.1 · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO Bulletin 2.1 RECO information guide · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO Bulletin 2.4 Dealing with a self-represented party · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO Bulletin 2.7 Implied representation agreements · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO, RECO Information Guide page (downloads) · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO Information Guide (Residential, content version December 1, 2023) PDF · checked Oct 30, 2026