What is it?
RECO (the Real Estate Council of Ontario) is the body that regulates real estate agents (salespersons and brokers) and brokerages in Ontario. It is a not-for-profit corporation set up in 1997, and it administers Ontario’s real estate law, the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA). According to RECO, it regulates more than 110,000 agents and brokerages.
RECO is not a government ministry and not an association of agents. It is a "delegated administrative authority": the Ontario government (the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, MPBSDP) has delegated the job of enforcing the law to it. Changing the law is the government’s job; applying and enforcing it every day is RECO’s job.
In Ontario it is illegal to trade in real estate for others without being registered. So every agent and brokerage you meet when buying or selling must be registered with RECO.
What RECO does
- Registration: reviews and renews the registration of agents and brokerages, and can add conditions, suspend or revoke it.
- Enforcement: oversees compliance with TRESA and the Code of Ethics, and inspects brokerages.
- Complaints: receives consumer complaints, investigates, and may mediate or refer the matter to discipline.
- Discipline: the discipline committee can order extra education, fines (up to $50,000 for an agent and $100,000 for a brokerage), and conditions on, suspension of, or revocation of a registration.
- Education: sets the standards for pre-registration, broker and mandatory continuing education.
- Insurance: runs the mandatory insurance program, which includes consumer deposit insurance, errors and omissions coverage and commission protection.
- The RECO Information Guide: produces the guide that agents must give and explain to consumers before providing services.
- The public register: runs a register where anyone can check whether an agent or brokerage is registered.
What RECO does not do
- It does not resolve money or contract disputes or award damages. A fight over who gets a deposit is a matter for lawyers and the courts.
- It has no authority over buyers and sellers, and it does not value properties.
- It does not produce market statistics. RECO states that sales figures are maintained by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). GTA statistics come from TRREB.
- It does not set commissions. RECO explains that the amount is not fixed or approved by RECO, any government authority, or any real estate association or board.
- It does not regulate new home builders and vendors. That is the job of the HCRA, and Tarion handles new home warranties.
Checking a registration (the public register)
TRESA requires RECO to maintain a public register. You reach the search from the "Make sure your real estate agent is registered" page on RECO’s website. Searching by agent or brokerage name shows:
- Name and registration number
- Registration status (confirm it says "registered")
- Expiry date of the registration
- For a brokerage, the name of the broker of record and ownership information
- Business contact information
- Enforcement activity within the past 5 years: referrals to hearings and discipline decisions, charges and convictions under the legislation, registrar’s proposals to refuse, revoke, suspend or add conditions to a registration, and Licence Appeal Tribunal decisions
Search by the name registered with RECO. If an agent advertises under a nickname or a different English name, the search may not find them.
Consumer deposit insurance
All registered agents and brokerages must take part in an insurance program that includes consumer deposit insurance. If a deposit is lost through brokerage theft, fraud, insolvency or misappropriation, it pays up to $200,000 per claim and up to $4,000,000 for all claims from one event, such as a brokerage going insolvent. Consumers pay nothing for this coverage.
The insurance does not cover a dispute about who is entitled to a deposit after a deal fails. If you suspect theft, fraud or insolvency, RECO asks you to contact its Insurance Department right away (416-207-4800, insurance@reco.on.ca).
How to make a complaint
- Contact the brokerage first. RECO’s Information Guide says the brokerage can often mediate or resolve a complaint about an agent. Find the broker of record in the public register.
- If that does not work, file a complaint in the complaints section of RECO’s website. It explains the process, how to file, and the possible outcomes.
- RECO reviews whether the matter is within its authority and decides on next steps. Under the law, the registrar may ask the agent for information in writing, the agent must answer, and the registrar may try to mediate.
- If a breach is found, the matter can lead to action by the registrar or a hearing before the discipline committee. Discipline decisions also appear in the public register.
A brokerage or agent cannot ask you to promise not to complain to RECO or to withdraw a complaint, and a settlement cannot include such a term.
RECO, the government and the associations
| RECO | Ontario government (MPBSDP) | OREA, TRREB, CREA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | The regulator (a delegated administrative authority) | The ministry that makes and amends the law | Associations of agents (member organizations) |
| Membership | Registration is mandatory to trade | — | Voluntary membership (REALTOR®) |
| Works for | Consumer protection | The public | Their member agents |
| Does | Registration, enforcement, complaints, discipline, education standards, insurance | Amends TRESA and its regulations, oversees RECO | Standard forms (OREA), MLS and market statistics (TRREB), REALTOR.ca (CREA), lobbying |
Example
Mr. Park contacts an agent after seeing a social media ad. The ad shows only an English nickname and no brokerage name. Before signing anything, he searches RECO’s public register using the agent’s real name. The status is "registered" and the expiry date is in the future, but an ad with no brokerage name breaks the advertising rules.
He asks the agent to put the registered name and the brokerage name on the agreement exactly as registered, and he receives and has the RECO Information Guide explained before any services. He checks that the brokerage name on page one matches the register, then signs.
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.
RECO is a not-for-profit corporation established in 1997 to regulate real estate agents and brokerages to ensure consumer protection in Ontario’s real estate services sector. RECO administers the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA).In plain wordsRECO is a not-for-profit corporation from 1997 that regulates agents and brokerages to protect consumers and administers TRESA.
Source: reco.on.ca/about/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
RECO is one of 11 delegated administrative authorities overseen by MPBSDP (the ministry). The ministry is responsible for any amendments to the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA) and its associated regulations.In plain wordsRECO is one of 11 delegated administrative authorities overseen by the ministry, and changing the law is the ministry’s job.
Source: reco.on.ca/about/what-we-do/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
The registrar may, (a) receive complaints concerning conduct that may be in contravention of this Act or the regulations; (b) make written requests to registrants for information regarding complaints; and (c) attempt to mediate or resolve complaints, as appropriate, … A registrant who receives a written request under clause (1) (b) shall provide the requested information to the registrar.In plain wordsRECO’s registrar can take complaints, demand information from agents in writing, and try to mediate. An agent who gets such a request must answer.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/02r30 · checked Oct 30, 2026
The maximum amount of the fine mentioned in paragraph 3 of subsection (3) is, (a) $50,000, or such lesser amount as may be prescribed, if the registrant is a broker or a salesperson; or (b) $100,000, or such lesser amount as may be prescribed, if the registrant is a brokerage.In plain wordsThe discipline committee can fine an individual agent up to $50,000 and a brokerage up to $100,000.
Source: ontario.ca/laws/statute/02r30 · checked Oct 30, 2026
It is a requirement under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 that RECO maintain a public register. The public register must include prescribed information about real estate agents, brokerages, and any related enforcement activities.In plain wordsThe law requires RECO to keep a public register with information about agents, brokerages and enforcement activity.
Source: reco.on.ca/consumers/make-sure-your-real-estate-agent-is-registered/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
The coverage is available at no cost to you. All brokers and salespersons are required by law to participate in an insurance program that includes consumer deposit insurance. … The consumer deposit coverage provides up to a maximum of $200,000 per claim and up to a maximum of $4 million for all claims related to a single event (for example, insolvency of a brokerage).In plain wordsEvery agent must carry deposit insurance and consumers pay nothing. It pays up to $200,000 per claim and up to $4,000,000 for one event.
Source: reco.on.ca/consumers/consumer-deposit-insurance/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
Collect, maintain or distribute sales figures or market data. Sales figures are maintained by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).In plain wordsRECO does not keep sales figures or market data; CREA does.
Source: reco.on.ca/about/what-we-do/ · checked Oct 30, 2026
Common questions
Is every RECO-registered agent a REALTOR®?
No. RECO registration is required by law. REALTOR® is a trademark owned by CREA (the Canadian Real Estate Association), and an agent must be a CREA member to be a REALTOR®. So some agents registered with RECO are not REALTORS®. What matters is the RECO registration status.
If I complain to RECO, will I get my money back?
Usually not. RECO can discipline an agent, but it does not award damages or order refunds. Talk to a lawyer about money claims. If a deposit was lost through brokerage theft, fraud or insolvency, you can claim under RECO’s deposit insurance.
My agent never gave me the RECO Information Guide. Is that a problem?
Yes. The regulation requires an agent to give you the guide (or a link to it) and explain it before providing any services. If you did not get it, ask for it. The guide is free on RECO’s website.
Can I complain to RECO in Korean?
RECO’s website is in English and French. We could not confirm whether complaints can be filed in Korean, so ask RECO directly. If you need help organizing your complaint, you can also ask me.
The public register shows a discipline record. Should I avoid that agent?
Read what happened and when. The register shows enforcement activity from the past 5 years, and the decision explains the facts. If you are unsure, compare other agents or ask the broker of record.
Guides that use this term
Sources checked
- RECO, About RECO · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO, What we do (RECO vs ministry vs OREA, outside RECO’s mandate) · checked Oct 30, 2026
- Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (e-Laws) — s. 4 registration, s. 19 complaints, s. 21 discipline · checked Oct 30, 2026
- O. Reg. 567/05: General (TRESA regulation) — s. 13 information guide · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO, Make sure your real estate agent is registered · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO, Consumer deposit insurance · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO Information Guide (Residential, content version December 1, 2023) — How to make a complaint · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO Bulletin 1.2 Duty to comply with legislation (no obstruction of complaints) · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO, Signing a contract with a real estate brokerage (fees not set by RECO) · checked Oct 30, 2026
- RECO, Submitting a complaint (English and French pages) · checked Oct 31, 2026
- CREA, Trademark Protection & Competition (REALTOR® is a CREA trademark) · checked Oct 30, 2026
- CREA, The REALTOR® Difference (a REALTOR® must be a CREA member) · checked Oct 30, 2026