RECO

What is RECO?

RECO is the Real Estate Council of Ontario, the provincial body that regulates real estate trading in Ontario. RECO administers the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 (TRESA), registers all brokerages, brokers, and salespersons, runs discipline proceedings under the Code of Ethics, and operates the mandatory insurance program covering errors and omissions, deposit fraud, and consumer protection. RECO does not write the exams or deliver pre-registration education — that is Humber Polytechnic's role under a separate agreement.

What RECO does, in concrete terms

The four-body confusion

A common exam trap: confusing RECO with the three other bodies that work alongside it.

• RECO — regulator. Registration, discipline, insurance.
• Humber Polytechnic — the educator. Delivers the pre-registration courses, simulations, and broker program. Has been the sole approved provider since 2021.
• OREA (Ontario Real Estate Association) — trade association and forms publisher. Most standard transactional forms originate with OREA. OREA does not regulate or educate.
• CREA (Canadian Real Estate Association) — national association. Owns the Realtor® trademark and operates Realtor.ca. CREA does not regulate Ontario practice.

If a question asks who issues a registration certificate, who handles a consumer complaint, who imposes an administrative monetary penalty, or who suspends a registrant, the answer is RECO.

RECO discipline outcomes

Under TRESA, a discipline panel can impose:

• Suspension of a registration for a fixed period
• Revocation of a registration
• Conditions on the registration (mandatory continuing education, supervision)
• Administrative monetary penalties — newly available under TRESA, not present under the predecessor REBBA
• Education orders requiring specific courses

Discipline proceedings are public, and the case summaries published by RECO are routinely tested in continuing-education updates because they show how the Code of Ethics is applied in real fact patterns.

Where this appears in your Humber program

RECO's structure and authority are foundational content in Course 1: Real Estate Essentials under the regulatory framework module, and the discipline rules reappear in every subsequent course because they apply to every transaction. Continuing education (CE) cycles always include updates on recent RECO bulletins and notable discipline cases.

Practical guidance for registrants

• Confirm your registration status on RECO's public registrant search annually before renewal.
• Read every RECO bulletin within a week of issue. They become exam content quickly and they shape inspection priorities.
• File mandatory disclosures (information guide, representation arrangements, multiple representation acknowledgments) on time. Late or missing disclosures are the most common discipline trigger.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between RECO and OREA?

RECO is the regulator — it registers brokerages and registrants, runs discipline hearings under TRESA, and operates the mandatory insurance program. OREA is the trade association — it publishes the standard transactional forms, runs continuing education, and advocates on policy. RECO has statutory authority and can suspend or revoke a registrant's licence; OREA has none of that. RECO is mandatory; OREA membership is voluntary (most registrants join through their local board).

What is the most common complaint filed against realtors in Ontario?

The most common RECO complaints trace to failure to disclose material facts, multiple-representation disclosure errors, misrepresentation about a property's condition, and drafting or deadline errors on offers. Trust account violations and improper advertising round out the top categories. Discipline summaries published by RECO show that documentation and disclosure failures dominate enforcement actions.

How do I file a complaint against a real estate agent in Ontario?

Complaints against an Ontario real estate agent are filed with RECO through its online complaint portal at reco.on.ca. The complaint should include the registrant's name, the brokerage, a written description of the conduct, and any supporting documents (offers, emails, agreements). RECO reviews complaints, may investigate, and can refer matters to a discipline panel that has the authority to suspend or revoke registration and impose administrative monetary penalties.

Who regulates real estate agents in Ontario?

RECO — the Real Estate Council of Ontario — regulates real estate agents in Ontario. RECO is a not-for-profit corporation that administers the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 on behalf of the provincial government. It registers all brokerages, brokers, and salespersons; runs the discipline process; operates the mandatory insurance program; and publishes the consumer information guide. RECO does not deliver pre-registration education — that is Humber Polytechnic's role.

Practice this topic

ExamAce covers RECO's authority, the Code of Ethics, and current TRESA-era discipline rules in the Course 1 question bank, with continuing-education questions on recent regulatory updates in the CE annual update bank.