Ontario Real Estate Glossary
What is TRESA?
TRESA is the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 — Ontario's consumer-protection legislation governing real estate trading, in full force since December 1, 2023. Long-tail variant of /glossary/tresa.
What is TRESA?
TRESA is the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002, Ontario's consumer-protection legislation governing every real estate trade in the province. It came fully into force on December 1, 2023, replacing the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act (REBBA) under which the industry operated since 2006. TRESA is administered by RECO (the Real Estate Council of Ontario) and applies to every brokerage, broker, and salesperson registered to trade in Ontario real estate.
Phase 2 amendments introduced designated representation, the self-represented party framework, administrative monetary penalties, and a restructured Code of Ethics. References to REBBA in older materials map to TRESA today.
This page is a long-tail variant. For the canonical entry covering the full Phase 1/Phase 2 timeline, the substantive changes from REBBA, RECO's enforcement powers, and the four-body framework (RECO/OREA/CREA/Humber), see:
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ExamAce covers TRESA's structure, the REBBA-to-TRESA transition, and the new representation framework in the Course 1 question bank.
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Related terms
TRESA
The Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002 — Ontario's consumer protection legislation governing real estate trading. Came fully into force April 1, 2023, replacing the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act (REBBA).
RECO
The Real Estate Council of Ontario — the provincial regulator that administers the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, registers brokerages and registrants, runs the discipline process, and operates the mandatory insurance program.
REBBA
The Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 — the predecessor legislation that regulated Ontario real estate trading from 2006 until December 1, 2023, when it was renamed and replaced in full effect by the Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA).