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Q: What steps should I take if I have a complaint about my REALTOR?

A: The Process STEP ONE. Talk to your agent or broker. If you have a problem with a real estate professional, you may want to speak with them directly or with a principal broker or manager in the agent's firm. Many difficulties between real estate professionals (whether REALTORS® or not) and their clients result from misunderstanding, miscommunication, or lack of adequate communication. Open, constructive discussion often resolves questions or differences, eliminating the need for further action.

STEP TWO. Call the REALTOR® Association. If you are still not satisfied, you may want to contact the Real Estate Council of Ontario® . The Council has informal dispute resolving processes available to consumers that can be utilized prior to filing a formal complaint. STEP THREE. What's involved? If, after taking these steps, you still feel you have a complaint, you may want to consider filing a formal ethics complaint. You will want to keep in mind that: If you have a general question or concern about the conduct of a registrant, you may contact the Office of the Registrar. Your privacy will be respected and you will not be pressed to provide any information you do not wish to share. However, if your concern appears to be a serious one, the Office of the Registrar may encourage you to provide the name of the registrant in order to take appropriate action. If you wish to formally make a complaint, the Office of the Registrar will explain how to submit a complaint and what supporting information may be required. SUBMITTING YOUR COMPLAINT In order to be considered your complaint: * Must be in writing. * Must include your name, phone number, address and any other contact information you wish to provide. * Must include the name of the registrant and the specific allegation of misconduct. * Should include as much detail and supporting information as possible. Complaints may be submitted by fax, mail or e-mail to: Real Estate Council of Ontario Office of the Registrar 3250 Bloor Street West East Tower, Suite 600 Toronto, ON M8X 2X9 Fax: 416-207-4820 E-mail: complaints@reco.on.ca AFTER YOUR COMPLAINT IS RECEIVED After receiving your complaint, the Office of the Registrar will conduct a preliminary review of the complaint and will respond in writing to: * Acknowledge receipt of your complaint. * Describe the Office of the Registrar's understanding of the nature of your complaint. * Request documents or other material to support your complaint. A registrant who is the subject of a complaint will normally be notified in writing as soon as the preliminary review of the complaint is completed. Where appropriate, a copy of the notification will be provided to the registrant's broker of record. The specific steps taken to inquire into your complaint will vary depending on the nature of the alleged misconduct, the information available and other factors. At any point during the complaint process, a complaint may result in an informal accord between the person bringing the complaint to the attention of the Registrar and the registrant, which results in the withdrawal of the complaint. A complainant can make a written request, including reasons for the request, that his or her complaint be withdrawn. The Registrar will consider and may grant the request to withdraw the complaint.   Article courtesy of TREB www.torontorealestateboard.com

This series of articles is brought to you by A. Mark Argentino and other real estate related resources, including Canadian Real Estate Association CREA and the Ontario Real Estate Association OREA. Back to list of Real Estate Helpful Articles

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