RECO's Advertising Framework
The Real Estate Council of Ontario regulates how real estate professionals market themselves and their listings. These rules exist to protect consumers and ensure transparency. Non-compliance can result in fines, mandatory education, and disciplinary action on your registration.
Required Disclosures in All Advertising
Every advertisement — print, digital, social media, or otherwise — must include:
- Your registered legal name (as it appears on your RECO registration)
- Your brokerage name
- Your brokerage phone number
This applies to business cards, yard signs, online ads, email signatures, social media profiles, and any other material that promotes your real estate services. There are no exceptions for "informal" channels.
Team Names and Branding
If you operate as a team, your team name cannot be more prominent than your brokerage name in any advertising. The brokerage name must be clearly associated with the team name. You cannot create a team name that implies it is an independent brokerage or that could mislead consumers about the nature of your registration.
Personal branding is permitted, but it must always appear alongside your brokerage identification. "The Smith Group" on a billboard without "XYZ Realty" is a violation.
Claims and Representations
You cannot make false, misleading, or unverifiable claims about your services, experience, or results. Stating "Number One Agent in Toronto" requires verifiable data to support the claim. Claiming expertise in a specific area or type of real estate must be backed by actual experience. Testimonials used in advertising should be genuine and attributable.
Avoid superlatives unless you can prove them. "One of Toronto's top-producing agents" is vaguer than "Number One" and carries less enforcement risk, but even vague claims should be supportable.
Digital and Social Media Specifics
RECO treats digital advertising the same as print. Your Instagram bio must include your name, brokerage, and phone number. YouTube video descriptions must include brokerage identification. Google Ads must display your brokerage name. Even a Facebook comment that promotes your services could be considered advertising.
Pro tip: Create a standard footer for all digital content that includes the required disclosures. Use it consistently on every platform.
Listing-Specific Rules
When advertising a listing, you must have written authorization from the seller. You cannot advertise a property that is not yet listed on MLS without the seller's consent. Sold data can only be used in advertising with the permission of the parties involved and in compliance with TRREB's data usage policies.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
RECO investigates complaints actively. Penalties range from mandatory education courses to fines of up to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 for brokerages. In serious cases, registration can be revoked. The simplest way to avoid issues: include your identification on everything, make only truthful claims, and when in doubt, ask your broker of record.