Key Takeaways
- RECO (Real Estate Council of Ontario) is the delegated administrative authority that registers and regulates real estate professionals under TRESA.
- Every salesperson, broker, and brokerage must renew registration and complete continuing education to keep it active.
- You can verify any agent's registration status for free on RECO's public register.
- RECO operates a complaints and discipline process, plus an insurance and compensation fund for consumers.
What RECO does
The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) is a not-for-profit corporation delegated by the provincial government to administer TRESA. It registers every brokerage, broker, and salesperson in Ontario, sets pre-registration and continuing education requirements, and investigates consumer complaints.
Registration is not a one-time credential — registrants must complete mandatory continuing education courses on a two-year cycle and pay annual insurance and administration fees to stay active.
How to verify a registrant
Anyone can look up a real estate professional on RECO's public registration search to confirm they are currently registered, see their brokerage, and check for any public disciplinary history. Doing this before signing a representation agreement is a simple, five-minute step that protects you.
- Confirms the person is legally allowed to trade in real estate in Ontario today.
- Shows their registered brokerage, so you know who is legally responsible for their conduct.
- Surfaces any past discipline decisions that are part of the public record.
What protection registration gives consumers
Registered brokerages must carry errors-and-omissions insurance and contribute to a real estate compensation fund that can reimburse consumers in cases of fraud or defalcation by a registrant. If you have a dispute, RECO's complaints process is a formal, documented path to resolution that doesn't exist with an unlicensed seller or 'for sale by owner' transaction.