RECA has a legal duty to transparently provide information that protects consumers and promotes the integrity of the industries it regulates.
RECA’s Discipline Publication Guidelines provide the general principles for publishing this disciplinary and regulatory information.
In addition to these guidelines, RECA acknowledges its responsibilities and limitations on the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information under the Personal Information Protection Act. As such, publication will be in accordance with RECA’s Redaction Policy.
Section 55 of the Real Estate Act places duties and discretion upon the Board, the Industry Councils, and the Registrar to publish information respecting:
Under the Act, these publications have qualified privilege.
All disciplinary decisions are published when the 30-day right of appeal period expires, except where a matter is egregious and earlier publication is in the interest of consumer protection. Decisions will remain on reca.ca for 5 years. Submit a Request for Disciplinary History form to access decisions that are no longer available on the website.
The Board, Industry Councils, and the Registrar believe that publication of all enforcement decisions—i.e., hearing and appeal panel decisions, with or without findings of misconduct, court decisions, and authorization suspensions—is in the public interest.
Publication modes may include:
The publication mode and content of an enforcement decision will depend on:
The Registrar issues letters of reprimand in the least serious misconduct cases. Letters of reprimand are published for educational purposes, to act as both a specific and general deterrent.
Publication will include the fact that the Registrar issued a letter of reprimand, the breach, and a summary of the facts and circumstances. Publication will omit the licensee’s name and brokerage.*
Publication modes for letters of reprimand:
*as of January 2023, RECA will no longer be publishing licensee information for letters of reprimand.
Administrative penalties are published for educational purposes, to act as both a specific and general deterrent.
Publication will include the licensee’s name and brokerage, a summary of the facts, circumstances, breaches, and sanctions.
Publication modes for administrative penalties:
Hearings, appeals, and other court decisions resulting in findings of conduct deserving of sanction, no findings of conduct deserving of sanction, mixed findings of conduct deserving of sanction, the sanction and Real Estate Act convictions are published for educational purposes, to act as both a specific and general deterrent.
Publication will include the licensee’s name, a summary of the facts, circumstances, breaches, and sanctions.
Publication modes for hearings, appeals, and other court decisions:
Industry Council-approved lifetime withdrawal applications are in the interest of consumer protection. Publication will include the licensee’s name, and a summary of the facts and circumstances.
Publication modes for withdrawal applications:
Temporary orders of suspension by Industry Councils are published in the interest of consumer protection. Publication will include the licensee’s name, and a summary of the facts, and circumstances.
Publication modes for temporary orders:
The Registrar will publish all licensing and registration refusal decisions as well as licensing and registration appeal decisions. Publication will include the fact that a refusal decision was made, what any appeal decision was, and a summary of the facts and circumstances. Publication will omit personal information.
Publication demonstrates to the public and the industry RECA’s commitment to transparent, consistent, and fair authorization.
Publication modes for licensing and registration decisions:
(last updated February 2023)
