Multiple Listings

It is a huge market out there on the GTA’s multiple listing service. Attention realtors, Axess Law advises buyers to bring their home inspection report and agreement of purchase and sale to our Greater Toronto Area law offices for a thorough review.

What is Realtor Multiple Listing Service?

As a RECO member, you can fall back on your Section 8 professional code of ethics for guidance:

  • Refer buyers and sellers to specialized services for expertise that exceeds your own.
  • Encouraging clients and customers to look further afield for answers when queries or requests are “not in your wheelhouse” or unlawful for you to give advice on.

What does Section 8 mean for realtors? Realtors can’t be experts on everything, so when it’s not your area, refrain from counselling clients or customers. It won’t compromise the sale and your clients will appreciate it. Axess Law insists buyers get independent legal advice on their agreement of purchase and sale.

How It Works

01

Request Quote

Click on ‘Get Started’ button to receive a quote from us. If you decide to proceed, our customer care team will reach out to you within minutes to discuss the next steps.

02

Upload Files

You will receive a secure intake link in your inbox to submit your closing documents. After receiving your documents, we will work with the lender to prepare for closing while keeping you informed at all times.

03

Sign Agreement

Once your closing documents are ready, we will book an appointment to review and sign the documents with you. Depending upon your convenience and location, you can meet your lawyer in person or virtually. 

Documents We Need

Keep the following documents handy at to your Axess Law appointment to wrap up your consultation as quickly as possible:

Buyer’s representation agreement from your realtor
The listing agreement, if you are selling an Ontario home
Realtor and bank forms, emails, or communications

Cohabitation agreements or marital contracts, if they apply

  • Driver’s license
  • Canadian passport
  • Ontario photo card
  • Canadian citizenship card with photo
  • PR card with photo

Independent Legal Advice

A certificate of independent legal advice form (Ontario) confirms you took the time to consult a lawyer before making real estate offers. It can prevent misunderstandings or frauds that put your home purchase or mortgage financing at risk. Axess Law’s experienced real estate team takes time to understand your situation and meet with you alone. We review the documents you provide and ask questions to ensure you understand what they mean. Our advice is documented in case you have questions later.

Licensed Real Estate Peers

Axess Law’s professional real estate lawyers are peers you can trust to send clients and customers to. We charge affordable flat rate fees to buy or sell real estate, from $799.99 for sellers to $999.99 and up for buyers. Our multiple Toronto law offices are open for business, day or evening, with long hours for everyone’s convenience. Refer your customers and clients to our toll-free 1-877-402-4277 online booking service or in Greater Toronto, call our 1-647-479-0118 lawyer line. We make bookings easy and can video conference anywhere in Ontario

Reasons for Using a Realtor

Do you really have the time and financial know-how you need to buy or sell a home without the aid of a realtor? Four reasons to work with a realtor:

Realtors know what's for sale in your neighbourhood
They can find just the right property or list yours on the MLS
They understand what comparable homes sell for
They have the time to fill out the forms and present offers

What Our Customers Say About Us

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Convenient Appointments

Axess Law gives you the choice of booking an online or in-person appointment. Our lawyers are available 7 days a week, at times convenient for you. We can meet in person, by phone, email, or via a remote video call. In addition to these, there are 5 Axess Law offices located across the Greater Toronto Area – all with onsite parking or easily accessible by public transit.

Some FAQs

  • Offered over the appraised value, lenders won’t finance.
  • Bought a poor investment because they loved it.
  • Waived inspection, can’t afford unforeseen problems.
  • Did repairs or renovations without professional help. Took too long, cost too much.
  • Hired an unqualified contractor or fraudster. Overpaid for shoddy construction that leaked, cracked, or was unwarrantied.
  • Neighborhood, not the best, property values dropped while crime rates soared.
  • Bought too early in a gentrified area, before home values increased.
  • Landlord horror stories — you’ve heard them.
  • Overestimated profits, overlooked upkeep and expenses.
  • Made renoviction plans but didn’t understand tenant rights.
  • Bought undervalued “flip” property or live-in home to renovate and resell without secure interim financing and renovation expertise.
    Thought distressed properties or foreclosures were good value, failed to hire a qualified home inspector for a clear grasp on purchase-to-profit ratios. It’s straight economics.
  • Picked a joint venture partner who lacked financing or in-kind contributions like reno skills. Before organizing showings, assess if business partners have realistic shared goals or refer them to a trusted mortgage lender for pre-approval.
  • Maxed out their capital gains allowance buying and selling property.
Short of zoning changes or neighborhood decline, ICI properties (industrial, commercial, institutional) are reliable long-term commodities. For inexperienced real estate buyers who get over-involved personally with buying rental homes, commercial investing allows a balanced real estate portfolio. Here’s what’s moving in commercial and residential property investing:
  • Commercial real estate investments dropped 23% in fall 2020, but that’s still a 30% recovery over Q2, according to data marketer Altus Group. Opportunities abound for aggressive Toronto area investors who can swoop in with cash or solid financing already in place.
  • Residential land investing led the way, followed by purchasing industrial land and land assembly for apartment sites. Apartments outperformed other income asset classes despite COVID-19 restrictions, Altus reports.
  • Investor discounts dominated land pricing. Vendors held onto land longer to avoid selling at discounted rates, inflating a supply crunch.
  • Warehouse and industrial sales remained strong due to online selling pressures for storage and packaging space.
  • Office leases, hotel sales, and retail space vacancies were all affected by stay-at-home orders from employers and public health officials. That will likely see an uptick with widespread vaccinations and the lifting of travel restrictions. But single-asset investments remain problematic, experienced commercial brokers Mortgage Alliance Commercial advises.
Social distancing didn’t stop Greater Toronto Area home buyers. TRREB predicts average home prices of $1 million by year-end 2021, with investment opportunities in low-rise new build apartments for middle-market renters. Whether inflationary pressures persist in 2022 or are temporary is yet to be seen.

Attractive small cities like Niagara-on-the-Lake, Brampton, Thornhill, or Oakville are hot property for ICI or rental home investors. Buyers get more for their money in cities with low vacancy rates, high student populations, fewer municipal taxes, and good highway or transit access to major urban centers like:

  • Sault Ste. Marie
  • Thunder Bay
  • Guelph
  • Hamilton
  • St. Catharines
  • Sudbury
  • Kitchener-Waterloo
  • Peterborough
  • Kingston
  • London
  • Windsor
  • North Bay
  • Hearst
  • and Oshawa.
Axess Law real estate lawyers can also explain what taxes you owe and if rebates apply. For example, Ontario homebuyers pay property taxes plus a provincial land transfer tax of between 0.5% and 2.5% of their home’s assessed value. Toronto buyers pay an additional municipal land transfer tax (MLTT), but like other eligible first-time homebuyers, may be eligible for tax rebates. Foreign buyers in the Greater Golden Horseshoe of southern Ontario are responsible for a 15% non-resident speculation tax (NRST). We review your tax situation and ensure all taxes are paid in full.

Axess Law can advise on when to take a home seller to court. We inform you of your legal options if you cancel a sale and:

  • are held liable for the difference between your offer and the final purchase price the next buyer paid.
  • are sued for moving expenses, financing, or other costs the seller incurred.

Independent home inspections are your next step. You won’t regret the small price you pay ($300 to $600 on average).

Qualified home inspectors find hidden problems that affect the overall condition and sales price of a new or previously owned home you are seriously considering buying. They do a visual inspection and tell you if roofs, insulation, heating, plumbing, wiring, doors, or windows need repairs or replacement. They assess if a condo’s common areas require major structural repairs that will be added to monthly strata fees.

Newly built condos in Ontario and some new homes give you up to 10 days to call off your purchase within 10 days of discovering a significant or material change in a disclosure statement. Your purchase deposit is held in trust and must be refunded with interest, if payable. We show you where to get information on vendors, developers and new condo project statuses.

The warranty protects your purchase deposit and may compensate you if closing or move-in dates are delayed. An Axess Law Greater Toronto Area real estate attorney can discuss warranties with you.