Becoming a Real Estate Agent in Ontario

Become a real estate agent in Ontario.

The real-estate market in Canada has achieved a healthy rate of steady growth over the past few decades. To become a real-estate agent in Ontario, one must complete a three- to four-year educational and training program issued by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) and the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO).

Things You'll Need

• Canadian high school diploma or equivalent
• Preregistration courses
• Initial salesperson application
• Articling position with a licensed broker
• Post-registration courses

Instructions

1. Obtain a Canadian high school diploma or equivalent. In order to be admitted into the salesperson registration education program directed by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), one must submit proof of an Ontario high-school diploma or one of the following approved equivalencies:

   A secondary school diploma from another province or territory in Canada or the United States. A General Education Development (GED) Certificate issued in Canada or the United States. A diploma, transcript or certificate from another country that is recognized by an assessment service such as World Education Services (WES). A post-secondary diploma or degree from Canada or institution recognized by WES. A certificate from an academic upgrading program in Canada.
   A Certificate of Qualification or Apprenticeship in any trade from Canada.

   If an applicant cannot provide any of these approved equivalencies, he or she can sit the OREA real estate college admissions test. A minimum mark of 50% must be achieved.

2. Meet age and residency requirements and speak English. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be a resident of Canada and must be fluent in English.

3. Complete preregistration educational requirements. These consist of four courses:
   Real estate as a professional career; land, structures and real estate trading;
   the real estate transaction (general); the residential real estate transaction or the commercial real estate transaction.

   Coursework is available through both classroom courses and distance learning options and must be completed within 18 months.

4. Submit an application for initial salesperson registration within one year of completing the last preregistration course. Applicants have up to 12 months to submit all necessary paperwork, including a Canadian criminal record check, to the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO).

5. Spend two years articling for a licensed broker while completing additional educational requirements. Two core courses must be completed during this time: real property law and the residential real estate transaction or the commercial real estate transaction. One of four elective courses must also be completed:
   principles of appraisal, real estate investment analysis, principles of mortgage financing and principles of property management.

6. Renew salesperson registration upon completion of the two-year articling and education period. At this point, a real-estate agent can consider upgrading his education and skills to become a real-estate broker.

Tips & Warnings

• For each two-year renewal cycle following this initial renewal, all real-estate agents must complete 24 continuing education credits. There are a number of education providers approved by RECO that offer such courses throughout the province.

References

• Ontario Real Estate Association Website: Become a Real Estate Professional

Resources

• Ontario Real Estate Association
• Real Estate Council of Ontario