Can a REALTOR® help you find a place to rent?

You might be surprised, but yes.  A real estate professional can show you any rental property or unit listed in the local MLS® system and help to write an offer to lease it and typically get paid by the landlord via the listing brokerage, just like when someone is buying a home.  I've helped clients with these from time to time.

The main limitation is that the majority of MLS® listings are for sale, not for rent.  So our selection might be somewhat limited, compared to properties advertised directly by landlords. 

And landlords who are leasing the property themselves are also significantly less inclined to pay any commission than someone selling, so if you want a professional's help on one of these, you might have to pay your agent's commission yourself.  A typical commission is half a month's rent.

Many real estate agents don't actively pursue rental business, and some simply refuse it, because the work involved is the same as a property sale (if not more sometimes) for significantly less money.  It sounds cold, but it's true. 

Personally, I'm willing to work with rental clients, so if you know someone who's looking to rent, I'd be happy to have a conversation with them and show them anything that might be suitable within the MLS® listing inventory as a starting point. 

There might not be anything available that fits, but you never know... there just might be something there for them.

#Terminology Tuesday: Title Insurance

Title Insurance is a one-time insurance policy that protects homeowners and lenders against certain problems related to a property’s title or ownership. In Canada, it is commonly purchased when buying or refinancing a home and remains in effect for as long as you own the property. Unlike most insurance, there are no ongoing premiums.

This coverage can protect against issues such as title fraud, errors or omissions in public records, unknown liens, encroachments, zoning or building permit problems, and mistakes made during the closing process. If a covered issue arises, the policy can help pay legal costs and financial losses, providing peace of mind long after the transaction is complete.

Title Insurance does not replace a lawyer’s role in a real estate transaction; instead, it works alongside legal due diligence as an added layer of protection. For many homeowners, it offers a cost-effective safeguard against risks that may not be discoverable at the time of purchase but could be expensive to resolve later, without the need to a property survey.

[ Read more on the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario's site. ]

This content was generated with AI assistance and reviewed/edited for accuracy.

Market Media Monday - January 12, 2026

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ Sales in Canadian housing market, including GTA, saw drop not seen in decades ]
"According to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB), there were 62,433 home sales in the GTA last year, down 11.2% when compared to 2024. In fact, the GTA hasn’t seen a number this low since 2000, when 60,783 properties traded hands."

[ ‘It’s going to get worse in Ontario:’ Here’s what experts predict will happen to the housing market in 2026 ]
"While some real estate firms are predicting slight rises in home prices in major markets across the country this coming year, several cities in Ontario and British Columbia are not included in those hopeful predictions."

[ Recreational property markets stabilize as domestic purchasers return ]
"As the turbulent headwinds associated with COVID-19 continue to subside, recreational real estate agents across B.C. and Alberta are welcoming a return to consistency that’s being driven largely by domestic investment."

Market Media Monday - January 5, 2026

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ 'Somewhere to put worker bees': Why Canada's micro-condos are losing their appeal ] 
"The downturn has reignited debate over whether developers catered too much to real estate investors by building smaller, more affordable units that minimised square footage to keep prices low in areas where land values are high, and which were often designed to be rented out or flipped for profit."

[ Housing and interest rate forecasts for 2026 ] 
"Looking ahead, most forecasters expect the recovery to continue, but at a measured pace. While lower borrowing costs should support demand, higher household debt loads, renewal pressures and uneven regional conditions are expected to keep the market from overheating."

Market Media Monday - December 22, 2025

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ Canadian Real Estate Prices Accelerate Declines Into Winter ] 
"Canadian real estate is in for a long winter if last month was a preview of things to come. Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) data shows home prices fell further in November, after a small drop in new listings was met with a much bigger drop in sales. Prices haven’t just rolled back to the lowest level in nearly five years—the monthly declines are once again getting larger. "

[ Canada's housing market stuck in 'holding pattern,' says CREA ] 
"Home sales in Canada barely moved in November, but the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) forecasts that the market will bounce back in the spring following a “holding pattern” heading into 2026."

[ Canadian Home Sales Holding Steady Heading into 2026 ] 
"“At this point it’s looking like the mid-year rally in housing demand has veered into more of a holding pattern heading into 2026, coupled with what looks like some price concessions in November in order to get deals done before the end of the year,” said Shaun Cathcart, CREA’s Senior Economist. “That said, the Bank of Canada’s clear signal that rates are now about as good as they’re likely going to get is the green light many fixed-rate borrowers have no doubt been waiting for, so we remain of the view that activity will continue to pick up next year.”"

Improve your indoor air quality with plants

According to a number of studies, plants in your house not only add a bit of life and decoration, but can also improve your indoor air quality depending on your selections.  Most plants have some air filtering capacity, removing toxins from the air as they 'breathe' from day to day.

Doing some reading online, lists of best plants differ according to research and writer, but there are a few "usual suspects" that show up on many, if not all, lists.

1. Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily, pictured)
This plant shows up on most lists I have seen, as a tough and hardy plant with numerous air filtering qualities, credited with removing alcohols, acetone, industrial solvent trichloroethylene, benzene (an ingredient used to make dyes, lubricants, rubbers, and detergents), and formaldehyde.

2. Dracaena
Another low maintenance plant and regular on the lists, the Dracaena is said to be very efficient at removing formaldehyde from the air in your home, as well as other VOCs, including benzene, trichloroethylene, and xylene. One important note is that you should keep it out of reach of any pets, as it can be toxic to animals when ingested.

3. Bamboo Palm
The bamboo palm is another plant said to have a high ability to remove formaldehyde from the air, as well as benzene and trichloroethylene.

4. Snake Plant
According to NASA, the snake plant is one of the best houseplants for absorbing airborne toxins, including formaldehyde, nitrogen oxide, benzene, xylene and trichloroethylene. (You'll notice there are some regulars on the list of household toxins, too)  The snake plant is also said to be one of the higher producers of oxygen during the night.

5. Hedera helix (English Ivy)
English Ivy is another popular plant that helps filter toxins in your home's air.  It is said to be effective for benzene, formaldehyde, xylene and toluene, and other studies have indicated that English Ivy may help reduce mould in your home.

If you'd like to read more about plants that can help with indoor air quality, here are a few links to get you started:

[Healthy houseplants]

[The Top 10 Plants for Removing Indoor Toxins]

[9 Low-Maintenance Indoor Plants That Might Clean Your Air]

Market Media Monday - December 15, 2025

A curated list of recent headlines relevant to real estate in Canada or locally, with short excerpts. Click each headline link to read the full article on the source site.

[ Canada's housing market poised for a reset in 2026, with modest price growth and increased activity ] 
"After a tumultuous 2025 marked by economic and political shifts, 2026 emerges as a crucial reset year for Canada's housing market. According to the Royal LePage Market Survey Forecast, Canada's residential real estate market is expected to post modest price gains next year and an increase in sales activity, as buyers continue to move off the sidelines."

[ Home prices in Toronto and Vancouver expected to drop as the rest of Canada sees a hike: LePage ]
"The latest annual report from real estate company Royal LePage is forecasting a modest hike in home prices of one per cent by the fourth quarter of 2026. But that overall figure is hiding a significant drop in two of Canada’s most expensive cities, Toronto and Vancouver."

[ Canadian Real Estate Investors Captured Nearly 75% of Ownership Growth ]
"Canadian real estate investors may be a bigger problem than even the most aggressive assumptions. New data from Statistics Canada’s (StatCan) Canadian Housing Statistics Program (CHSP) shows investors captured a greater share of the total housing stock in most provinces in 2023. That isn’t surprising, but the math for that to work out is: Investors had to account for 3 in 4 new owners—driven by Ontario, where investors represented 84% of net growth."

[ Bank of Canada Confirms Rate Floor, And It’s Bad News For Real Estate ]
"Canada’s central bank delivered a harsh reality check for real estate bulls hoping for cuts. The Bank of Canada (BoC) held its overnight rate at 2.25% this morning, citing recent revisions to economic data that show the economy is doing better than expected. However, they view the broader economy not as a typical business cycle contraction, but as a structural shift towards lower growth. This meeting wasn’t just a pause; it was a recalibration of policy that makes this the floor for interest rates."

[ Toronto rent hasn’t been this low since the pandemic ]
"Toronto’s average monthly rent across all homes—$2,521—fell 4.8 per cent in 2025 compared with the year before, hitting its lowest level in more than three years, according to a new report from Rentals.ca. One-bedrooms in the city are currently going for $2,222, down 6.4 per cent, while two-bedrooms now cost about $2,828, down 8.5 per cent."