Assumptions Create Liability
Published on: 22/12/2025
Passing along unverified claims turns assumptions into liability. Due diligence is a professional obligation, not a courtesy.
Practice Standards
DURHAM HOME KEY REALTY
LICENCE PARKING FOR ONTARIO
REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS
Simple - Compliant - Cloud Based
Maintain your registration without
the cost, pressure or obligations of
active trading.
All registration requests are reviewed and processed in accordance with RECO requirements.
THE BROKER'S CORNER
A Broker of Record’s perspective on compliance discipline and fraud avoidance in Ontario real estate.
Written and Curated by Matt Cooper, Broker of Record, Durham Home Key Realty.
Where Good Realtors Get Into Trouble Without Realizing It
An examination of how good Realtors drift into compliance trouble—not through bad intent, but through comfort, informality, and missing documentation. ...more
The Broker's Corner
January 08, 2026•2 min read
Understanding is the Price of Control
Many real estate professionals abdicate control in areas they do not fully understand, particularly marketing. This piece examines why delegation without literacy erodes authority, how spending replac... ...more
The Broker's Corner
January 08, 2026•3 min read
Thinking Beats Following
This post explains how professional failure begins when registrants substitute borrowed certainty for independent judgment. It reinforces a simple rule: thinking must come before following, before ris... ...more
The Broker's Corner ,Practice Standards
December 25, 2025•3 min read
Reasonable Requests Create Risk
This post explains how professional risk often enters a file through seemingly cooperative and harmless requests. It reinforces the need for judgment and structure before accommodation. ...more
The Broker's Corner
December 24, 2025•3 min read
Evidence Over Expectation
This post explains how professional risk enters when market evidence is softened to preserve momentum. It reinforces the need for clarity to precede accommodation when evidence contradicts expectation... ...more
The Broker's Corner
December 24, 2025•2 min read
Control Determines Outcomes
This post examines how sustained activity is tied to internal control rather than to markets or media narratives. It contrasts ownership of conduct with reliance on external explanation. ...more
The Broker's Corner
December 24, 2025•2 min read
Structure Reduces FINTRAC Exposure
This post explains how FINTRAC problems usually begin when basic steps are skipped under pressure. It shows why identification, documentation, and role clarity must be in place before enthusiasm takes... ...more
Practice Standards
December 23, 2025•4 min read
Identity Matters Before Activity
When authority is assumed instead of verified, professionals absorb the risk. Identity must be confirmed before activity begins. ...more
Practice Standards
December 22, 2025•1 min read
Assumptions Create Liability
Passing along unverified claims turns assumptions into liability. Due diligence is a professional obligation, not a courtesy. ...more
Practice Standards
December 22, 2025•2 min read
Door Knocking: The Tactic Time Forgot
Interruption no longer signals initiative. Modern prospecting respects context, timing, and how adults choose to engage. ...more
Practice Standards
December 22, 2025•2 min read
The Industry That Sells Confidence to Itself
Credentials create activity without guaranteeing judgment. Confidence is sold, but competence is demonstrated. ...more
Practice Standards
December 22, 2025•2 min read
Paying for What You Don’t Understand
Bills continue even when judgment stops. Responsibility stays with the professional. ...more
Practice Standards
December 22, 2025•1 min read
DURHAM HOME KEY REALTY
Independently owned and operated. All services provided in accordance with applicable Ontario regulations and managed through a secure, digital system.
Brokerage Head Office
80 Athol St E, Unit 408
Oshawa, ON L1H 8B7
Phone: 905-440-0505
Email: [email protected]
Copyright © 2026. All Rights Reserved | YOUR HOME SOLD GUARANTEED REALTY OF ONTARIO INC., BROKERAGE, Trading As: DURHAM HOME KEY REALTY | Independently owned and operated. All services managed through a secure, digital system.