Most agents put off switching brokerages longer than they should. They're worried about their listings, their pending deals and the awkward conversation. A well-planned move takes two to four weeks, and your clients barely notice. Here's how it works in Ontario.
Signs it's time
- Your split or fees went up, but your support didn't.
- You can't remember your last useful conversation with your broker.
- You're paying for leads, tools or marketing on your own and still giving up a big split.
- Your production has plateaued, and nobody is helping you work out why.
- You have doubts about how your brokerage handles money, compliance or communication.
If two or more of these sound familiar, start comparing your options. A conversation isn't a commitment.
What doesn't move with you automatically
This is the part agents most often get wrong. In Ontario, your clients' agreements are with the brokerage, not with you personally. The Trust in Real Estate Services Act (TRESA) keeps that structure: the brokerage holds the client relationship and is responsible for its agents' duties to clients.
- Listings and buyer representation agreements belong to your current brokerage. To take an active listing with you, you need your current broker to release it and your client to agree, and then you sign a new agreement under your new brokerage. Get both in writing.
- Firm and pending deals usually close at the brokerage where they were written, and that brokerage pays your commission under your current agreement. Confirm how and when you'll be paid before you give notice.
- Client files and confidential information belong to the brokerage's records. Don't copy files you aren't entitled to. Your relationships, sphere and past clients are yours to contact.
The move, step by step
Read your current agreement
Check the notice period, exit or offboarding fees, any unpaid fees you owe, and any non-solicitation terms. Find out how commission on pending deals is paid after you leave.
Have confidential conversations
Interview two or three brokerages. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, ask how they handle transitions, and talk to agents who already work there.
Plan around your active business
List every active listing, buyer agreement and pending deal. Decide which listings to ask to take with you and which to finish where they are. Many agents time the move just after a few closings.
Give written notice
Meet your broker in person if you can, then follow up in writing. Keep it professional. Real estate is a small world, and you'll probably sit across the table from your old office again.
Transfer your RECO registration
Your new brokerage processes the transfer in RECO's MyWeb portal. The fee is $25. RECO requires the transfer to be processed within 60 days of your termination date, and you can't trade in real estate until you're registered with your new brokerage, so line up both dates.
Update your board and MLS® access
Your board updates your brokerage on MLS®. Your RECO insurance stays in place, and your registration renewal date doesn't change.
Tell your clients and update your marketing
Call active clients personally first, then send a short note to your sphere. Update your signs, email signature, social profiles, Google Business Profile, website and business cards.
Use your first 30 days well
Get set up on your new deal-processing system, CRM and lead tools, and book a business-planning session with your new broker.
A real example: when a brokerage closes
Most moves are planned, but not all. In August 2025, RECO ordered iPro Realty Ltd. to close after an inspection found a significant shortfall in its trust accounts. RECO initially put the shortfall at about $10.5 million and later at less than $8 million. Roughly 2,400 agents across 17 locations in the GTA and southern Ontario had to find a new brokerage, and agents owed commissions were told to file insurance claims.
The lesson for any agent choosing a brokerage: ask how client deposits and your commissions are protected. Ask who signs off on trust account transfers, how often the books are audited, and who holds the Broker of Record role. At Right at Home, trust accounts use dual authorization, with two-person sign-off including the Broker of Record on every transfer. Financial statements are independently audited every year, RECO audits every two years, and non-owners hold key fiduciary roles.
Switching to a Burlington brokerage
Many agents who join our Burlington branch at 5111 New Street are moving from offices in Oakville, Mississauga or Hamilton. You don't have to change where you work. Our agents serve clients across Halton, Hamilton, Peel and the GTA, and most Burlington agents belong to the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS®.
It's also a market where your brokerage matters more right now. Cornerstone's July 2026 numbers showed Burlington single-family sales down 18.3% from a year earlier, and townhouse and condo homes taking a median of 50 days to sell. In a slower market, coaching on lead conversion and your database pays off faster, and so does keeping more of each commission.
When you move to Right at Home Burlington, we go through your current agreements, listings and pending deals with you before you decide, so the move is clean for you and your clients.
Your switching checklist
- Current agreement read: notice, exit fees, money owed
- Full fee schedules from each brokerage, in writing
- List of active listings, buyer agreements and pending deals
- Written plan for each listing (release or finish) and each deal (how you'll be paid)
- Written notice given
- RECO transfer processed through MyWeb ($25)
- Board and MLS® updated
- Clients called, sphere notified, marketing updated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my listings with me when I switch brokerages in Ontario?
Only with your current brokerage's release and your client's agreement. The listing agreement is between the client and the brokerage, so a new agreement is signed under your new brokerage.
How long does it take to switch brokerages?
Most planned moves take two to four weeks, depending on your notice period and active business. The RECO transfer itself is quick once your new brokerage files it in MyWeb.
Will I get paid on deals that close after I leave?
Usually yes, by the brokerage where the deal was written, under the terms of your agreement there. Confirm the details in writing before you give notice.
Is my conversation with you confidential?
Yes. Nobody at your current brokerage hears about it from me.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Your own brokerage agreement and RECO's current requirements take priority.