Regulatory compliance
and legal framework

housepeek.ca is a technology and advertising platform. We provide licensed real estate professionals with tools to create listing pages, capture buyer inquiries, and market properties to the public.

We are not a real estate brokerage. We do not trade in real estate, represent buyers or sellers, negotiate offers, or facilitate transactions. We do not hold membership in the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), and we are not an MLS system.

This is the same legal model used by PropertyGuys.com (operating across Canada since 2000), Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace, Wahi, and every other Canadian platform where real estate professionals advertise properties. No brokerage license is required to operate an advertising platform.

Under CREA's Cooperation Policy (effective January 3, 2024), any residential listing that is publicly marketed must also be placed on an MLS system within three business days. "Public marketing" includes yard signs, flyers, digital advertising, social media posts, and listings on third-party websites.

Posting a listing on housepeek.ca constitutes public marketing. This means the listing must also appear on MLS within CREA's required timeframe. housepeek.ca is a complement to MLS. An additional marketing channel, not a replacement.

There is no rule preventing a licensed real estate professional from advertising a listing on housepeek.ca (or any other platform) alongside their MLS listing. Agents do this every day on their personal websites, social media accounts, Zillow.ca, Zolo, HouseSigma, and dozens of other platforms.

Every Canadian province requires that real estate advertisements clearly and prominently display the registered brokerage name. This is mandated by RECO Bulletin 5.1 (Ontario), BCFSA advertising guidelines (British Columbia), RECA rules (Alberta), and equivalent regulations in every other province and territory.

On housepeek.ca, the brokerage name is a required field when creating a listing. It is displayed prominently on every listing page, in a clear and legible format. This is built into every template and cannot be removed, hidden, or reduced in size by the agent.

Additionally, the agent's name and license information are displayed on every listing page. This ensures that buyers always know who the listing agent is and which brokerage they operate under.

RECO Bulletin 5.3 requires that when a brokerage or agent advertises on a third-party platform, they must ensure the platform can process change requests promptly. Additionally, using a third-party platform does not exempt the agent from ensuring the currency and accuracy of their listing information.

housepeek.ca gives agents direct, immediate control over their listings. Agents can update any listing detail, change photos, adjust pricing, or remove a listing entirely. At any time, with no approval queue and no delay. Changes take effect immediately.

When a property is sold, the agent marks the listing as sold or removes it from the platform. housepeek.ca does not keep stale listings active. Agents are responsible for keeping their content accurate, and our platform makes this as frictionless as possible.

All listing content uploaded by an agent remains the intellectual property of the agent and their brokerage. housepeek.ca does not claim ownership of listing photos, descriptions, documents, or any other content. Our Terms of Service grant us a license to display the content on the platform. Nothing more.

Buyer inquiry data (name, email, phone) collected through listing pages is delivered exclusively to the listing agent. housepeek.ca does not sell, share, or monetize buyer data. We do not contact buyers on our own behalf. We do not provide buyer data to competing agents.

All data is handled in compliance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Buyer consent is obtained at the point of inquiry, and our privacy policy clearly states how information is collected, used, and stored.

The terms MLS®, Multiple Listing Service®, and REALTOR® are registered Canadian trademarks owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). housepeek.ca does not use these trademarks in its branding, marketing materials, or platform interface in any manner that would suggest affiliation with or endorsement by CREA.

Where these terms appear on this compliance page or in educational content, they are used in an informational context with appropriate trademark attribution, which constitutes fair use under Canadian trademark law.

Agents using housepeek.ca should be aware that their own use of CREA trademarks in listing descriptions or marketing materials must comply with CREA's trademark usage guidelines.

Real estate regulation in Canada is provincial. Each province has its own regulatory body, legislation, and advertising rules. housepeek.ca is designed to comply with the requirements of all Canadian provinces and territories. Below is a summary of the key regulators and the legislation that governs real estate advertising in each major market.

The Competition Bureau of Canada has been a consistent advocate for more competition in real estate marketing. In 2010, the Bureau reached a consent agreement with CREA that specifically addressed anti-competitive restrictions on how real estate data could be used and displayed online.

The Bureau's position has been that consumers benefit from more platforms and more competition, not less. Their current investigation into CREA's Cooperation Policy and commission rules examines whether these rules restrict consumer choice, not whether platforms like housepeek.ca should be limited.

housepeek.ca exists in a regulatory environment where the national competition authority actively supports the kind of innovation and competition our platform represents.