While some wait for the market to bounce back, we’ve embraced the volatility. People are still selling, refinancing, and even buying — just more carefully. We may not be able to control the market, but we can ensure our clients feel heard and supported. From the founders In a market where condos make up over half of occupied homes in cities like Toronto, it’s time the legal process caught up. We recently launched Canada’s first digital status certificate review — a modern solution to an outdated, confusing part of condo transactions. At Ownright, we believe buyers deserve clarity, not legalese or rushed summaries. Our new digital experience puts actionable insights in your clients’ hands, helping you build trust and close deals with confidence. Robert Saunders Co-founder and CEO Q&A: Disbursements Legal disbursements are the extra costs a lawyer pays on your client’s behalf. Most buyers and sellers don’t expect them, and many agents don’t fully explain them. Help your clients by understanding what they are and how they work. Q: Can legal disbursements differ between resale and pre-construction purchases? A: Yes. Pre-construction closings often involve extra disbursements like utility account setup fees, development charges, and HST (if applicable). These aren’t always disclosed upfront by the builder and will appear in the lawyer’s final statement of adjustments. Flag this to your buyers early! Q: Can legal disbursements be negotiated or waived? A: The answer is typically no for government-regulated items (like title registration), but yes for lawyer-added disbursements (admin fees, file storage, etc.). Q: Are disbursements regulated in Ontario? A: The Law Society regulates how real estate lawyers handle disbursements, specifying that the law firm must not make a profit on disbursements, and that all charges must be fair and reasonable. Market snapshot While home sales in Ontario remain quiet, June showed early signs of a turnaround with a 1.1% year-over-year increase in sales. There were 78,605 active residential listings on the market by the end of June, a gain of 18% from the end of June last year. Active listings haven’t been this high in June in over a decade! The average price of resale residential homes sold across the province last month was $852,036 — down 3.9% from June 2024. With increased inventory and falling prices, buyers may feel emboldened to negotiate more aggressively — increasing the chance of conditional offers or contract amendments. Our legal team recommends reviewing your clients’ contracts diligently and having a contingency plan. Ensure all offer conditions are clearly worded and deadlines are enforceable. Client spotlight: Emilia During the COVID-19 pandemic, Emilia and her siblings purchased a house together as an investment property. Since then, life has changed — they’ve all moved abroad, making it increasingly difficult to manage the house. Emilia and her siblings made the decision to sell their investment property and chose Ownright to help them. With the siblings spanning three separate time zones, all outside of Canada, this could have been a tricky situation if dealing with a traditional law firm. However, Ownright’s digital-first approach made this unique case simple, straightforward, and stress-free. “The client centricity and digital interface of Ownright were clear draws,” explained Emilia. We were overwhelmed by the complexities that come with selling a home, but our lawyer, Ed, comforted us by simplifying everything — we knew we were in good hands. E Emilia Ownright Client The Ownright advantage Have a client in need of a real estate lawyer? We'd love to support them. Refer a client now About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Ownright Inc. 545 King Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 1M1