Legal Responsibilities of Real Estate Agents, Fourth Edition
Rosemary Bocska and Martin K.I. Rumack – LexisNexis
This popular textbook by research lawyer Rosemary Bocska and Toronto lawyer and frequent REM contributor Martin Rumack is now in its fourth edition.
“A particularly strong factor in deciding to publish this new edition was driven by the continuous change in terms of the standards of practice required not only of agents and brokers, but also of lawyers, mortgage brokers, lenders, financial advisors, appraisers and other involved parties,” says Rumack. “The on-going changes to the numerous real estate laws and regulations, and refinements in the law driven by court decisions, impact everyone who may be involved in providing any type of professional services to the public.”
The book is written from an Ontario perspective and includes changes to Real Estate Council of Ontario regulations.
It’s not all dry legalese. A section about commissions offers several pieces of advice, each one backed up by specific legal rulings, on how to avoid commission disputes. They include:
- Get the agreement in writing, pronto.
- Make yourself an indispensable part of the deal.
- Count on the fact that unscrupulous sellers may try to avoid paying your commission.
- Watch out for little old ladies and other trouble-makers.
- Don’t be a jerk; it will eventually cost you.
For more information, visit LexisNexis.
The 10 Habits of Successful Investors
By Malcolm Silver – Free download
“At first glance, investing in real estate seems to be a very simple endeavour, but it’s really not. When you drill down, there’s a lot to consider,” says veteran Toronto real estate investor Malcolm Silver. “I wanted to write a book so that people who are considering investing, but don’t know where to start, would have a guide. This book is based on habits that took me years to hone, and which make my own real estate investments successful.”
Silver has made this short 40-page book available as a free download from his website, msilver.com.
Topics discussed include clarifying what you are trying to accomplish with your investment, finding a mentor to help, building a team of professionals to manage the property, how to find a good deal, investing using other people’s money and more.
