Last week I saw a listing on MLS that made me do that slow head shake you do when something just feels… off.

It also sent me back to something most people don’t realize realtors agree to follow: a formal Code of Ethics set out by RECO (the Real Estate Council of Ontario). In plain English, it says we’re supposed to be honest, protect our clients’ interests, keep their information confidential, and not play fast and loose with facts or motivations.

Most of the time, ethical decisions in real estate are pretty simple.
When I’m writing an offer, negotiating, or creating marketing, I run everything through a few basic filters:

Is it true?
Is it misleading?
Is it clearly in my client’s best interest?

Usually, that keeps me on the right side of the line.

Where things get interesting is when the situation isn’t black and white.

For example, in 2025 I was asked to sell a home for a client I originally helped buy in 2011. She lived there for years, then rented it out. Before listing, she told me the tenant had mentioned there had been a suicide in the home during the rental period.

In Ontario, a suicide does not have to be disclosed.
Legally, I could have said nothing.

But I didn’t love that.

I didn’t have first-hand proof, but I chose to quietly tell any buyer’s agent what I’d been told. Not because I had to… but because I didn’t want a buyer finding out later from a neighbour and feeling blindsided. That decision wasn’t about law. It was about conscience.

Another time, I was present for a home inspection where the inspector uncovered signs of a past fire that had never been disclosed by the sellers. The deal collapsed on the spot. Someone had decided not to share material information, and that decision cost everyone.

Which brings me back to what I saw on MLS last week.

It was a comment only agents can see:

“Bring us an offer – seller has bought, quick closing preferred.”

That might look harmless.
It isn’t.

What it really says is:
“They’re motivated.”

And once you broadcast that, you’ve handed negotiating power to the other side.

One of the clearest rules in our Code of Ethics is protecting client confidentiality. Sharing why someone is selling, what pressure they’re under, or what they’ll accept crosses a line. That’s inside information. Not marketing copy.

The first question in any ethical situation is simple:
“Should this be shared?”

And the safest way to answer it is to imagine your client standing beside you while you say it out loud.

If you wouldn’t say it in front of them, you probably shouldn’t say it at all.

Real estate is built on fiduciary duty, just like law or financial planning. Clients trust us with money, timing, leverage, and personal circumstances. That trust only works if integrity and confidentiality actually mean something.

And honestly, it’s not complicated.

Tell the truth.
Don’t mislead.
Protect your client’s position.
And don’t turn private pressure into public strategy.

That’s how you create real win-win deals.
And that’s how you keep trust alive in a business that depends on it.

If you’re thinking about making a move and want straight answers without games, you can reach me at lindsay@buyselllove.ca or 905-743-5555.