Removing your phone number from telephone solicitation lists (DNCL)
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has a simple and free system that lets you say you do not want unsolicited calls. It just takes a few minutes, and it may be worthwhile to stop the flood of unwanted calls from brokers when you are selling your property.
Find out more about solicitation from brokers Solicitation by real estate agents..
What’s the DNCL?
The DNCL is the national Do Not Call List. Telemarketers, including real estate brokers, are required to check this list regularly and to take any consumers who don’t want to receive unsolicited calls off their call lists. Brokers have 31 days to comply, from the date on which a person registers their number in the DNCL.
So if you want fewer calls from brokers, we suggest you quickly register your phone number on the government registration site for the DNCL.
You also have the right to directly ask any brokers calling you to take your number off their list, according to the CRTC regulations. They have 14 days to comply.
What to do if a broker doesn’t comply
If brokers don’t respect your registration in the DNCL or your direct request to be removed from their list within the timeframe set out by law, they become subject to complaints and potentially penalties from the CRTC.
Making a complaint could have positive repercussions for other sellers in your situation.
FAQ
Are real estate brokers exempt from the National DNCL rules if my number is shared publicly in my ad?
No, neither real estate brokers nor agencies are exempt from the rules of the National Do Not Call List (DNCL), even if your number is publicly visible in an ad.
Publishing your number in your DuProprio ad does not constitute explicit consent to receive unsolicited calls from a broker or their partners. Before contacting you, brokers must:
- Verify that your number is registered on the National DNCL.
- Respect any request not to be called, including via their own internal do not call list.
Brokerages are also responsible for the actions of their brokers and the external companies they use to make calls. Any breach of the rules may result in administrative penalties for brokers and agencies.
The CRTC has published specific guidelines for the real estate sector.
If I register my telephone number in the DNCL, will I keep getting telemarketing calls?
If you register your telephone number in the Do Not Call List, you will receive fewer telemarketing calls and solicitation calls from brokers.
There are some exceptions. For more information on exemptions, please see the Government of Canada’s page: Who Can Still Call You?