Services
What we do for Markham buyers, sellers and owners
Resale houses and townhouses, condos along Highway 7, and new homes bought from the builder. Our real estate law page sets out the full process; this page covers what is particular to Markham. For wills and immigration, see our Markham page.
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Selling a Markham home
Your lender’s payout statement, the mortgage discharge, the buyer’s requisitions, one signing appointment and your proceeds on closing.
Fee by price — instant quote -
Buying a home
Agreement review, title, title insurance, your mortgage and the provincial land transfer tax, through to registration.
Fee by price — instant quote -
Pre-construction agreement review
A written review of a builder’s agreement for a new Markham house, townhouse or condo, with a call to go through it.
$450 + HST -
Condo status certificate review
For resale condos and condo townhouses, inside your condition period. Complimentary if we close your purchase.
$250 + HST -
Refinancing
Switching lenders, or borrowing to build an additional unit.
Fee by mortgage amount — instant quote -
Title transfers
Adding or removing an owner, including transfers between spouses and to adult children.
Quoted individually
Land transfer tax
Markham buyers pay one land transfer tax, not two
Only the City of Toronto charges a municipal land transfer tax. Markham is in York Region, so a purchase here pays Ontario’s tax alone, and the saving over a Toronto purchase grows with the price.
For a home with one or two single-family residences, Ontario’s land transfer tax is 0.5% on the first $55,000, 1% up to $250,000, 1.5% up to $400,000, 2% up to $2,000,000 and 2.5% above that (as of 2026). Worked example: on a $1,200,000 Markham home the tax is $275 + $1,950 + $2,250 + $16,000 = $20,475. The same house a few blocks south of Steeles, in Scarborough or North York, would pay about $40,950.
| Price | Markham (Ontario tax only) | Toronto (Ontario + City) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $900,000 | $14,475 | $28,950 | $14,475 |
| $1,200,000 | $20,475 | $40,950 | $20,475 |
| $1,600,000 | $28,475 | $56,950 | $28,475 |
| $2,200,000 | $41,475 | $82,950 | $41,475 |
A qualifying first-time buyer can get Ontario’s refund of up to $4,000, usually claimed when the transfer is registered. Toronto’s separate rebate doesn’t exist here, because there is no Toronto tax to rebate. The tax is paid on closing from your own funds, and the instant quote calculates it for your price alongside our legal fee.
If any buyer isn’t a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, Ontario’s 25% non-resident speculation tax applies in Markham as everywhere in the province; Toronto’s additional 10% municipal tax doesn’t. Raise your status with us before you make the offer.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
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A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
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Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
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Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
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Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
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Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
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English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
Markham houses
Registered two-unit houses, new unit permissions and heritage districts
Three Markham rules that decide what a house is really worth to you, and that are much easier to deal with before your conditions expire than after closing.
A basement apartment must be registered
Markham requires every two-unit house to be registered with the City, after building and fire inspections of both units, and warns that occupying an unregistered two-unit house can lead to court action and fines against the owner. If a listing advertises a basement apartment or rental income, ask for the building permit and the registration before you firm up. Without them, the rent you were counting on may not be lawful income, your lender may not count it, and your insurer needs to know either way.
Room for more units
Ontario’s Planning Act now permits up to three units on most fully serviced residential lots, and Markham has moved to go further, allowing up to three additional residential units (four homes in total) on most lots zoned for detached, semi-detached and townhouses. Permission in principle is not approval for a particular lot: each unit still needs a building permit, and lot size, parking and servicing can limit what fits.
Unionville, Markham Village, Thornhill and Buttonville
These are heritage conservation districts under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act. Exterior alterations, new construction and demolition need a heritage permit. If you are buying there with plans for an addition, new windows or a rebuild, check the district plan first.
Buying new
Cornell, Berczy, Cathedraltown and new condos on Highway 7
A lot of Markham housing is sold before it is built. The builder’s agreement can run to dozens of pages and close years later, so most of your protection has to be secured when you sign.
When you can still walk away
A new condominium comes with 10 days to cancel under the Condominium Act, 1998, counted from when you have the signed agreement and the disclosure statement. A new freehold house or townhouse gets a similar 10-day cooling-off period only for agreements signed from January 1, 2027. Until then, a freehold agreement is generally binding when you sign it, so have it reviewed before you sign.
Register your purchase with Tarion
Since April 1, 2026, freehold buyers must notify Tarion of their purchase within 45 days of signing. It takes minutes, and it is easy to forget in the excitement of a new home.
Money on closing
The schedules set the adjustments added to your price on closing, such as development charge increases, utility connections and Tarion enrolment, and the HST clause decides who gets the new housing rebates. For agreements signed between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, the Ontario enhanced new housing rebate can return up to $80,000 of the provincial HST on a home that will be your or a relative’s main residence, reducing as the price rises above $1,500,000.
Selling before closing
An assignment needs the builder’s consent, usually for a fee, and if you bought in order to resell rather than to live there, the CRA treats the assignment as taxable. Tell us if an assignment is possible before you sign. Our guide to buying pre-construction in the GTA
Selling in Markham
What we need to close your Markham sale
On a sale, most of our work is in the week or two before closing: getting the payout figure right, answering the buyer’s lawyer and making sure your mortgage is discharged and the proceeds reach you on the day. Sending these early keeps it calm.
Send us early
- The signed agreement of purchase and sale, amendments and waivers
- Your mortgage lender, account number and any line of credit secured on the house
- Your latest property tax bill and, for a condo, the management company’s contact
- Rental contracts for a water heater, furnace or air conditioner the buyer is taking over
- If you are buying too, that agreement as well, so we can line up the two closings
What we handle
- The payout statement and your lender’s discharge
- The buyer’s requisitions and the statement of adjustments
- One signing appointment, by video or at our office
- Registration of the transfer and release of your proceeds
- Any undertaking to discharge, followed through after closing
If you are selling as an estate trustee, the court’s certificate usually comes first; see probate for Markham estates.
Testimonials
A Markham client’s sale
I greatly enjoyed every minute of working and communicating with Rosalie while finalizing the sale of our property. Being highly professional and conscientious she made the entire process easy to understand at every step of the way. She was quick and responsive through the process, addressed all our questions and concerns patiently. It took only a couple of days for Rosalie to organize the paperwork, arrange the mortgage discharge and get us ready to receive the funds on the closing date. The transfer of funds was fast and seamless too. She is super organized, reliable and competent and my number one to go to in case I need a lawyer again.
Questions
Markham real estate questions
Do you have an office in Markham?
No. Our only office is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, in Toronto. Markham clients can sign there, or review the documents with us by video while signing on paper and courier the originals back.
Is there a Markham land transfer tax?
No. Markham purchases pay Ontario’s land transfer tax only: about $20,475 on a $1,200,000 home (as of 2026), half what the same price would cost in Toronto.
Does a basement apartment in Markham have to be registered?
Yes. The City requires two-unit houses to be registered after building and fire inspections, and occupying an unregistered one can lead to charges and fines. Ask the seller for the permit and registration before your conditions expire.
Can I renovate a house in the Unionville heritage district?
Exterior alterations, new construction and demolition in Unionville, Markham Village, Thornhill and Buttonville need a heritage permit from the City. Check what the district plan allows before you firm up.
Can I cancel a new home purchase in Markham?
For a new condo, within 10 days under the Condominium Act, 1998. For a freehold house or townhouse, a 10-day cooling-off period applies only to agreements signed from January 1, 2027. Our pre-construction review is $450 + HST.
What does a real estate lawyer cost for a Markham sale?
The legal fee is calculated from your sale price in the online quote before you retain us. Disbursements are separate. What disbursements cover
We are buying our first Markham home together. Anything else to sort out?
How you take title, as joint tenants or tenants in common, and whether your wills and powers of attorney match it. See wills for Markham families.
Related
Related pages
Areas We Serve
Real estate across York Region and the GTA
We act for buyers and sellers from Richmond Hill and Vaughan to Scarborough, Durham and Peel, each with its own tax position and local rules.
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Scarborough
Real estate lawyer for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
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North York
Real estate lawyer for North York clients.
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Markham
Real estate lawyer for Markham clients.
Here to help
Selling or buying in Markham? Start with the numbers.
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Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic