Notary Public
Learn the role of a notary public in Canadian real estate transactions, especially in Quebec and BC, and how they help certify legal documents.
May 22, 2025
What is a Notary Public?
A notary public is a legal professional authorized to witness, certify, and prepare documents commonly involved in real estate transactions, especially in provinces like Quebec and British Columbia.
Why Notary Publics Matter in Real Estate
In Canadian real estate, notaries play a key role in ensuring that legal documents — such as purchase agreements, property transfers, and mortgage contracts — are properly executed and legally binding.While lawyers are often used in most provinces, notaries handle many real estate closings in Quebec and parts of British Columbia. Their responsibilities may include:
- Verifying identity and signatures
- Drafting and registering legal property documents
- Managing title transfers and mortgage registration
- Holding funds in trust for closing
Choosing a qualified notary ensures that your transaction proceeds smoothly, with accurate documentation and legal compliance, particularly when buying or selling property in regions where they are standard.
Example of a Notary Public in Action
A buyer in Montreal hires a notary public to finalize their condo purchase, ensuring all documents are correctly registered with the provincial land registry.
Key Takeaways
- Certifies and drafts real estate documents.
- Common in Quebec and parts of B.C.
- May replace a lawyer in standard closings.
- Handles legal registration and fund transfer.
- Essential for document validity and compliance.
Related Terms
- Real Estate Lawyer
- Title Transfer
- Land Registry
- Trust Account
- Legal Fees
An overview of Hedge Road Landing. (Alliance Homes)
6525 Mississauga Road and its surrounding context. (RBC Capital Markets & CBRE)
Property details for 6525 Mississauga Road. (RBC Capital Markets & CBRE)
National average resale-price growth and housing-starts growth, smoothed over three months. The comparison illustrates the cycle; it does not establish how much a price change causes construction to change.
Trailing 12-month starts in centres of 50,000 or more remove the usual monthly seasonality. Ownership combines the homeowner and condominium categories; rental is shown separately.
Six-month averages of provincial starts, expressed at annual rates. The smoothing reduces the influence of individual apartment projects.
The same August benchmark compared with two different starting points. Three-month changes are not annualized.
Average sale prices show the difference in purchase costs across markets. They do not measure affordability relative to local incomes or construction costs.
Newfoundland and Labrador remains above its pre-pandemic sales pattern, but August activity was below last year. Historical lines retain their original release vintages.
Average and median describe different aspects of the same month’s transactions. Both are affected by the mix of homes sold.
Category averages compare different homes and locations; the gaps are not estimates of the cost to upgrade an otherwise identical property.
The five categories shown account for 5,000 of the board’s 5,057 sales. The remaining 57 transactions were in other housing categories.
Monthly observations are not seasonally adjusted. Active listings count properties available at month-end; they are not construction inventory.
Average and median prices share one dollar axis. These unadjusted transaction measures do not control for changes in the homes sold.
TRREB’s 416/905 categories compare the apartments sold in each area. The difference does not isolate a location premium for equivalent units.
Highlights from the Delta Golf & Country Club listing brochure. (Colliers)