Agreements of Purchase and Sale

Buying or selling property when you, the other party or the property are in another country? An agreement of purchase and sale sets out the terms of the deal, and you may be asked to have your signature notarized. At Notary on Main in Brampton, we notarize signatures on agreements of purchase and sale, in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

What is an agreement of purchase and sale?

An agreement of purchase and sale is a written contract between a buyer and a seller. It usually sets out the property, the price, the deposit, any conditions and the closing date.

In Ontario, agreements of purchase and sale are often prepared on standard forms by real estate agents or lawyers, and they generally do not need to be notarized to be binding. A notarized signature is usually requested when:

  • the agreement will be used in another country, for example for a property abroad;

  • the other party, a bank or a foreign authority asks for it;

  • you are signing here in Brampton for a transaction that is taking place elsewhere.

Some countries and institutions require the signatures on this kind of contract to be certified by a notary. The person or professional handling the sale can tell you exactly what is needed.

How Notary on Main can help

  • We notarize signatures. We confirm your identity, you sign in front of the notary, and we notarize your signature.

  • We certify copies. We compare copies with the original documents and certify them as true copies.

  • For use in Ontario and abroad. Our notarizations can be used in Ontario and, with an apostille or authentication where required, in other countries.

Please note: notarizing a signature confirms the identity of the person signing and that they signed in front of the notary. It is not legal advice on the content of the document, and our notary service does not prepare or review your document. For Ontario real estate matters or legal advice, you can contact Orlando Santos | Law Firm.

An agreement of purchase and sale can be legally binding once it is signed and accepted, so make sure you understand it before you sign. For an Ontario property, you can have the agreement reviewed by Orlando Santos | Law Firm.

Documents for use abroad: apostille and authentication

Many countries need proof that the notary's signature and seal are genuine. This step is done by the government, not by the notary:

  • Apostille. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention effective January 11, 2024. In Ontario, Official Documents Services (ODS) issues apostilles for documents notarized by an Ontario notary public, for use in Convention countries.

  • Certificate of authentication. For countries that are not members of the Convention, ODS issues a certificate of authentication instead. The destination country's consulate may then need to legalize it.

If your document is not in English or French, ODS requires a translation before it can be authenticated. Always check with the person or institution receiving the document which steps they require.

More information: our Apostille page, Ontario: Authenticate a document for use outside Canada.

What to bring

  • Valid government-issued photo ID. For example, a passport or a Canadian driver's licence. For documents to be used abroad, we recommend the passport of the country where the document will be used, or your Canadian passport.

  • Your document, unsigned. You will sign it in front of the notary. Please do not sign it beforehand.

  • Witnesses, if your document requires them. We do not provide witnesses; you must bring them. Each witness must also bring valid government-issued photo ID.

Languages

We notarize documents in English, Portuguese and Spanish. Service in Hindi and Punjabi is also available with Priya Kaushal, a member of our team.

Book an appointment

Call or email us to book. Tell us what the document is and where it will be used, and we will confirm what to bring and give you a quote.

Notary on Main, the notary division of Orlando Santos | Law Firm

195 Main Street North, Upper Floor, Brampton, ON L6X 1N2

Hours: by appointment only. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 1 PM to 6 PM. Other times on request.

Phone: (647) 963-9227

Email: orlando@santoslawpc.com

See all our Critical Documents.

Helping people with essential documents since 1984.

This page is general information, not legal advice.

Fees

Contact us for a quote. Government apostille or authentication fees, and any consulate fees, are separate and are paid to those offices.