The verdict in three sentences
A luxury real estate agency in Montreal handles sensitive information (budget, address, family situation, sale timing) from its very first form, and Quebec's Law 25 has required since 2023 and 2024 a privacy policy, a designated person in charge and real consent to tracking tools. Your web provider should deliver these items in writing, with a site whose French version is at least as available as the English one and a WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA target, even though no general accessibility obligation applies to private businesses in Quebec today. Budget USD 4,900 to 8,900 with Kolonell for a site built this way from day one, versus roughly USD 14,400 to 36,000 with a Montreal agency.
Which data protection requirements should you impose on your provider?
A prestige agency's site collects more than an email address: property valuation requests, private showing bookings, sign-ups for off-market previews. Each form is a collection of personal information under Quebec's private sector privacy act, as modernized by Law 25. Here is what to require, in writing, in the quote.
| Requirement | What the provider must deliver | Reference frame | Proof to ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy policy | Clear page in plain language, published on the site | Law 25 | Link in the footer and on every form |
| Person in charge of personal information | Name or title and contact details displayed | Law 25 (by default, the person with the highest authority) | Mention on the privacy page |
| Cookies and tracking tools | Off by default, rejecting as easy as accepting, no pre-ticked boxes | Law 25, privacy by default | Banner test before launch |
| Valuation and showing forms | Minimal fields, stated purpose, defined retention period | Necessity principle | Field list and justification |
| Contract with the provider | Written contract covering the information entrusted, security, deletion at the end of the engagement | Law 25; GDPR Article 28 if you target European buyers | Signed schedule |
| Hosting outside Quebec | Known hosting location, privacy impact assessment before communicating information outside Quebec | Law 25 | Assessment document on file |
| Confidentiality incident | Alert procedure from the provider to you, without delay | Law 25 (notice to the Commission d'accès à l'information if there is a risk of serious injury); 72 hours under GDPR where it applies | Notification clause in the contract |
Two points specific to your sector. Brokers are regulated by the OACIQ and the Real Estate Brokerage Act, including for advertising: have your listing pages and broker mentions reviewed by the person in charge of compliance at your agency. And the "exclusive properties" newsletter falls under CASL: provable consent, sender identification, one-click unsubscribe.
Which accessibility and language requirements should you set?
To our knowledge, no general web accessibility obligation applies to private Quebec businesses today. Aiming for WCAG 2.1 AA, ideally 2.2 AA, is still good practice: your clientele includes older buyers, diaspora families browsing on mobile, and notaries or advisors who navigate by keyboard.
Require from the provider: sufficient contrast over full-screen photos, alt text for property visuals, carousels that can be paused and operated by keyboard, virtual tours with a text alternative, touch targets of at least 24 pixels, labeled forms with readable error messages, and a published accessibility statement.
On language, the Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96, requires commercial content to be available in French, and the French version must be at least as accessible as the others. For a French and English site, Kolonell's Premium tier is the multilingual tier, with languages set in the quote. The Centris listing feed and CRM integrations are on quote.
How much does a compliant-from-day-one site cost?
2026 ballpark based on public Montreal agency rate pages and typical quotes, converted approximately at about 0.72 USD per CAD. Legal and audit lines remain yours whichever provider you choose.
| Line | Local Montreal agency | Kolonell, remote studio |
|---|---|---|
| Bilingual high-end site | CAD 20,000 to 50,000 (about USD 14,400 to 36,000) | USD 8,900 (Premium, multilingual) |
| French-only site | CAD 12,000 to 30,000 (about USD 8,600 to 21,600) | USD 4,900 (Growth) or USD 2,900 (Starter) |
| Consent banner and privacy page built in | Often billed CAD 1,500 to 4,000 (about USD 1,100 to 2,900) | Included in the build |
| External accessibility audit before launch | CAD 3,000 to 10,000 (about USD 2,200 to 7,200) | Ordered from an independent auditor |
| Legal drafting of the privacy policy | CAD 1,500 to 5,000 with a lawyer (about USD 1,100 to 3,600) | Provided by your legal advisor |
| Timeline | 10 to 16 weeks | 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready |
| Maintenance after launch | CAD 200 to 600 per month (market assumption) | 3 months included, then on quote |
The international website offer includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting and 3 months of support. Kolonell built the site of Orven Properties, a Dubai-based real estate company, which gives an idea of the finish expected on property pages.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example. Isabelle, an English-speaking director of a hypothetical prestige agency in Westmount, is redoing her site. Her current valuation form asks for 14 fields, including household income and date of birth. The provider cuts it to 6 fields (name, email, phone, property address, property type, timeline), 57 percent less data, with retention set at 24 months. Budget: Premium at USD 8,900, an external accessibility audit at CAD 3,000 (about USD 2,200), and a privacy policy reviewed by her lawyer for CAD 2,500 (about USD 1,800), for a total of USD 12,900. A local agency quote for the same scope came to CAD 42,000, about USD 30,200, excluding audit and lawyer.
FAQ
Does Law 25 apply to a small real estate agency?
Yes, it covers any private business that collects personal information in Quebec, whatever its size. The main obligations have been in force since September 2023, and data portability since September 2024.
Do we need a cookie banner if we only use Google Analytics?
Yes, as soon as a tool can identify, locate or profile visitors, it must be off by default and turned on by a clear choice. Plan 1 to 2 days of work for a well-integrated banner.
Must the site be in French if our clientele is mostly English-speaking?
Commercial content of a business in Quebec must be available in French, at least as accessible as English. A bilingual site falls under the Premium tier at USD 8,900 with Kolonell, with languages set in the quote.
What accessibility level should we target in 2026?
WCAG 2.2 AA is the most recent target, with 9 criteria added compared to 2.1. An external audit before launch usually costs CAD 3,000 to 10,000 depending on the number of templates.
Can the site be hosted outside Quebec?
Yes, but Law 25 requires a privacy impact assessment before communicating personal information outside Quebec. Get the exact hosting location from the provider in writing. This is not legal advice.
Let's scope your project. A bilingual site for a prestige real estate agency, built for Law 25 from the start, from USD 4,900 and delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.