What a POA actually authorizes, while your parent is alive
A validly executed Power of Attorney for Property generally allows the attorney to list, negotiate and sign for a sale, subject to whatever limits the document itself sets — confirm the specific document's scope with an Ontario estates lawyer before relying on it. It is not the same as a will, and it is not the same authority an estate trustee holds after death.
The catch that surprises people mid-sale
If a parent passes away while a sale is in progress under a POA, that authority stops immediately. The estate trustee — the person named in the will, or the person the court appoints if there isn't one — has to step in and the transaction effectively restarts under a different legal authority.
What to check first, before signing anything
Find the actual POA document and read what it authorizes specifically. Confirm whether it's still in effect (some are drafted to activate only on incapacity, not immediately). And if there's any doubt about scope or validity, that's the first call to an estates lawyer, ahead of a real estate agent or a buyer.