Richard Silver

The Canadian Real Estate Association releases REALTOR.ca mobile application for Apple iPhone

 Just in time for Xmas! This is great news from the Canadian Real Estate Association. It is a free download from the iTunes store and also works (though is not as good) on your iPad. The best part is the GPS so it can be used on the move when you are sitting in from of a property to get the REALTOR.ca information.   Ottawa, ON – December 21, 2010 – The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) today released its REALTOR.ca app for...Continue Reading...

Real Estate Council of Ontario’s Web Site

In Ontario, those of us who are registrants are regulated by a body called the Real Estate Council of Ontario. It is this body that deals with complaints from the Public, Code of Ethics violations, etc. On their web site at www.reco.on.ca they state that "The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) regulates the activity of trading in real estate in the public interest". They do so munder the auspices of the provincial government and they administer the Real Estate...Continue Reading...

The Canadian Real Estate Association Revises Annual Resale Housing Forecast

OTTAWA – November 5, 2010 – The Canadian Real Estate Association  (CREA) has lowered its forecast for home sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service ® (MLS®)Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations for 2010 and 2011. Sales activity in the third quarter of 2010 began on a weak footing, but gained traction as the quarter progressed. Improving momentum for home sales activity suggests the resale housing market is stabilizing, but weaker than expected third quarter activity has reduced CREA’s annual...Continue Reading...

On the Canadian Real Estate Association Resolving the Competition Bureau…

Note: these are my personal thoughts and have absolutely no connection to any volunteer positions that I hold. At the end of the month the Canadian Real Estate Association will be voting to resolve a battle with the Competition Bureau. The big question that everyone wants to know is how this will change the landscape of Real Estate in Canada. The answer is not very much...there have always been options for sellers whether it has been to sell privately, or to list...Continue Reading...

Teranet-National Bank National Composite House Price Index™.

Teranet  and the National Bank of Canada   joined together about one year ago to produce this House Price Index  of major centres across Canada. Please remember that it only reflects the large centres and is comprehensive for those living in those centres but would not reflect a vision of Canada as a whole. I get these newsletters monthly and you can subscribe to them at www.housepriceindex.ca. Teranet's data is from Land Registry systems across Canada so also reflects all transactions, not just...Continue Reading...

Canadian Real Estate Association Revises Resale Housing Forecast

OTTAWA – June 2, 2010 – The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has lowered its forecast for home sales via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations. The revision reflects a weaker than expected start to the year in British Columbia, and recent developments that pulled forward the timing as to when sales are expected to ease in other provinces. CREA’s previous national forecast was heavily influenced by British Columbia and Ontario forecast trends, and...Continue Reading...

Real Estate: Competition Bureau vs. CREA: Editorial In Today’s Toronto Sun

I salute the Toronto Sun for its balanced editorial on the Competition Bureau's fight with the Canadian Real Estate Association. It is timely to have a realistic and unemotional discussion of the pros and cons of this situation copied below or on their Website : Home sales — can’t we get along?: Editorial, Wednesday, March 24, 2010 A fair deal for consumers in the residential real estate market starts with the realization not everyone needs the full services of a real estate agent to buy...Continue Reading...

My Thoughts on The Competition Bureau and The Canadian Real Estate Association

Please notes that my thoughts are personal only and are not in any way those of Bosley Real Estate Ltd .(who hold my license) or The Toronto Real Estate Board  (I am a Director-at-Large). I love my business, am engaged in it 7 days a week, 12 to 15 hours a day and would not want to do anything else however: There is a lot of discussion going on led by the Competition Bureau  and forces that want to "open up" the MLS ...Continue Reading...

The Competition Bureau and the Canadian Real Estate Association.

A couple of weeks ago, the Government of Canada's Competition Bureau  sent a direction to the Canadian Real Estate Association  that CREA remove one of the requirements of membership: Agency or Representation. The media has jumped on this as being very advantages for Sellers and Buyers in that it would allow the Consumer more options. Ken McLachlan, Broker for Re/Max Hallmark Realty Ltd.  said it better than I ever could in this repost of his Blog: Competition Bureau and CREA (more...)Continue Reading...

Canadian Real Estate: Lack of Inventory Puts Upward Pressure on Pricing.

Here are some important statistics that were made available by the Canadian Real Estate Association that highlight housing inventory for sale in Canada, Ontario and within the Toronto Real Estate Board. These figures point to a distinct lack of inventory at present in all areas but especially in the Greater Toronto Area. It makes it a great time for Sellers to sell but conversely difficult for Buyers to find property. Hopefully this will loosen up over the next few months but...Continue Reading...