CREA says that it will start removing Quebec listings from out-of-province brokers from Realtor.ca. In a letter sent to boards last week, CREA president Laura Leyser said, “After several calls, emails and letters to the OACIQ about the status of out-of-province listings, CREA recently received a response from the provincial regulator. Given this new development, CREA will remove the offending listings this month. We caution that the OACIQ has not provided blanket guidance to CREA that covers all potential future listings, however, we hope it will continue to work with us in a spirit of co-operation.”
The issue of listings from out-of-province brokers was one of many reasons why the real estate boards in Montreal, Quebec City and other smaller centres opted to leave CREA at the end of 2013.
“CREA has always been willing to act,” Randall McCauley, vice-president of government and public relations for CREA, told the Montreal Gazette. “But real estate is governed by province. CREA is not a law-enforcement body. CREA cannot remove a listing by a member unless the province shows it is inconsistent with its laws.”
CREA has also decided to wait until January 28 before it removes the listings of those who have dropped out of the national association.
“Given the confusion created by the decision of some boards to separate and a recent decision of the OACIQ about the need to inform clients their listings will no longer appear on Realtor.ca/MLS.ca/ICX.ca, CREA will work with members to accommodate these two issues,” says Leyser. “This will allow for an orderly transition – for departing members to inform their clients per the OACIQ decision and for members who wish to remain members of CREA.”
Several boards in the province have agreed to stay with CREA and to accept new members from areas where the boards have opted out. These include the Chambre immobiliere de l’Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Chambre immobiliere de l’Estrie, Chambre immobiliere de Lanaudiere, Chambre immobiliere de la Mauricie, Chambre immobiliere de l’Outaouais and the Quebec West Real Estate Board.
“You do not have to leave your current board in order to join a new board,” says Leyser. Costs and the process to join can be obtained by contacting any of these boards.”
