Organized real estate was created to manage a shared property listing system. It was a breakthrough for the industry. It started with a few Realtors willing to bring integrity to their business by sharing information.
From there, photo co-ops were added, then MLS and on it went to today where technology continues to bring a better and faster exchange of information. Along the way, local real estate boards ensured that proper procedures were in place to keep everything uniform and fair. Rules and regulations were added to bring the conduct of Realtors to a higher level of professionalism than vague governmental laws of business.
Then provincial associations were created and not long after that, the Canadian Real Estate Association was formed. These organizations brought credibility and a national voice to a group of business people who were concerned about the fast developing industry related to the purchase and sale of property. Time and time again, we commend the good men and women of the real estate industry who took the time to volunteer themselves for the development of their profession. We should never forget these pioneers.
People once flocked to the real estate industry. It was easy to get a license. But as Realtors grew in numbers, organized real estate continued to challenge the industry with higher education standards, more concise rules for business practices and ever higher professional conduct.
With the professional development that the industry imposed upon itself, the times of being awash in new members came to an end. CREA membership peaked at or about 100,000 in the late 1980s. After over 60 years of consistent growth, members of organized real estate began to decrease.
Now licensing courses are more challenging, longer and more expensive. Mandatory education programs are in place. Technology demands mean costs for computers, communication tools, and courses to learn how to use them. Professional membership dues and fees that paid for the services and needs for a Realtor to do business are now a serious investment.
All of this has led to a weeding out process, leaving only the best Realtors to stay in the industry. Today the membership number of CREA is just over 60,000, down by over one-third in the course of a single decade.
This is a double edged sword. In terms of the profile of Realtors in Canada today, there is no doubt that those who are in it are professionals of the highest calibre. That is something we should boast about and believe me, I do, every chance I get.
But the loss of members and their fees to organized real estate has meant the loss of services that professional Realtors need. Realtors are faced with the choice of either cutting services or raising member fees. I have seen a combination of these initiatives across the country. It is time for organized real estate to do something it has not had to do before; actively recruit new members!
The real estate industry today has a very high profile — a profile that came as a result of the outstanding hard work and sweat from members of our real estate boards and associations. Everyone in the industry knows that. It is now time to tell that to people outside the industry.
It’s time to go to the universities and colleges to tell them that real estate is an outstanding choice as a profession. It’s time to go to job fairs with a booth, not necessarily from a local Realtor, but as provincial and national initiatives. It’s time to marshal a public relations campaign to enlighten the public that the choice to become a Realtor will deliver a rewarding career.
The pioneers of MLS brought the industry to this level. Now it’s time to carry on and take it to even greater heights.
I believe that CREA and the provincial associations are the best organizations in the world of business. If you don’t agree with that, give me a call because I’ll give you an earful of reasons why that’s true. But never forget that these organizations work to the direction of their member committees. And as time consuming as you may think the committee process is, it is time to bring a dialogue about recruiting to the table.
The brokers and sales representatives in our industry have enough on their plates today without having to attend job fairs, speak to university graduates and take on a national campaign to increase membership in the real estate industry.
It’s time for our associations to get active in recruiting new members.
Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email [email protected]
