Ontario Realtors gathered for their annual conference in November, hosted by the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). The conference was renamed to reflect OREA’s latest initiative, the Ontario Realtor Party, created to advance OREA’s advocacy efforts.
“While the name sounds political, it isn’t,” says Ettore Cardarelli, OREA’s 2017 president. “The Ontario Realtor Party is a nonpartisan program that will support all political parties and politicians that support the Canadian dream of home ownership.”
The party focuses on recruiting and offering training to Realtors who are interested in being more engaged in politics and their local communities. So far, more than 2,000 Realtors have been recruited and agreed to participate in advocacy efforts.
Among the issues discussed at the conference were The Home Energy Rating and Disclosure (HER&D) program, which is currently being reviewed by the provincial government; and the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act (REBBA), 2002 reform, a consultation process undertaken by OREA to make member-influenced recommendations to the provincial government about the future of the act and the real estate profession.
