by Gerald Tostowaryk | Nov 21, 2024 | Columnists
Ethics is a cornerstone of the real estate profession, but the question of authority—who decides what is ethical?—is one that continues to challenge us. As professionals held to high ethical standards, we must ask: Who determines these standards, and what gives them...
by Gerald Tostowaryk | Oct 11, 2024 | Columnists
No surprise to most of us, the Competition Bureau (CB) is investigating the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)’s MLS commission policy requiring a commission be paid to buyers’ agents, and the Cooperation Policy requiring all listings to be on the MLS within...
by Gerald Tostowaryk | Mar 20, 2024 | Columnists, Letters to the Editor
On February 22, REM published a well-researched and well-argued article about the public outcry against ever-increasing property taxes. One small, innocuous phrase that says so much caught my attention: The Montreal mayor was quoted as stating we are facing...
by Gerald Tostowaryk | Feb 29, 2024 | Columnists, Legal Issues
Once again, anti-competitive accusations are being leveled against our industry, this time in the McFall case. I remember back in the early 1990s when the first discount broker of substance came to our market. We were all upset, I still think rightfully so, and there...
by Gerald Tostowaryk | Nov 23, 2023 | Columnists
Like many of us in Canadian real estate, I have been watching the conversation around the Ontario Realtor Wellness Program (ORWP) in REM. By now, we are all aware of the recent court case challenging the ORWP. The plaintiffs are alleging human rights violations...
