Advertising Standards Canada says CREA’s television ad featuring a motorcycle gang is misleading and has violated the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.
The self-regulating advertising industry council says it received two complaints that the commercial “was misleading by identifying services a Realtor does not customarily provide to his or her buyer client.”
Advertising Standards Canada says, “The general impression conveyed by the commercial to council was that a buyer who uses a Realtor would be protected because of the intimate knowledge the buyer’s Realtor has of the negative aspects of the neighbourhood in question. While the seller’s agent may take it upon herself or himself to become knowledgeable about the makeup of the client’s neighbourhood, there was no evidence that both buyers’ and sellers’ agents assume the same degree of responsibility to become thoroughly knowledgeable about the social or less desirable aspects of the neighbourhood in which a house is located.
“Council understood that the commercial was humorous and exaggerated. However, the use of humour in this commercial did not negate the overall impression conveyed to council. Council recognized that the commercial was intended to make the public aware that Realtors in general possess expertise that ordinary buyers do not. However, council found that this execution over-promised what a buyer’s Realtor customarily delivers, and, therefore, was misleading.”
In its reply to the council, CREA says, “The advertiser respectfully disagrees with the council’s conclusion that the ad is misleading. However, the advertiser does agree with the council’s finding that the ad is humorous, exaggerated and intended to make the public aware that Realtors possess expertise that ordinary buyers do not.
