Fractured access to MLS data in Ontario has long been an issue plaguing realtors, and Information Technology Systems Ontario (ITSO) says it’s time for that to change.
The not-for-profit corporation is calling for province-wide access to MLS data and will be hosting an all-day meeting in Toronto on Fri., May 19, to bring boards together to find a solution.
Allison McLure, executive director of ITSO, says, “(Realtors) are licensed in the province of Ontario, so realtors should have access to all data in the entire province, full stop.”
ITSO currently manages MLS listing content for 18 member boards and associations in Ontario while providing access to 24 associations through data-sharing agreements.
Fragmented systems and rising costs
McLure adds that in order for realtors to fulfill their fiduciary duties to their clients, “it’s not good enough to have 50 per cent of listings or 90 per cent of listings. You have to have all of them.”
McLure points out that the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) and Ottawa have their own regional systems, while Chatham-Kent, Sarnia-Lambton, and Windsor-Essex operate separately. She adds that despite some reciprocal agreements, collaboration beyond individual groups can be limited.
Realtors, as a result, are burdened with paying additional subscriber fees, interboard fees or obtaining dual memberships to access data outside their home boards, and the costs continue to rise. But the issues go beyond the financial, McLure affirms.
The ITSO executive says consumers often turn to virtual office websites or platforms like Realtor.ca because they perceive them to offer a more comprehensive range of listings compared to what their realtor can provide through an MLS system. McLure believes this reflects negatively on the entire real estate industry and insists that realtors should be able to offer their clients access to all listings.
“Without access to a comprehensive data set for the entire area, realtors face challenges when it comes to pricing properties and conducting comparative analyses.”
-Tyson Hinschberger, president, GDAR
Tyson Hinschberger, president of the Guelph and District Association, an ITSO member association, acknowledges the benefits of accessing data in different municipalities. However, Hinschberger notes that fragmented associations across the province impede realtors from easily transacting in different markets.
He adds, “Without access to a comprehensive data set for the entire area, realtors face challenges when it comes to pricing properties and conducting comparative analyses.”
Ken Dekker, president of the Ottawa Real Estate Board, says that while his board is not currently an ITSO member, he’s in favour of an agreement that gives Ontario realtors access to province-wide data.
Dekker explains, “Our responsibility to a client is to find any property that may suit their requirements that they’ve given us. And if that requires being members of multiple boards to search for the data, then that’s something under our fiduciary responsibility we need to do.” He is confident that one source of data would solve that issue.
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) operates its own MLS and has partner boards in the GTA and surrounding area. When contacted for this article, a representative for TRREB stated that the board has no comment at this time. However, they confirmed their attendance at the upcoming meeting.
In total, McLure confirms representatives from 28 real estate boards and associations have agreed to attend the meeting out of the province’s 34.
Source: ITSO
Challenges and complexities
Different boards and associations in Ontario hold varying philosophies when it comes to data sharing, McClure explains. Some are more restrictive, while others are open to the concept.
Reaching an agreement among the boards for data-sharing is the initial hurdle, with several more challenges to overcome before implementation.
McLure highlights the complexities involved in opening up access to data across different real estate systems. Aligning data from different MLS systems poses technological challenges that cannot be resolved immediately, according to McLure.
Dekker also raises concerns about data security. He emphasizes the need for data agreements to prevent misuse or unauthorized access, as the data is owned by the local boards.
Enlisting experts to help foster collaboration
To facilitate Friday’s session, ITSO has enlisted Matt Fullbrook from Fullbrook Board Effectiveness. The meeting will also feature a presentation by Sam DeBord, chair of the Real Estate Standards Organization.
Hinschberger is optimistic about the potential for an open and productive discussion between stakeholders. He adds, “In the spirit of collegiality and collaboration for the benefit of the consumer, I think it’s good to have those dialogues and see if we can find common ground on some of the issues that may have plagued things in the past.”
The meeting is a step in addressing the fragmented access to MLS data in Ontario. McLure says ITSO’s goal is to create a solution that allows realtors to access comprehensive data sets across the province.
By removing the barriers and limitations posed by regional systems, she believes realtors can improve their bottom line and better serve their clients.
Jordana is the editor of Real Estate Magazine. You can reach her by email.
This is so past due and no one has or will take ownership of this. Never a day goes past when I do not see a listing outside of Toronto only listed on TRREB. This is the biggest issue plaguing the consumer of our industry. This cost consumers millions of dollars a year yet RECO focuses on getting us to list on MLS right away and taking the consumers rights away to choose an exclusive listing. They should focus on solving this issue. Seeing a listing in Burlington go up around the corner from me only on TRREB not only affects the homeowner but also the community around it. If a listing outside of TRREB’s boundaries is not list on the local board there are only two reasons. 1. The agent is unaware their listing will not be show on the local board (RECO violation) 2. The agent does not want to pay the extra or do the extra work (RECO violation).
It is CREA that has changed the policy regarding exclusive listings not RECO.
Regarding “Gap Listings” It was suggested that listings in a certain jurisdiction had to be listed with that Association representing that geographic region. It was rumored that TRREB would not even support that easy cooperation. It was even suggested that it may be posted at no cost to the sales rep! Still nothing came out of these rumored ideas.
I hardly think this is the consumer’s biggest issue. I think they would tell you paying over 50k to sell their house in the GTA might be right up there. You realtors are so out of touch with what the consumer needs. It’s not access to ALL the data -it’s being able to find a true professional that knows the market and not someone that will drive 3 hrs to show or list a home.
CREA not RECO by the way.
One is a trade organization governing MLS and the other a quasi- government body focussed on consumer protection.
I am from Trebb Board. I agree we do need 1 system for all Ontario Realtors.
For people moving out from GTA to the eastern or west side, we do need access to listings. The fees are more on every board.
I’d like to hear the other side of this story – perhaps an account by TRREB about their considered position on “One MLS for all Ontario” sometime after the upcoming meeting.
That would be a great info assist for us Non-Itso registrants.
Full disclosure… I am and ITSO Director and my Association BDAR allows me access to both TREBB and ITSO.
This meeting is not about an “ITSO” position or a “TREBB” position. It is not about any Association. It is not about REALM or Stratus or Matrix.
What this meeting is about, is getting as many, if not all Associations in the Province to agree that sharing all MLS data is a priority.
With the agreement of those that want a solution, the we can roll up our sleeves and work towards that solution.
Not sure if by this,
“perhaps an account by TRREB about their considered position on “One MLS for all Ontario”
you mean a provincial equivalent of realtor.ca, but if you do, I am throwing both arms up in agreement. Otherwise I don’t see 34 boards agreeing to any MLS rules and regulations and of course the necessary offshoot – disclipline.
Plus the big board just went through its second expensive, with some Geowarehouse tie-in, changeover, within just a few years and which probably plays a big part in the fee increase.
ITSO’s pitch then might actually work against it for frontrunner data management position.
ITSO is not large enough by any measure to tackle TRREB, the biggest elephant in the world of Canadian Real estate industry.
I would really like to see this happen. Realtors all over the province do a listing and then only place on their home board. I can bet that this will not happen because of the biggest board does not want it to happen. They make too much money form non-members paying to list on their board.
Like everything else in the world, “follow the money”
Toronto is the problem child as per usual. GTA realtors expect out of town listings to be on TRREB yet refuse to post on local boards when they have listings. Piss off
ITSO is the barrier to the data fragmentation, they are the primary reason why the data is still fragmented. I appreciate they’re trying to save face by holding a meeting to discuss but the structural organization of how ITSO is run will never lead to progressive changes in the industry. They are more concerned with arbitration and policing the realtor profession then creating advancements in information and technology systems as their name implies. It’s a shame because ITSO could of been a solution to the one MLS system in Ontario! They missed the mark by getting entrenched in the arbitration and fines. Egos need to be dropped and a spirit of collaboration needs to prevail if any form of change can be made! Just my 2 cents.
As a retired Ontario/ GTA broker, it is ridiculous for me to pay $100,000 commission to sell our $2m property.
The public uses the MLS network to search for their next home across Canada.
Unfortunately, the Private Sale option, is very limited for reaching buyers without using the MLS network, which is oligopolized.
Property inflation has made it ridiculously expensive to sell or buy property across Canada.
The major franchises’ oligopoly, plus Realtor solidarity, plus extensive legal real estate boards’ documentation , make a simple legal property title change transaction prohibitive for a Private Sale nowadays.
At the sales representative level, this is the most competitive industry in Canada and the best final career option for maturing workers.
Technology has advanced to the point we can shop for a property without leaving our living room.
But the corporatization of the industry has imposed an increasingly complex array of processes and legalism on a simple transaction.
Not only should this meeting address the centralized powers of the stakeholders, but also the transparency of data, plus the development of the AI and human interface with the public.
Real Estate is by far Canada’s largest industry. We must be very careful to not make it into the largest funnel for a few rich and influential organizations and elite nouveau aristocrats.
As a member of an ITSO board, I have seen first hand the benefits of access to an extended range of data and obviously having access to all data for all Ontario Realtors would be a huge benefit. If you had asked me a year ago if we would be having a meeting in May of 2023 with the bulk of Ontario boards to discuss the concept, I would have said it was very unlikely, yet here we are. I will be in attendance at the meeting on the 19th and I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve managed to come this far.
The comments painting any board as “the problem” set a tone of confrontation and negativity for the upcoming talks. I believe the opposite is true. All the boards, including TRREB are willingly coming to the meeting in a spirit of cooperation to try and take the first steps to making things better for all Ontario Realtors and that makes them part of the Solution, not the Problem.
I for one am really looking forward to the discussions and I’m confident that some solid common ground can be found. Let’s applaud the initiative of all the involved boards and encourage any that haven’t decided to join in the conversation to do so.
These conversations have been in the shadows and private rooms for too long. Its time to shine the light on them and see first hand what are the real obstacles and challenges impeding agents access to all MLS data across the province.
Ontario is a large province, an OPEN and HONEST conversation with all stakeholders has long been overdue, no “he said, she said”. Quite honestly, I’m surprised its never been undertaken sooner but then again we may not have been ready to listen sooner. One thing is certain, agents MUST have access to all MLS data in Ontario. Its their hard work that generates the MLS data.
At the Buzz Conference recently in Toronto our panel on MLS disruption also stressed the need for open and transparent dialogue on the matter of datashare / data access. This conversation is on the top of mind of every working REALTOR in Ontario.
It was said at that conference that time is not a friend to our industry, as other eager industries look upon our fragmented industry as an opportunity to expand their business models. If that happens, its fully our fault.
We know this much going into those meetings. In 2023 Technology’s ability to service an MLS system the size of Ontario is no longer an obstacle.
Kudos to ITSO for organizing this event and all the Boards and Associations participating. Please make us proud !!!
This is long overdue, very glad to read there is more conversation at a higher level happening regarding sharing of MLS Data. I agree with McLure – for us to fulfill our fiduciary duties to our clients we must have access to all information. The fact that it’s 2023 and we are still having this problem is embarrassing to our industry. I look forward to when this issue is resolved and we can serve our clients better and collaborate with our fellow colleagues through the sharing of data.
You know, as a young realtor, what I do when searching for properties?
I don’t log in to Stratus/REALM/ITSO… I open HouseSigma, search for the properties I want, as they have ALL the data including sold and terminated history (which realtor.ca doesn’t), make a decision, then just plug the MLS number I need into the right MLS system because, really, the only major differences between HouseSigma and the MLS systems is the inclusion of the brokerage remarks/brokerage info and attachments.
Literally if HouseSigma just adds brokerage remarks, brokerage information, and attachments (which they won’t), I will almost never need to ever open another fragmented MLS system again, no matter how shiny it’s trying to be (looking at you REALM).
And if someone from one of the MLS systems reading this is unhappy with this workflow, they shouldn’t have let MLS data be so fragmented for so long such that a brokerage, of all the different types of possible businesses, could come and swipe the rug from under their feet.
This conversation has been dragging on for far too long, and I’m honestly tired of hearing each side blaming the other for not moving forward with this. I’m a member of two boards, and I joined them to better serve my clients. I don’t really mind paying double the fees, but what really bothers me is the extra work it takes to upload a listing on both systems, making sure price adjusted are made, report a sale, and the hassle of preparing two different write-ups for client remarks because the two systems have different character limits. It’s just plain ridiculous.
If these real estate boards are really there to support their members, then they need to sit down and figure this out. We need one Multiple Listing Service that works for everyone, and everyone can keep their real estate board to be able to serve their member needs, but for goodness sakes, one MLS system. If our current board leaders can’t or won’t do this, then please step aside and let some new leaders take charge. Please listen to the membership – we need leaders who are focused on one goal: serving the membership so we can serve our clients better. It’s time to put an end to this madness and create a system that actually benefits us all.
We realtors are the ones who are challenged by non-sharing agreements, and this is not fair. If we are registered to trade in the province of Ontario, then we should have access to all information in the province of Ontario.
If this agreement can’t be met, then boards that do not share should be limited to trade in their area only as this causes much confusion for both clients and realtors when properties can’t be found easily on local searches.
I’m a TRREB member who also has a guest membership on RAHB (Hamilton and Burlington) which means that I don’t get ITSO sharing between RAHB and other boards such as the Oakville Board. Consequently, I get Toronto listings on TRREB and Burlington listings on RAHB and I also sometimes get Burlington listings that are on TRREB but I don’t get any listings that are only listed on the Oakville board which is situated geographically right in between Toronto and Burlington! Oakville is too expensive to join for how often I need it.
This is unbelievably stupid. I’ll have clients tell me about listings they see on the Oakville/Burlington border that are on the Oakville side and which I don’t know about UNLESS I also search on Realtor.ca or HouseSigma which is what they’re using in preference over what I send to them (embarrassing). I also regularly use HouseSigma because in some ways it’s better than all my other options in finding properties (even though I can’t book showings directly from it). I even started using Matrix when it became available to TRREB agents a couple of years ago, thinking that would get me ready for full data sharing. Nope. This is a giant mess and everyone at the top level of these boards should be thoroughly ashamed. I hate to say it but I think my home board, TRREB, is largely responsible for the impasse and I believe the problem is likely political rather than technical. Or it’s technical only in that they’re probably insisting that the rest of the province use its overhyped and underperforming REALM. Get over yourselves and your petty differences and get this fixed — a solution has been way too long coming and we’re all more than a little fed up.