The London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR) recently hosted a Professional Day conference for its members, featuring experts in Canada’s Anti-Spam Law (CASL) and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), as well as senior leadership from the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). The conference was focused on sharing the latest industry updates and heightening awareness of professional standards.
“We understand the real estate marketplace is under increased scrutiny and this is why the Professional Day conference is so important,” says John Geha, LSTAR CEO. “Our members are highly educated and knowledgeable and the conference helps reinforce our credo: to always protect the needs of the consumer.”
Allison McLure, legal counsel for CREA, shared updates on what members need to know about the impacts of CASL. FINTRAC’s Geron Beach, senior compliance officer, outlined what members need to do for compliance with record keeping, client identification and reporting suspicious transactions. RECO’s Kelvin Kucey, deputy registrar of regulatory compliance, along with compliance supervisors Larry Twells and Glen Thomas shared how RECO is enhancing its complaints process and emphasized the importance of a professional conduct up to the highest ethical standards while serving consumers.
Jim Smith, LSTAR president, says, “It’s been an incredible year for real estate across the region and Realtors have seen multiple offer scenarios and interest from outside the region. Now more than ever, we need to be laser-focused on why we’re here – and that’s to serve the best interest of the consumer.”
LSTAR’s Brokers Issues Advisory Group also held a meeting with Joe Richer, RECO registrar and Kucey.
