Indigenous Association of Realtors founder Tanya Rose and fellow board directors Alyx Lamy and Kevin Isbister/IAR website. 

 

A new national association is looking to bring Indigenous real estate professionals together, with plans to improve representation, expand education and help Indigenous communities navigate Canada’s real estate system.

The Indigenous Association of Realtors (IAR) has officially launched after roughly six months to a year of planning. The Indigenous-led organization aims to provide a national voice for Indigenous real estate professionals and promote greater understanding of issues involving land, housing and property ownership.

Kevin Isbister, a real estate agent with eXp Realty in Prince Albert, Sask., and a director on the IAR’s board, says the idea grew out of a gap in representation within the industry.

“We started talking about it originally just because there is no real representation,” he says.

He points out that existing real estate organizations, including those operating under the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) umbrella, don’t routinely collect information about whether their members are Indigenous.

As a result, he says, it’s difficult to know how many Indigenous Realtors are working across Canada, let alone bring them together.

“We don’t really know who’s out there and we want to find those people.”

 

Building a national network

 

The association’s founding leadership includes board chair and founder Tanya LaRose of Saskatoon, Isbister and board director Alyx Lamy of Winnipeg.

Although its initial leadership is concentrated in the Prairies, Isbister says the organization is actively recruiting Indigenous real estate professionals from across the country, with the goal of eventually having representation from all regions on its board.

“We wanna hear from everybody as soon as we can,” he says.

To join as a voting member, applicants must be Indigenous, provide proof of their identity and be licensed real estate professionals in good standing. Membership starts at $100.

The association has also received trademark approval from CREA, a step Isbister says was important to its founders.

“There was a process and it was very important to us to have that,” he says.

He stresses that the IAR isn’t intended to replace existing real estate organizations or challenge the professional standards already in place.

“We respect it. We wanna abide by that because it’s good. It makes sure everybody’s safe and trusted.”

Rather, the goal is to bring Indigenous perspectives and experiences into the existing industry framework.

 

A different homebuying experience

 

Beyond representation within the profession, Isbister says the association hopes to address challenges Indigenous clients can encounter when buying property.

While real estate professionals have the same fiduciary obligations to all clients, he says some Indigenous buyers face circumstances that aren’t always well understood.

For some, buying a home is a milestone not only for themselves but for their entire family.

“We’re dealing with lots of first-time home buyers who this could be their, the first time ever buying a house in their whole family,” he says.

Those buyers may not have relatives who have previously navigated the process and can help explain the paperwork, legal obligations and other complexities of a real estate transaction.

Isbister says the association wants Indigenous buyers to know there are professionals who understand both the real estate system and the circumstances they may be navigating.

“We just want people to know that they do have somebody in their corner who understands that,” he says.

The organization also intends to provide education for non-Indigenous real estate professionals, particularly on issues involving Indigenous land ownership and development.

 

Understanding reserve land and property ownership

 

One area where Isbister sees a particular need for education is the distinction between fee simple ownership and reserve land.

Unlike most privately owned property, reserve land is subject to a different legal framework, which can affect how property is leased, developed or transferred.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions on both sides, like the, the fee simple land compared to reserve land,” he says.

He points to the federal additions-to-reserve process, through which land acquired by a First Nation can be added to its reserve land base.

The process can be lengthy, and Isbister says converting land to reserve status isn’t necessarily the best option in every circumstance.

For example, a First Nation purchasing commercial property may prefer to retain fee simple ownership to preserve the option of selling it later.

He also sees opportunities for Indigenous real estate professionals in different provinces to learn from one another.

Isbister points to reserve land leasing and development in British Columbia, including around Kamloops, as an example of practices that could be examined by professionals and communities elsewhere.

“So that’s why we’re wanting to get this association together so we can talk to those BC folks,” he says.

He believes a national network could help Indigenous professionals better understand how different communities approach land ownership, leasing and development, and share that knowledge with clients.

 

What’s next for the association?

 

The IAR has outlined a three-year plan that begins with establishing its governance structure, recruiting members and building relationships with governments and industry organizations.

Its first-year objectives include developing a code of ethics and reconciliation policy, establishing an Elders and Knowledge Keepers Council and introducing an Indigenous real estate professional designation.

In its second year, the association hopes to expand membership, deliver education and certification programs and establish an ombudsman committee to provide culturally informed guidance on real estate matters involving Indigenous people.

Longer-term plans include publishing a best practices framework, increasing Indigenous representation in regulatory and policy discussions and hosting a national summit for Indigenous Realtors.

Isbister also connects the association’s work to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action 92, which calls on Canada’s corporate sector to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a reconciliation framework and provide education on Indigenous history and rights.

He says the association hopes to support more meaningful engagement between the real estate industry and Indigenous communities.

For now, however, the immediate priority is much simpler: finding the Indigenous professionals already working in the industry and bringing them together.

“There’s definitely strength in numbers, and then it will be reaching out to individual communities.”