(Left to right: Dan O’Brien, Rebecca Kopel, Jim Burton, Sam Narayan and Don Patterson).
Each month, REM shares brokerage expansions and conversions, leadership appointments and other key industry moves. Have an announcement to share? Email your news to [email protected] by the 26th of each month, and don’t forget to include a photo!
Leadership announcements
Winnipeg board names Dan O’Brien president
Incoming board president Dan O’Brien (courtesy: Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board).
The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board has named Dan O’Brien as its 2026-2027 president, as he steps into the role with more than a decade of experience with the board.
“I believe collaboration and strong relationships are at the heart of success in real estate,” O’Brien said, adding that his perspective has been shaped in part by his mother’s experience as an agent, broker and past-president of the Manitoba Real Estate Association.
O’Brien, an agent with Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate, has been active with the board since 2014, serving on committees including finance and audit, professional standards, MLS, governance and government relations.
He has also held leadership roles as chair of the finance and audit and investigative committees, and vice-chair of the investigative and member engagement committees.
Ontario Realtors Care Foundation names 2026 board
The Ontario Realtors Care Foundation has announced its 2026 board of directors, marking the start of a new leadership term focused on addressing housing and food insecurity across the province.
The board, made up of agents from across Ontario, will guide the foundation’s philanthropic efforts in the year ahead. Rebecca Kopel, broker at Royal LePage Signature Realty in Toronto, will serve as chair for 2026, working alongside chair-elect Vicki Sweeney of Royal LePage Frank Real Estate and the leadership team.
“My goal is to deepen the connection between our members and their foundation by increasing awareness, expanding reach and strengthening relationships across Ontario,” said Kopel.
Ontario Realtors Care Foundation 2026 board of directors (courtesy: Ontario Realtors Care Foundation).
The board will also focus on encouraging greater engagement among agents and real estate leaders in collective giving.
The 2026 board includes Anu Joshi-Mehendale, Sarah Hart, Lori Roberts, Kopel, Sweeney, Elyse Gallagher, Samreen Al-Taher, Paul Etherington, Ray Chan, Heather O’Neill, Jerry Krzywda and Robert Trembinski.
The foundation said the leadership group will play a key role in building more inclusive, resilient communities across Ontario.
Expansions and conversions
Remax launches commercial brokerage in Edmonton
A new commercial brokerage has been launched in Edmonton through the expansion of local franchise Remax Excellence.
Don Patterson and Sam Narayan (courtesy: Remax Canada).
The company announced the opening of Remax Commercial Excel, a dedicated commercial division co-owned by Don Patterson and Sam Narayan, who have led the brand’s top global commercial team for the past three years.
Remax said the move marks a milestone for its commercial operations in a fast-growing regional market and is intended to strengthen its national presence.
“Opening Remax Commercial Excel reflects the tremendous momentum Don and Sam’s team has built in commercial real estate across Canada,” said Don Kottick, president of Remax Canada.
The new brokerage will operate alongside Remax Excellence, which has 245 agents, with about 20 commercial specialists expected to transition to the new division.
Patterson will continue as broker for Remax Excellence, while Narayan will lead Remax Commercial Excel.
Milestones, awards and accolades
Record $25M Gander apartment sale sets Newfoundland benchmark
Jim Burton of Remax Infinity (sourced).
Remax Canada is reporting a $25-million multi-residential transaction in Gander, N.L., now the largest sale recorded on the province’s MLS system.
Jim Burton of Remax Infinity represented the seller in the deal involving 127, 129 and 131 Bennett Dr., a 169-unit purpose-built rental complex spanning three buildings on nine acres.
According to Remax, the sale sets a new pricing benchmark for Newfoundland and Labrador and reflects growing investor demand for stabilized multi-family assets outside major urban centres.
Remax said that while large-scale apartment transactions have traditionally been concentrated in major metropolitan markets, the Gander deal highlights increasing capital flow into regional Atlantic Canada. The brokerage noted that investors continue to target income-producing rental housing as a relatively stable asset class amid economic uncertainty and constrained housing supply.
At 169 units, the property is among the largest private apartment offerings in central Newfoundland. Remax said its scale, combined with Gander’s role as a transportation and service hub, positions it as a stable long-term investment in a supply-limited rental market.
Industry updates
University of Alberta launches online real estate development master’s
The University of Alberta’s Alberta School of Business is now accepting applications for the inaugural cohort of its new Master of Real Estate Development (MRED+), with classes set to begin in September 2026.
The university says the fully online, part-time program is designed to provide flexibility for working professionals seeking to advance their careers in the real estate sector.
According to the school, the program takes a multidisciplinary approach, linking real estate development to broader social, economic and environmental factors shaping communities.
The university says the degree is aimed at professionals interested in leadership roles within Canada’s real estate industry, combining industry-focused learning with academic training.
Events
Unpacking multiplexes coming to Vancouver
The Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast is bringing its Unpacking Multiplexes event to the Roundhouse Community Centre in Vancouver on Apr. 8.
Co-hosts Daniel Foch and Nick Hiil will lead discussions on how small-scale multi-unit housing — duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes — can help address Canada’s housing supply shortage as high-rise construction slows.
The event will cover zoning and regulatory frameworks, construction costs, financing strategies and the economic case for missing-middle housing, before continuing to Edmonton, Toronto and Montreal later in 2026.
The Roundhouse Community Centre is located at 181 Roundhouse Mews. Register here.
