By Danny Kucharsky
Two Quebec real estate boards have decided to rejoin the CREA fold after quitting the national association at the beginning of the year.
The 178-member Chambre immobilière de la Mauricie, based in Trois-Rivières, and the 102-member Chambre immobilière de Saint-Hyacinthe rejoined CREA earlier this month after a four-month absence.
Lise Girardeau, general manager of the Mauricie board, says several of the issues that initially led the board to quit have now been addressed.
The board withdrew from CREA over concerns that Realtor.ca would be opened to For Sale by Owner properties, that there would be technology transfers of brokers’ contracts to outside companies and because membership dues have increased several times in recent years, Girardeau says.
As well, some clients asked brokers, “Where are our properties?” because they couldn’t find them on Realtor.ca. “Despite the fact there has been lots of advertising for Centris.ca (Quebec’s online listing service), it will take some time before the public knows Centris as well as it knows Realtor.ca or MLS.ca,” she says.
Girardeau says Quebecers will eventually be as familiar with Centris as they are with the MLS service, and that many people who don’t know Centris reach it through Google searches. But there are some people who go directly to MLS and don’t search for other sites.
“We have to let time do its work,” Girardeau says. She adds that “Centris is certainly better known today than it was a year ago and Realtor.ca didn’t always exist but is well known today.”
The Mauricie board has received assurances from CREA that For Sale by Owner properties will not be on Realtor.ca and that data will not be transmitted to outside companies.
As well, a dues credit to Quebec for advertising has helped reduce members’ individual dues by about 30 per cent.
At its last AGM, CREA approved a motion that Quebec members will continue to receive a dues credit for advertising for the next three years. The credit reflects the fact French-language TV and radio advertising promoting real estate in Quebec is no longer produced by CREA. It’s worth about $1.095 million in 2013.
All of these factors led members to decide to return to CREA, Girardeau says. “CREA is happy to see us back and we’re happy to be with them.”
Meanwhile, Pierre Tanguay, president of the Chambre immobilière de Saint-Hyacinthe, says the main reason his board decided to rejoin CREA is because the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board has maintained its CREA membership. Given the proximity of the Saint-Hyacinthe market to Montreal (about 50 km), not being a CREA member would be harmful to brokers. The Saint-Hyacinthe board felt the Montreal board would leave – which has not happened to date.
The Greater Montreal Real Estate Board says it will make its position known soon.
Last year, the Montreal board decided to remain part of CREA until the national association finalizes proposals for how it will operate in the years to come. That decision was made despite a vote in which a plurality of Montreal members opted to leave CREA.
Tanguay says the Saint-Hyacinthe board also left CREA initially because it felt it wasn’t getting enough services for the amount it paid and believed that Centris is doing a good job.
But the board rejoined CREA based on the assumption that CREA will accept recommendations made by the Quebec Federation of Real Estate Boards and the Montreal board on its future. These include an end to duplication of services and more à la carte services.
