The Electronic Commerce Amendment Act, 2012 was introduced in the Ontario Legislature May 17. If passed, the legislation would facilitate the use of electronic agreements of purchase and sale by extending the legal protections afforded by the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000. At present, the Act excludes electronic documents, including agreements of purchase and sale, that create and transfer interests in land. Click on the link to view the bill.

The legislation comes in the form of a private members bill co-sponsored by Progressive Conservative MPP Todd Smith (Prince Edward-Hastings) and Liberal MPP Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre).

As technology becomes more and more accessible, this legislation would save time and money for both RERALTORS® and consumers. Instead of a lengthy process of faxing, scanning and emailing documents, the REALTORS® and their clients would access agreements of purchase and sale through central portal.  The documents could be accessed from a desktop, through an internet connection or even a mobile device.

The technology supporting electronic agreements of purchase and sale is secure and is widely used in the banking, insurance and U.S. real estate industry.

See OREA’s press release here.

The Ontario market has picked up this April in comparison to the same time last year. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), there were 22, 908 homes sold in 2012, up 12.4 per cent from 20,381 units last year. The average home price grew by 7.7 per cent, from $369,315 in 2011 to $397,615 in 2012.

Growth in Ontario mirrors the national housing trends. On a year-to-year basis, there were 49,480 homes sold across Canada, up 11.4 percent from last year’s 44,370 units. In April 2011, sales slowed down temporarily due to a change in mortgage landing rules, including the elimination of a 35-year amortization period, which came in effect in March 2011. The national average price for homes sold in April 2012 was $375,810, up 0.9 per cent from the same month last year. Average sale prices were up on a year-over-year basis in 80 per cent of all local markets in April. Follow the link to view CREA’s full release.

On April 16th and May 8th the OREA Young Professionals Network held the first two of their 6 area events across Ontario by hosting round table discussions and a networking event in both Hamilton and Orillia.

Topics covered at the events included Working by Referral, social media strategies for REALTORS®, your voice at Queen’s Park, the future of organized real estate, mobile options for REALTORS® and lessons from a top producer.

 The events were very well attended and feedback was positive. Members in attendance ranged in experience in the industry from one day to 40 years.  New and young REALTORS® benefitted from the experience and knowledge brought to the table from our experienced members and our mature members benefitted from the innovation and new outlook on the industry from our newer members.

A few questions that were posed prior and during to the events were:

• What is this?
• Why would I want to be part of this?
• Who can join? 

So here are some brief answers to help clarify these questions.

WHAT IS THIS?

OREA Young Professionals Network is a group of professionals who network together and work together to educate our new/young members through our experienced mentors and encourage volunteerism in organized real estate.

WHY WOULD I WANT TO BE PART OF THIS?

It is a great way for members to network and take advantage of the opportunity to build their referral base.

It’s also a great way to learn what is happening in organized real estate and what technology and innovation is helping grow other member’s business.

Did you know that 42% of OREA’s membership is over 55? And only 15% of our members are under 40? In the next 10 years, 42% of the membership will be gearing up for retirement. Getting involved now will help OREA build our future in organized real estate. This is a great introduction for our next generation of leaders.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

There is no cost to be part of the YPN. And to date, no cost to attend our networking events.

Simply like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OREAYPN and fill out our email registration form to be added to our mailing list and be the first to learn of news or upcoming events.

You can also join the conversation on twitter using the hash tag #OREAYPN. And if you have any further questions or want more information you can email us at YPN@OREA.com.

WHO CAN JOIN?

Anyone can join. Whether you are young in the business, young in age, young at heart or would want to take a mentoring role within the group, OREA YPN is for you!

 START YOUR OWN LOCAL YPN!

OREA YPN offers support and guidance to local boards and associations in setting up their own YPN.

On May 10 I attended the Kitchener-Waterloo REALTOR® XPO on behalf of OREA YPN and I was able to meet many young professionals who are very excited about this group.

I also met a dynamic group of REALTORS® who have taken the initiative to start their own YPN. Led by our own YPN committee member, Brian Santos, KWAR is launching their local chapter at the end of the month. Congratulations to Brian and the KWAR group for this accomplishment.

If you or your board or association would like more information on starting your own chapter or would like us to attend you meetings or events to talk about YPN with your members, please email us at YPN@OREA.com.

Stay tuned to our Facebook page for upcoming events and news! We look forward to seeing many of you as we travel across the province throughout 2012.

Written by Amie Ferris, YPN Committee Chair and guest blogger

The Ontario Real Estate Association has been awarded a prestigious national designation for outstanding environmental efforts.

The association has achieved LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification at its building in Don Mills. This marks the culmination of more than five years of efforts to enhance the physical space through various environment-friendly initiatives.

“We are incredibly proud of our LEED status. It’s the result of a tremendous amount of hard work by many people, and we’re not stopping here. We plan to continue with green initiatives and steward our environment to make our members proud and set an example for others to follow.” 

An international benchmark, LEED is a third-party certification administered by the Canada Green Building Council. With this status, OREA joins an elite group, since only 241 buildings in the province have earned certification from the council to date. 

Efforts to “green” the building began during a multi-year renovation and expansion project that began in 2006, starting with a review of OREA’s aging facilities, the association added 929 square metres (10,000 square feet) to its existing Toronto headquarters. A major study explored solutions, including relocation, renovation or expansion. The travel patterns of staff and students to and from OREA were examined and a decision was made to retain the existing site but to expand and renovate.  

Achieving LEED designation was complex and involved various parties: staff, the board of directors and a renovation task force comprised mainly of the association’s commercial members. The criteria are based on energy conservation and sustainability. The council examines human and environmental health related to sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

The human aspect is also vital.

“The people who walk through OREA’s doors – our members, more than 100 staff, and about 150 students a day – enjoy the benefits of a greener, healthier, and more comfortable building. We’re delighted with this news and hope that other associations and member firms will make similar efforts.”

Certification is based on points achieved in an independent review, and preparing the OREA submission was a long and arduous process, involving everything from the choice of cleaning products to the type of carpet installed.  Sustainable products were sought and tested during the expansion.  Finding tradespeople familiar with the newer, state-of-the-art products and equipment was another challenge.  

Despite the doubling of floor space after the building addition, electricity usage at OREA has remained stable. Automatic sensors turn off lights when the office is vacant, while sophisticated thermostats and heat pumps have cut natural gas consumption to one quarter of levels used before the addition. Total energy savings are about 50 per cent – a vast improvement. The indoor environment and air quality are far healthier due to materials such as recycled carpet free of the toxic fibres and chemicals found in many carpets.  

To qualify for LEED status, the association needed to earn points. We also made choices that didn’t win points but were good for people or the environment.  For example, all of OREA’s landscaping is self-sustaining and does not require watering after the first year.

Achieving LEED status provides a huge payback. It means energy savings, fewer sick days and benefits to everyone’s health and well-being. The greening process will continue.

To learn more about LEED, visit the Canada Green Building Council website at www.cagbc.ca.

Ontario residential activity in April is running stronger than predicted. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) reported 95,400 residential housing starts across Ontario’s urban centres, up from 85,000 units in March. A significant growth was noted in the areas outside of the GTA.

Ontario housing starts for April are running 30 per cent above the starts seen a year ago. The growth is mainly credited to the increase in multi-family home construction with a more moderate increase in detached construction. 

Nationally, a booming condominium market pushed  housing starts to 244,900 units in April, which is 40,000 units over what economists expected. Most of the gains are coming from the multiple-unit construction. See CMHC’s press release here. 

For Philip Baron, real estate is about trading bricks and mortar, not just paper.

A recent graduate from the Schulich School of Business (York University), Philip is also the first recipient of the OREA scholarship established at Schulich. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to second-year, full-time MBA/IMBA students specializing in the Real Estate and Infrastructure Program who demonstrate academic excellence and extra-curricular involvement in the real estate program.

In addition to graduating from the MBA program (Finance), Philip also completed the Real Estate and Infrastructure Diploma.

“My grandfather was a developer and I’ve always been interested in real estate because of conversations at the dinner table,” says Philip. “Schulich is the only program in Canada that offers this specialization.”

Graduates from the program work in construction, real estate development, asset management, consulting, financial intuitions, pension funds, equity funds, and government organizations. Philip is interested in real estate development.

“Real estate development is visual and hands-on. The work I excel at is something that I can see and touch, and that’s what real estate development is about. You’re trading bricks and mortar, not just paper,” says Philip.

Philip is currently working for Infrastructure Ontario, a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province’s larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects. As a development analyst in the Land Development Unit, Philip works with various stakeholders to manage the Province’s real estate portfolio.

We congratulate Philip on his award and wish him the best in all future endeavours.

An OREA YPN chapter was recently formed in Kitchener-Waterloo. Inspired by the success happening at the provincial level, seven passionate KW REALTORS® undertook the initiative to create a local YPN. 

 The idea of REALTORS® helping REALTORS® is a refreshing idea. 

 The opportunity to connect and speak with peers of a similar age and experience is very valuable. The group is just getting started, but is quickly gaining momentum.  

The YPN continues to be busy. They will be at REALTOR® XPO 3.0, in Kitchener on Thursday May 10th 2012. The one day event will have 65 exhibitors, a great lineup of speakers and Continuing Education Courses, including one on social media. The tradeshow is an opportunity to find out about products, technology and information relevant to our business.  For more information or to sign up check out: http://www.kwar.ca/XPO/

Later this month the “KWAR YPN’ will host their first Networking Event. It will take place on May 23^rd from 4-6pm in Downtown Kitchener at McCabe’s Irish Pub & Grill. Come join us! Please RSVP to ypn@kwar.ca

Want to Join the OREA YPN?

Sign up for our mailing list and like the OREA YPN Facebook Page.

Written by Brian Santos, YPN Committee Member and guest blogger

REALTOR® Quest – TREB’s annual conference, AGM  and tradeshow took place on May 2nd and 3rd.

It was a successful event as always. OREA along with the OREA Real Estate College, and OREA Centre for Leadership Development were there providing relevant information to members regarding dues, education and leadership courses.

OREA President - Ron Abraham selects a winner (Win Your Dues Draw)

With over a hundred exhibitors, thousands of REALTORS® attended, and came out to participate in various events. Learning Quest showcased different topics such as Communication and Technology. Centre Stage was alive with yoga demos from Trish Stratus’s team Stratusphere and healthy lifestyle information from the BodyBreak’s Team.

Across the way was the REALTORS Care Foundation. They were promoting the Motorcycle Ride for Charity taking place July 4th. In case you missed it you can find out more information on their website www.realtorscareontario.ca.

Not only was it was a fun event but it also provided a great opportunity for REALTORS® to network and to receive pertinent and knowledgeable information about their industry.

We can’t wait to see you again next year!

As of April 30, 2012, REALTORS® wishing to transfer brokerages are able to do so much faster.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario’s (RECO) online transfers and terminations initiative allows brokers of record and branch managers to process transfers and terminations online instead of filling out and submitting a paper application. The broker of record or branch manager can complete the transfer or termination through RECO’s MyWeb tool. For the full list of items required for the transfer and termination follow this link.

Under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002, registrants cannot trade in real estate until their application for transfer is completed. Transferring employees can start working on behalf of the new brokerage immediately after the completion of the online transfer as long as the information provided is accurate and complete.

October 2011 participants "Building Leadership through Communication"

Congratulations to Barb Whitney, 2012 President of London St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® on her great presentation skills ( click the link to watch Barb)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hxt79gHipc&feature=youtu.be

In 2011 Barb attended “Building Leadership through Communication” an intensive 2 ½ days of training for volunteer leaders that focuses on:

• Structuring powerful messages
• Prepare for a radio, television, print of telephone interview
• Deliver messages with confidence
• Deliver presentations with effective eye contact, body language and voice control
• Control nervousness

The leadership courses are developed by the OREA Centre for Leadership Development  and are designed to start with the recruiting of qualified and motivated leaders – the cycle takes that new leader from their first introduction to organized real estate, through five phases from committee membership at a local association all the way to national leadership.

OCLD:    Well done Barb – your presentation skills are excellent. Hopefully you gained some of those skills through the intensive training “Building Leadership through Communication” ….. Congratulations from all of us at the OREA Centre for Leadership Development… you make us proud

Barb:      Thanks so much it was my first one and I am glad you like it and YES my training by OREA really did help could not have done it without the guidance I received from that amazing course “Building Leadership through Communication” is a highly recommended course ……Thanks OREA