RECOrd YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE! RECO S 2014 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS. home smart. Registrant survey predicts big changes for the profession

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1 F O R T H E RECOrd PUBLISHED BY THE REAL ESTATE COUNCIL OF ONTARIO FOR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS SPRING 2014 YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE! RECO S 2014 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS Former Chairs explain why voting matters Registrant survey predicts big changes for the profession Digital campaign shows buyers and sellers how to be home smart

2 VOTING MATTERS! FORMER CHAIRS EXPLAIN WHY REGISTRANTS SHOULD VOTE Every year, registrants have a chance to guide the future of the real estate profession by electing Directors. RECO spoke to three former Chairs to ask them about their experience on the Board and why they think voting is important. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR? I saw that RECO was not a real estate organization, but a consumer protection organization. I thought it was important to have representation for the real estate community. TOM BOSLEY REGION 1 Director Chair Member of RECO s first Board WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VOTE IN RECO S ELECTION? Directors have a say in where the industry is going. You look at our ethics, you look at our rules and regulations, the things that real estate professionals deal with every day, they re governed by RECO. If you don t take an interest, you ve got a problem. The decisions made by RECO s Board affect every real estate professional and every consumer in the province. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO BROKERS AND SALESPEOPLE WHO DON T VOTE? It s indicative of a great deal of apathy. There are over 60,000 members. People can t even take the time to sit at their computer for two minutes to make a decision and I think it s very sad. If you don t bother to vote, you don t get a say. It s important that people get involved in the process. 2 SPRING 2014

3 ROSE LEROUX REGION 2 Director Chair Member of RECO s first Board WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR? We had a clean slate. We had been lobbying the government for 30 years to get some say in what was going on in the real estate business. There was no discipline process, no remedy for consumers, no consumer protection at all. All of us on the inaugural board wanted to put things in place for consumers and registrants like the insurance program. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VOTE IN RECO S ELECTION? I think that if there were a sufficient number of people interested in participating and interested in advancing the business then the government would pay more attention to us. There are nine registrants on the board and we lobbied hard for that. Those registrants can bring forward the aspirations and sentiments of the registrants in their area. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO BROKERS AND SALESPEOPLE WHO DON T VOTE? Don t they want a say in where the business is going? They complain a lot when things aren t going their way, but if you complain and you don t give back and participate, then you don t have a right to complain. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SERVE AS A DIRECTOR? I had a concern that with a new regulatory organization, small brokerages and small communities might be overlooked if they didn t have proper representation. That s why I wanted to be a member. We had a great board and I always felt that we were listened to and the interests of smaller communities were paid attention to. TERRY LANDON REGION 3 Director , Chair Member of RECO s first Board WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VOTE IN RECO S ELECTION? The role of a Director is to ensure the continuity of a fair and safe marketplace and an environment where brokerages can operate their businesses properly. If we don t pay attention to who s sitting at the table, RECO s Board might lose its effectiveness and credibility. RECO s Board ultimately has quite a bit of power. If you put the wrong people in, the wrong message is going to get out. Become aware of who the best candidates are and make the effort. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO BROKERS AND SALESPEOPLE WHO DON T VOTE? We ve been lucky that the vast majority of Directors have gone in with the right motives. If you don t make yourself aware and you don t vote you get what you deserve, and sometimes that might not be the right people. 3 SPRING 2014

4 YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE! RECO S 2014 ELECTION OF DIRECTORS Voting in RECO s Election of Directors is your opportunity to have your say in RECO s leadership. Voting is now open and will remain open until Monday, May 5 at 4:30 p.m. Voting instructions were sent via in early April by Computershare, the company responsible for the election process. Instructions included a unique voter control number, necessary to complete the voting process, and a website link to login and vote. Voting is being conducted online only. LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES VIDEOS For the first time, candidates were invited to submit a video with their nomination to introduce themselves to voters and explain why they should be elected. Visit RECO s website and check out the videos in the About RECO section. BIOGRAPHIES You can also learn about the candidates running for election this year in the biographies section of this newsletter. The content contained in the candidate profiles was supplied by each nominee. Don t forget to vote! For questions related to the voting process or if you have misplaced your unique voter control number, please contact: Computershare Be sure to mention that you are a voter in the Real Estate Council of Ontario election. For more information about the 2014 Election, visit 4 SPRING 2014

5 2014 Election of Directors HERE ARE YOUR CANDIDATES Below are profiles of each of the candidates running in the 2014 Election of Directors. The content contained in the candidate profiles was supplied by each candidate. Region 1 - Central Ontario STANLEY L. ALBERT, Broker stanalb@rogers.com Re/Max Crossroads Realty Inc., Brokerage Years Registered: 43 - Member of TREB since 1979 to present - Committee member of: Education, Ethics, Ethics Awareness; Government Relations, Ethics Appeals from Chair of Ethics Taskforce Served on RECO Tribunal Contributor to REM from (present) with over 145 articles including topics on: Ethics, Education, Commissions, SPIS, Q&A interviews, etc. - Accredited Buyer Agent; Accredited Senior Agent (assisting in initiating course) - Broker since 1974; Broker/Owner Trainer with W. Frank Realty Broker/Manager and Executive V.P. with Safeguard Real Estate Served on OREA Task Force Form Committee 2013; and - Contributed to OREA Survey of Needs Registered trainer Buffini Co.; Succeed Training Programs 5 SPRING 2014

6 Region 1 - Central Ontario continued KEVIN CRIGGER, Broker kevin@kevincrigger.com Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage Years Registered: 3 As an experienced entrepreneur I have been self-employed for most of my career and have been fortunate to have had diverse experience working within a number of industries. Prior to entering the real estate profession I was the principal of a successful consulting practice for nearly ten years, working with clients in the very competitive luxury market throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Having always had a passion and great interest in real estate, I made a major career change and completed my licensing courses in 2010 and have since completed my Broker s designation in Since becoming a registrant, I have been a full time Realtor with Royal LePage R.E.S. Ltd., Johnston & Daniel Division, Brokerage. Real Estate is an amazing profession with virtually limitless opportunities for financial success, personal and professional development, and is a unique outlet for entrepreneurs looking to build a business specific to their personal goals and objectives. Acting as professional advisors in some of the single largest financial transactions our clients will ever complete, and guiding them through the process of buying and selling their homes, we also have a great level of responsibility. As the landscape of our society continues to change, we need progressive leadership who will enact change within our profession to ensure its continued strength and reputation long term. With technological advancements, changing government regulations, and unparalleled consumer access to information, our roles as registrants are quickly changing as well. Consumers have heightened expectations and are better informed than ever before. Real estate is, and always has been, a destination for individuals attracted by the potential for financial gain, but we must ensure that all our colleagues have the necessary education, training, and experience to provide consumers with the highest level of competent, qualified, and informed service possible. To continue increasing professionalism, it is necessary to enact changes to our current licensing education requirements, to create a clearly outlined professional development program for new registrants with participation from Brokers of Record and to develop relevant continuing education content which addresses present day concerns and allows us as registrants to better serve our clients. BRANDEN KAMEKA, Broker brandenkameka@gmail.com The Realty Shop Inc., Brokerage Years Registered: 5 Broker/Co-Founder/Co-Owner of The Realty Shop Inc., Brokerage Present Sales Associate for Medallion Developments 2014 Chair of The Young Professionals Network for the Mississauga Real Estate Board 2014 Membership Committee for the Mississauga Real Estate Board 2013/2014 Volunteer at the Ontario Real Estate Association for The Young Professionals Network. In my five years of experience as a realtor in Ontario, I have discovered that professionalism is critical in real estate. It is my belief that a set of standards needs to be continuously developed to hold realtors accountable. As a region one director, my focus will be on balancing the role of the realtor and the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) regulations. RECO regulates activity in the public s interest, and it is in the best interest of the public to hire a realtor, as the realtor brings their unique knowledge and skill set to the real estate transaction. As your RECO region one director, I will help advocate for the role of a realtor, and work to streamline a sense of professionalism in the industry with a goal to assist realtors to work together in an efficient manner. Emphasis must be placed in bridging the gap of expertise between experienced realtors and those new to the industry. This can be accomplished by means of enhancing communication and setting up programs for networking opportunities. Furthermore, as times are changing, new technologies are becoming readily available for realtors to enhance their efficiency and productivity which work to benefit themselves and their clients. As a region one director, I plan on empowering realtors to advance their technological skills to propel the industry in remaining current and an asset to public interest. 6 SPRING 2014

7 Region 1 - Central Ontario continued RICHARD (RICK) KEDZIOR, Broker rick@rickkedzior.com Re/Max Aboutowne Realty Corp., Brokerage Years Registered: 20 I have a broad range of experience serving Not for Profit Boards. I have served as President of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce (O.C.C.) and The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB). I have served as a Board Member for the following: The Ontario Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Real Estate Association (O.R.E.A.) Provincial Director, Central Ontario. The Halton Lung Association, The Hamilton and District Touch Football Association. I have been a member or Chairperson of the following task forces and committees: TREB MLS provider task force, TREB REBBA 2002 task force, OMDREB Executive, MLS provider Task Force, Finance, MLS, Arbitration & Discipline, Nominations, Government Relations, O.C.C. Executive, Business awards selection committee, Strategic planning, Finance, Nominations, Government Relations, OREA Government Relations. Prior to the establishment of RECO the public perception of objectivity with individual Real Estate Boards handling of complaints and enforcement was lacking. That perception contributed to the public s lack of confidence in the professionalism and ethical behavior of our industry. Since its inception in 1997 I believe that RECO has done an excellent job in protecting the interests of the consumer along with increasing Realtor professionalism. Having said that there is always room for improvement and I would like to see a more proactive approach along with punishment that fits the crime. In some instances I find the penalties too harsh for honest mistakes. As a Director I will strive to promote an equitable balance of enforcement penalties while maintaining the current level of excellence that RECO has established. I believe that my volunteer contributions along with my 20 years of experience as a full time practicing Real Estate Broker and my 20 years experience in Retail Finance will lend itself to a well rounded representative on the RECO Board of Directors. HARJIT SINGH KHALSA, Broker harjit@khalsa.com Homelife Superstars Real Estate Limited, Brokerage Years Registered: 12 - I have been selling Residential and Commercial Real Estate since I have more than 25 years experience in Information Technology, Administration and Public Relations. - I have been actively involved in many social and charitable organizations. - Completed OREA s Leadership 100 On the Path to Leadership. 7 SPRING 2014

8 Region 1 - Central Ontario continued ROBERT SOPRONEY, Salesperson rsoproney@trebnet.com Re/Max Realty Enterprises Inc., Brokerage Years Registered: 39 Member of RECO s Discipline and Appeals Committee (Since 2000) TREB Hearing Panel (10 years) MREB Investigation/Hearing Panel ( ) City of Mississauga Public Advisory Committee 3 Terms (9 Years), last term as Vice-Chair. WHEN ELECTED, EXPECT DUTIES TO BE CARRIED OUT IN A PRECISE, CONSCIENTIOUS MANNER. NO DISAPPOINTMENTS! A VOTE FOR ROBERT SOPRONEY INSURES A VOICE IN RECO FOR YOU! MREB Director 1998/99 MREB Chairman of Operations/Social Committee Chair/Member of Nomination Committee/Web Design Committee BRIAN TORRY, Broker btorry@bosleyrealestate.com Bosley Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage Years Registered: 15 As your Director my focus will be; 1) To improve RECO s value and service to its paying membership. 2) To keep our dues and fees as low as possible while maintaining strong service levels. 3) To promote the use of real estate professionals in real estate transactions. My 11 years in real estate sales and 5 years managing a 60 agent real estate office keeps me keenly aware of both consumer and Realtor needs in the Marketplace and the legislation that governs our industry. My expertise also includes knowledge of strategic planning at both the participant and facilitator level in real estate, corporate and not for profit business. Committee and Volunteer Work Vice Chair Professional Standards, Toronto Real Estate Board ( ) Vice Chair Arbitration, Toronto Real Estate Board ( ) Arbitrator and Mediator, Toronto Real Estate Board ( ) Arbitration and Professional Standards Steering Committee, Toronto Real Estate Board (2014) Government Relations Committee, Toronto Real Estate Board ( ) Board Experience Member of the Board, Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust (2014) Treasurer, President, My School Co-operative Nursery School ( , ) Chair, Roncesvalles-Macdonell Residents Association ( ) Member of the Board, Roncesvalles-Macdonell Residents Association ( ) 8 SPRING 2014

9 Region 1 - Central Ontario continued AKBAR ZAREH, Broker akbar@rogers.com Kingsway Real Estate Inc., Brokerage Years Registered: 25 PLATFORM 1. Continue to pursue provincial legislation changes that will allow real estate salespeople to incorporate their businesses for tax-savings benefits. 2. Promote and implement a new and improved RECO Identification Card that will incorporate the registrant s photograph and signature to replace the current paper license. 3. Establish and promote a system to address phantom offers using registered buyer representation agreements. Platform details can be found at EXPERIENCE - 25 year member of the Toronto Real Estate Board - 15 year Broker of Record for Re/Max and Kingsway Real Estate - TREB Condo Committee ( ) - TREB Condo Task Force ( ) - TREB Government Relations Committee - MREB Board of Directors ( ) - BREB Arbitration Committee ( ) - BREB Board of Directors ( ) - Member of various other committees and task forces. Region 2 - Western and Southern Ontario In accordance with Section 7 of RECO By-Law No. 9 - Acclamation, Tom Wright, President/CEO of RECO, declares Rebecca Ryder, Broker, Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage elected as a Director in Region 2. REBECCA RYDER, Broker rebecca@royallepgage.ca Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage Years Registered: 29 9 SPRING 2014

10 Region 3 - Eastern, Northeastern & Northern Ontario STEVE BOXMA, Broker steveboxma@royallepage.ca Royal LePage Team Realty Inc., Brokerage Years Registered: 10 Please vote for Steve Boxma so that he can be your representative at RECO. Steve has been a member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board since 2004, and has been a registered Broker since He is very active in his Brokerage s charitable foundation. Steve resides on the southern edge of Ottawa, in the Village of Manotick with his wife and 2 daughters. School s Alpine Ski Team. He is a volunteer at the Manotick Art Association s annual Art Show, is involved with his branch s Community Relations Committee, and has been a long time participant in recreational hockey and baseball leagues in Manotick. Prior to joining the Ottawa Real Estate Board, Steve worked with his father operating a Canada Customs bonded warehouse, and sat on the Board of the Canadian Highway Sufferance Warehouse Association. Steve would be happy to discuss his background and experience and you are welcome to contact him at Steve believes that having a strong sense of community makes for a better place to live and has volunteered his time on the Manotick Public School s Parent s Council, as well as coaching South Carleton High SUE TALLEN, Broker sue@suetallen.com Royal LePage ProAlliance Realty Corporation, Brokerage Years Registered: 29 I was licensed as a salesperson in 1985 and obtained by broker s license in Throughout my career I have been actively involved in organized real estate. Some of the highlights include being an OREA Director representing Eastern Ontario 2007 and 2008, having been President of the Kingston and Area Real Estate Association in 2004 and When elected I will bring a common sense approach to solving challenges we face in our industry and will be a strong advocate for change if required. I envision a RECO that promotes the highest levels of skill and professionalism from its members. I have a passion for our business and my objective is to represent our Real Estate industry on the RECO Board of Directors. I would welcome your comments and would invite you to contact me. I am currently a member of the Insurance Committee at RECO and am Chairperson of the Political Affairs Committee at the Kingston Area Real Estate Association. In 2013, I was a member of the Finance Committee and the Arbitration Committee at the Ontario Real Estate Association. 10 SPRING 2014

11 Region 3 - Eastern, Northeastern & Northern Ontario continued GEORGE WILLIAM WATSON, Broker george10902@sympatico.ca Primecorp Commercial Realty Inc., Brokerage Years Registered: 41 Licensed since 1973 and a Real Estate Broker since Managed an independent brokerage in Wasaga Beach for 22 years. Owner & operator of a national franchise from 1995 to Broker of Record. Sold business in Formed new brokerage in 2010 in conjunction with a national builder and developer as their real estate division. This company continues to flourish. My focus on commercial and development lands offered me the opportunity to join Primecorp Commercial Realty Brokerage in I am an Appraiser with the Canadian National Association of Real Estate Appraisers and a Mortgage Broker with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. I have served as President of the Georgian Triangle Board. I have served on OREA committees including the Commercial Council and Arbitration. At RECO I served for approx. 9 years on the Complaints, Compliance and Discipline Committee (CCD) and during my current term as a Director I have served on the Audit, Education, Legislation and Regulations and Finance Committees. I have been a Rotarian in Wasaga Beach for 27 years. I am a 3 term elected municipal politician and Chair the Community Services Committee and sit on the General Government Committee. I am a Director on the Housing Resource Centre for Homelessness, Member of the Regional Airport Committee and a member of the Small Business Enterprise Centre. 11 SPRING 2014

12 REGISTRANT SURVEY SHOWS PROFESSION POISED FOR BIG CHANGES Satisfaction levels with RECO services extremely high The face of Ontario s real estate profession will see big changes in the coming decade, with over half of current registrants predicted to leave the profession in the next ten years. That s a major finding from RECO s latest registrant survey, which discovered that 63% of registrants 55 and over plan to leave within 10 years, while the vast majority of those under 55 plan to remain registered for 11 years or more. At the same time, more young people will likely enter the profession over the course of the decade. Fortunately RECO is preparing for the transition by growing its social media presence while maintaining the use of important, traditional communications tools, such as newsletters. Almost 10,000 registrants completed the survey in late The survey also shows that registrants are satisfied with RECO s customer service, communications and consumer outreach efforts, while identifying priorities for improvement. The survey gave every broker and salesperson an opportunity to provide us with valuable feedback, says Glenda Brindle, Chair of RECO s Board of Directors. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. The registrant survey is conducted every two years. In 2015, the next survey will measure progress on these priorities and identify new areas for improvement. 12 SPRING 2014

13 Key survey results Registrants show strong satisfaction with MyWeb services: 92% of respondents said that 93% of respondents rated RECO s overall customer service RECO s consumer outreach meets or exceeds their efforts as important or very expectations. important. Of RECO s communication methods, registrants were most satisfied with For the RECOrd, Registrar s bulletins and e-blasts. 82% satisfied or very satisfied with updating information online. 85% satisfied or very satisfied with online registration renewal. Facebook is the most popular social media network, with over half of registrants using it at least weekly for business purposes. Facebook is the focus of RECO s new consumer outreach campaign. 89% satisfied or very satisfied with online insurance payment. Areas for RECO to focus Registrants who are aware of RECO s consumer materials find them useful, but between 31% and 47% of respondents were not familiar enough with the materials to make a rating. Increasing awareness of consumer materials will be a priority moving forward. 80 % Over 80% of respondents rated professionalism as a high or very high priority communication topic. RECO will continue to focus on promoting professionalism within the real estate sector. RECO asked registrants who did not vote in last year s Board of Directors election their reason for not voting. Almost half of respondents said they didn t know enough about the candidates. In response, RECO is introducing candidate videos. 13 SPRING 2014

14 Digital campaign shows buyers and sellers how to be home smart Registrar Joe Richer encourages registrants to get involved with RECO s digital campaign. Check out the video at YouTube.com/recohelps. RECO has launched new digital tools that encourage Ontarians to be home smart when buying or selling a home. Sharing these resources with your clients will give them peace of mind while explaining that a registered real estate professional is an important source of information and an objective ally during the buying or selling experience. Get involved by ing these tools to your clients or sharing them via your own social networks. The campaign also includes digital ads and media outreach that point to RECO s many helpful resources. RECO s new Facebook page ( features interactive tools that highlight some of the most common buying and selling mistakes, and how to avoid them. When they like the page, home buyers and sellers will receive daily real estate dos and don ts, infographics and buying and selling checklists. RECO s YouTube channel ( features a new video series that answers common home buyer and seller questions, such as what closing costs should I budget for, what should I do to have a safe open house and how do I know what s included with the sale of a home. RECO s Twitter feed ( features daily tidbits on home buying and selling. 14 SPRING 2014

15 MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR RECO S 17 TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Board of Directors is pleased to invite you to RECO s 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM), to be held on Thursday, June 19, 2014 at the Old Mill Inn in Toronto. The registration desk will open at 9 a.m. and the meeting will begin at 10 a.m. A light continental breakfast will be served during registration. After the formal portion of the AGM concludes, a Q&A session will take place. This is your opportunity to ask RECO s Board of Directors and management questions about programs, services and industry issues. Questions should be of general interest. Questions related to an individual, a specific situation or regulatory action against a specific registrant cannot be addressed at a public meeting. While RECO will make every effort to respond to a variety of questions, due to time constraints, it s possible that not all of the questions can be addressed at the meeting. Also, similar questions will not be repeated. Attendees will also have an opportunity to meet with RECO s Directors and management before and after the meeting. All members will receive the Notice of AGM and attached notices in early May. CAN T ATTEND IN PERSON? RECO s AGM will be available for real-time streaming. Simply visit on June 19 at 10 a.m. to connect to the feed. A recorded version will also be made available on RECO s website in the days following the AGM. If you have a question you would like brought forward, please submit it to AGM@reco.on.ca. Be sure to include your full name and the name of your brokerage. We hope you can join us. 15 SPRING 2014

16 CONTACTING EXPIRED LISTINGS Most real estate professionals are entrepreneurial by nature. So when another registrant s listing agreement expires with the property unsold, many registrants will have a natural inclination to take up the challenge themselves. While competition is a normal part of the industry, it s important to act professionally at all times and to ensure you aren t violating any rules if you intend to contact the seller of an expired listing. Before contacting the seller, confirm the following: The listing does not indicate that the seller does not want to be contacted upon expiry of the listing; and The seller s phone number is not on the National Do Not Call List ( For more information, visit Real Estate Council of Ontario 3300 Bloor Street West Suite 1200, West Tower Toronto, Ontario M8X 2X2 Tel: Toll-Free: Fax: Do you have any comments or inquires about For the RECOrd newsletter? Please send them to: communications@reco.on.ca PM # Disclaimer: While RECO makes every effort to ensure that the information in this publication is current and accurate, RECO does not warrant or guarantee that it will be free of errors. The information contained in this publication is not intended to cover all situations. It is general information only and users/readers are encouraged to seek their own independent advice for particular fact situations.