Arbitration, Discipline and Professional Standards Committees
There were no Arbitration or Discipline hearings during the first quarter. The Professional Standards Committee reviewed three new complaints: one was deemed to fall under RECO’s jurisdiction and two are being investigated
by RAHB.
Contact: Wilf Wallace, Don Inglehart and Ann Cosens
Communications/GR Committee
The Communications and Government Relations Committee were amalgamated for 2013. At their first meeting, the committee agreed that a letter be sent to Hamilton City Council to request the Council initiate a cost-benefit analysis of the development of two-way streets. The committee will continue to monitor discussions and/or development of Light Rail Transit, open data and rental housing solutions.
Contact: Donna Bacher
Membership Area Representation Committee (MARC)
MARC approached 2013 with a renewed focus on serving all members from all communities within RAHB’s jurisdiction. The committee was active in raising this awareness in the Member Services area at REALTOR® CONNECTIONS 2013.
Following the success of last year’s Town Hall meetings, the next series of Town Hall meetings have been set for April, and the details can be found in this issue of REALinfo.
MARC has supported Hamilton and Burlington Chamber of Commerce events by way of event sponsorship, and continues to review other sponsorship opportunities.
Contact: Tom Peddle
MLS®
Additional Type of Dwelling Picks
Three new picks were added to the residential/condominium listing form: Duplex, Triplex and Fourplex. If you are multi-marketing your multi-unit property on a residential listing form, these additional picks will allow you to have your listing appear on REALTOR.ca. (Previously the listing would be taken on a multi-residential form only and appear only on ICX.ca.)
Feature Sheet
The MLS® Committee is currently reviewing the option “Alternate Feature Sheet”, and the policies which apply to linking options for members’/brokers’ with respect to displaying feature sheets from members/brokers own websites.
MLS® Policies
The MLS® Committee is currently reviewing the MLS® Policies.
Single Sign On (SSO) Portal
Single Sign On (SSO) Portal is an instrumental tool which allows members to access all of their real estate applications in one place, including their own personal applications.
Milton Area
With the recent growth in Georgetown, Milton and Halton Hills, the MLS® Committee is reviewing the current areas and sub areas for the Milton area.
Fusion Training Implementation
Training in Fusion commenced April 1 and will continue until final cutover July 8, 2013.
New MLS® Policy
The Board of Directors approved a new MLS® policy with regard to Interboarded listings (see MLS® In Brief for the full policy).
Contact: Sean Morrison
Professional Development
The Professional Development Committee offered 11 MCE sessions during the first quarter, including two new topics: Fraud Prevention and Family Law, Estate and Succession Planning. Two new sessions were held at REALTOR® CONNECTIONS AGM, Conference and Trade Show held on Wednesday, March 27, 2013: Connecting With the On-line Consumer and How Not to be a Social Media Car Wreck.
The following sessions will be held in the next quarter (seven of which are new topics):
- Climate Change and the Green Energy Act*
- Commission Agreements – Making Sure You Always Get Paid*
- Open House Safety and Client Protection.*
- Social Media Strategy and Integration: Creating the Plan, Engaging Your Clients*
- LinkedIn: A Powerful Networking Tool*
- 25 Things You Need to Know: A Legal Perspective on the Real Estate Transaction
- Bookkeeping and Record Keeping for the Real Estate Professional
- Offer Presentations
- Writing Clauses to Show Representation
*new topic
Consult the Course Schedule (on REALTOR Link® or via link on Message of the Day) for full details.
In light of RECO’s recent announcement regarding changes to RECO credit course delivery, the Professional Development Committee is reviewing our current program to ensure we continue to provide programs that support your professional development. The changes mean RAHB will have more flexibility in the kinds of courses, workshops and seminars we can offer to members.
The Professional Development Committee will be hosting an Education Week at RAHB during the week of September 30 – October 4, 2013; please watch for further details.
Contact: Jim Duschl
Regional Commercial Council (RCC)
The RCC has set a comprehensive work plan for 2013, with a focus on education, networking opportunities and effective member services for the commercial practitioner. Plans are well underway for the RCC’s premier event, the Commercial Summit. This event will be held on the morning of May 8 at the Royal Botanical Gardens. Full details and registration information can be found in this issue of Realinfo.
Contact: Chris Allen