RAHB’s Latest Updates
CREA WebForms® Issues – Update
PLEASE NOTE: This message is posted by RAHB on behalf of CREA. The comments are monitored by RAHB staff and if you have any feedback for CREA you can reach them at support@crea.ca or 1-888-237-7945
We have two new updates to inform you about CREA WEBForms®.
1) “Add page” function working
CREA WEBForms® experienced a technical issue last weekend with some of the new 2020 Ontario forms. When the “Add page” function was selected, the content of the form was removed when the form reloaded. This issue was resolved Monday, January 6, and content now remains when a new page is added to a form.
2) Old Ontario forms replaced
With the release of the new 2020 Ontario forms previous versions of those forms were removed from any existing templates that had been created. In the past, users would have had to manually replace any forms that have been updated and redo any content they had entered in the old version of those forms.
CREA is currently working through the revised list of forms and are automatically replacing them while retaining the previous content in your templates.
While CREA continues to prioritize forms by popularity and those requiring additional user-entered content (for example, Form 100), 20 of the most popular forms have been replaced.
CREA will continue to automatically replace the old versions of the forms within your templates over the next couple of weeks. If you find old versions of forms within your templates are no longer available when you create a transaction you can still manually add the new version of the form you require to your transaction.
Moving forward, anytime a new version of a form is released, that new version will automatically be replaced within a template and will retain any information the user had included in the previous version of the form.
CREA apologizes for the challenges this created over the last few days when working on contracts with your clients and other team members.
Thank you for your patience and ongoing support as CREA work through the growing pains of a new system. Please continue to let CREA know when you encounter challenges with the new CREA WEBForms®.
If you have any questions, CREA Member Support Team is here to help. You can reach them by email at support@crea.ca or by phone at 1-888-237-7945.
CREA WEBForms® Member Support extended hours:
Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (EST)
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST)
RAHB Releases 2019 Year-End Statistics: A Modest Sellers’ Market
The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) reported 12,866 sales of residential properties located within the RAHB market area were processed through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System in 2019. This is 10.1 per cent more sales than in 2018. The average price of a residential property in 2019 was $587,745. This is up 4.9 per cent from 2018, and 95.3 per cent higher from 10 years ago. New residential listings were down 4 per cent compared to the previous year.
Please click here for the full release.
Follow the links below for more 2019 year-end statistics:
- Residential Real Estate Market Activity Comparison Table for the Communities within the RAHB Market Area – 2019
- RAHB Residential Market At A Glance – Property Type Comparison – 2019
- Market Activity Map of RAHB Communities – 2019
- RAHB Commercial Market Activity Table – 2019
- RAHB Total Market Activity Table – 2019
- RAHB Residential Market Activity Graphs – Comparisons Over Last Decade
- RAHB Commercial Market Activity Graphs – Comparisons Over Last Decade
- RAHB Total Market Activity Graphs – Comparisons Over Last Decade
- Social Media Stats Pack – 2019
- Additional Social Media Graphics – 2019 *NEW*
- 1955 – 2019 Property Sales History Chart
| Burlington | Hamilton |
| Haldimand | Niagara North |
ICBL Land Use Study – January 14 Council Meeting
On January 14, RAHB representatives attended the Community Planning, Regulation and Mobility Committee Meeting where recommendations from the Interim Control By-Law (ICBL) land use study were presented to the Burlington City Council. .
Discussions about the recommendations will continue at a Special Council meeting on January 30 at 9:30 a.m., and a decision will be made on the staff recommendations that same day.
The Interim Control By-Law is still scheduled to be lifted on March 5. It was, not as of yet, extended another year.
The proposed recommendations fall into four categories:
- Policy Framework
- Functional Policies
- Land Use Policies (Urban Planning Areas)
- Definitions
Policy Framework
New policy language has been proposed that describes major transit station areas as a component of the City’s Urban Planning Area.
Functional Policies
Additional policy language will be added to:
- Include pedestrians and cyclists as active transportation
- Include the term “Major Transit Station Areas” (MTSA)
- Include the incorporation of transit-supportive development
- Include the role of transit in the overall urban form
- Include the importance of more compact forms of development along transit and transportation corridors to support complete communities
- Include subsections that strengthen the concept of transit-supportive developments in the Official Plan by recognizing the role of MTSA
Land Use Policies – Urban Planning Areas
Mixed Use Corridors – General
Additional policy language has been proposed to establish the role of the Region of Halton’s Municipal Comprehensive Review, which will delineate the major transit station area boundaries and identify minimum density targets.
Mixed Use Corridors – Commercial Corridors
Additional policy language has been proposed to remove reference to time-frame of development and acknowledge the redevelopment of the mixed-use commercial corridors.
Downtown Mixed-Use Centre
Minor policy edits to include a reference to the Regional Official Plan and update the reference to the Urban Growth Centre.
Role and Function of a Major Transit Station Area – Go Stations vs. John Street Bus Terminal
Include language to support transit-supportive development that corresponds to MTSA typology:
- Burlington and Appleby Go Stations – higher order transit units
- Aldershot Go Station – higher order, but not priority transit unit
- John Street Bus Terminal – not higher order or priority transit unit
It is anticipated that the majority of growth within the City’s four MTSAs will occur in the three MTSAs located along higher order transit routes and with planned frequent transit service by way of regional express rail (i.e., the city bus).
These proposed policies will help guide development applications by requiring that the highest density and tallest buildings be concentrated closest to the GO Stations.
Definitions
The following definitions have been proposed to be updated or added to the Official Plan in order to align with provincial plans and policies, such as A Place to Grow, 2019, and to assist in the interpretation of the proposed Official Plan policies:
- Active Transportation
- Compact Built Form
- Complete Communities
- Complete Street
- Frequent Transit
- Higher Order Transit
- Major Transit Station Area
- Major Trip Generator
- Mid-rise Building
- Multi-Modal
- Public Service Facilities
- Tall Building Transit-Supportive or Transit-Supportive Land Use
- Urban Design Brief
Professionalism Reminder
Below is a friendly reminder to all RAHB members to properly identify yourself when in contact with other REALTORS®. This is beneficial for you, the REALTOR® you are attempting to contact, and your clients.
When calling other REALTORS®, please be sure to introduce yourself using your first and last name, identify that you are a REALTOR®, and provide your brokerage name.
When leaving a voicemail, please identify yourself as outlined above, as well as include your contact details.
When using e-mail, please follow the same process.
Thank you.
CREA WEBForms® Issue Resolved
We have two new updates to inform you about CREA WEBForms®.
1) “Add page” function working
CREA WEBForms® experienced a technical issue last weekend with some of the new 2020 Ontario forms. When the “Add page” function was selected, the content of the form was removed when the form reloaded. This issue was resolved Monday, January 6, and content now remains when a new page is added to a form.
2) Old Ontario forms replaced
With the release of the new 2020 Ontario forms previous versions of those forms were removed from any existing templates that had been created. In the past, users would have had to manually replace any forms that have been updated and redo any content they had entered in the old version of those forms.
We’re currently working through the revised list of forms and are automatically replacing them while retaining the previous content in your templates.
While we continue to prioritize forms by popularity and those requiring additional user-entered content (for example, Form 100), 20 of the most popular forms have been replaced.
We will continue to automatically replace the old versions of the forms within your templates over the next couple of weeks. If you find old versions of forms within your templates are no longer available when you create a transaction you can still manually add the new version of the form you require to your transaction.
Moving forward, anytime a new version of a form is released, that new version will automatically be replaced within a template and will retain any information the user had included in the previous version of the form.
We apologize for the challenges this created over the last few days when working on contracts with your clients and other team members.
Thank you for your patience and ongoing support as we work through the growing pains of a new system. Please continue to let us know when you encounter challenges with the new CREA WEBForms®.
If you have any questions, our Member Support Team is here to help. You can reach them by email at support@crea.ca or by phone at 1-888-237-7945.
CREA WEBForms® Member Support extended hours:
Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. (EST)
Saturday and Sunday: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST)
Notice of the 2020-2021 CREA Board of Directors Elections and Committees
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is seeking experienced and skilled REALTORS® to put their names forward as candidates for the 2020-2021 Board of Directors. As part of the application, you will have an opportunity to include any additional materials you would like displayed on REALTOR Link® to support your candidacy application (eg. letters of reference, resume, photo, etc.). The deadline for submissions is Friday, February 21, 2020.
POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
Director-at-Large:
There are three Director-at-Large positions available (each for a two-year term).
Regional Director:
There are four Regional Director positions available (each for a two-year term)–one from each of the following regions: Alberta/Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Ontario, and the Atlantic Region (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador).
QUALIFICATIONS OF DIRECTORS:
Persons wishing to be elected either as a Director-at-Large or a Regional Director must:
- Be a REALTOR® member;
- Have been a REALTOR® member for at least five (5) years;
- Have a minimum of three (3) years’ experience within the last ten (10) years sitting on a Board of Directors of a Canadian not-for-profit corporation or a public body;
- Otherwise not be disqualified by the Act;
- In the case of a Regional Director, be licensed in that region;
- If elected, must have completed leadership courses as set out in CREA policy within one year of being elected and
- Complete the candidacy documents in the form provided by CREA
The deadline for candidate submissions is Friday, February 21, 2020.
The Director-at-Large elections will take place at CREA’s Annual General Meeting in Ottawa on Tuesday, April 21, 2020. The Regional Director elections will take place prior to the CREA AGM at a time and place to be determined.
Click here to be a part of the future of real estate in Canada!
Looking for a New Year’s resolution? Apply to join a CREA committee
CREA is currently calling for applications from REALTORS® to serve as volunteers on our 11 board and operational committees, starting in the spring. These committees act as resources to our Board and CEO on important topics such as CREA’s governance and finances, our federal affairs initiatives, our national ad campaign and more.
2020 Assessed Values – Correction
A previous communication from GeoWarehouse® stated that 2020 property assessment values would be available in GeoWarehouse® in late January/early February. It has come to our attention that this is not correct. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) will be conducting property reassessments this summer and the new assessment values will be made available in GeoWarehouse® in 2021. As such, please continue to use the 2016 assessed value until the 2020 value is made available.
RAHB staff apologize for any confusion this may have caused. Should you have any questions, please contact the MLS® Help Desk at 905.667.4650 or e-mail support@rahb.ca.
RAHB has been notified by Teranet that the 2020 MPAC Assessment data is expected to be available in GeoWarehouse in late January/ early February. Until that time, please continue to use the 2016 Assessed Value on your listings. RAHB will provide all members an update once the 2020 MPAC Assessment data is updated and available.
Warning – Thefts at Open Houses
RAHB received two reports of thefts at open houses that took place this past Sunday, January 6, 2020. Both open houses took place on the Hamilton Mountain, and the possible suspects are a woman with two adult children.
We would like to remind members to be very diligent when hosting an open house — especially this time of year when many new items are within a home after the holidays.
If items are stolen from your open house, please notify police to ensure it is recorded. Please also notify RAHB so we can communicate with members, if appropriate.
If you hosted an open house this past weekend, please ensure items have not been stolen from the home of your clients. A possible follow-up with your clients is recommended to ensure this is the case.
Thank you to the members who notified us of these thefts.
Welcome New Members
We extend a warm welcome to RAHB’s newest members who joined our association between November 27 and December 31, 2019!
Ilan Friedner
Ambitious Realty Advisors Inc.
Jennifer Gellatly
Apex Results Realty Inc.
Melissa Vass Scott
Chase Realty Inc.
Fariba Sharifi
Davenport Realty
Paul Lio
EXP Realty of Canada Inc.
Ken Tigchelaar
Keller Williams Edge Realty
Racquel Chase
Jade Zavarella
Keller Williams Complete Realty
Lasan Thi Nguyen
Linda Davies Real Estate Ltd.
Jessica Gosse
Reba Paquette
Purplebricks
Alexandra Maurice
PureRealty
Chris Barreira
Melissa DeRuiter
Mary Isaac
Rob Morrow
RE/MAX Escarpment Realty
Jennifer Seager
RE/MAX Escarpment Woolcott Realty
Michael Lauff
RE/MAX Garden City Realty
Sunny Shah
RE/MAX Real Estate Centre Inc.
Marciel Kingston
Royal LePage Macro Realty
Stephanie Alexander-Jones
Carol Corazzola
Bob Julian
Alana Williams
Vivian Yeung
Suzanne Zmenak
Royal LePage Burloak Real Estate Services
Connor Keyes
StreetCity Realty Inc.
2019 RAHB Year in Review
As 2019 draws to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on what your Association has accomplished on your behalf this past year.
It’s been a very busy and successful year for RAHB and our members. We saw our membership increase to an all-time high. We currently serve over 3,250 REALTORS®, and it continues to climb. This is a reflection of the services we provide, and the business available in the RAHB market area.
RAHB members came out to our many events throughout the year. We started 2019 with our Annual Awards and Recognition Gala, where we honoured our long service members and our dedicated volunteers, as well as enjoyed the company of our fellow professionals.
This year we hosted the RCN Breakfast for our Commercial REALTORS® at the Scottish Rite, a Nine and Dine golf tournament at Heron Point Golf Links, as well as our Grimsby, Caledonia and Dunnville Open Forums. We also hosted Open Forums in Hamilton and Burlington, where we welcomed Mayor Marianne Meed Ward to provide an update on all things Burlington. Additionally, this fall we hosted ProDev Plus in Burlington, where we welcomed more than 200 REALTORS® and partners for a day of education, a boutique trade show and networking. It was wonderful to see so many engaged members at our events this year, having discussions that help further the goals of our Association.
In November we celebrated our 31st Annual Charity Auction at Michelangelo’s, where we welcomed over 400 REALTORS®, friends and partners, in support of the Children’s Fund. We are delighted to announce that the event raised $87,500.
Speaking of donations, through the Home Ownership Affordability Program, RAHB was pleased to donate over $30,000 to Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga, and over $70,000 to Habitat for Humanity Hamilton. Along with these donations, RAHB members had the opportunity to participate in several on-site builds for Habitat, and we look forward to continuing the relationship with these wonderful organizations.
We saw some change this year. In the spring we undertook a search for a new CEO, and began the process to select a new leader for the Association. We are very happy to have Carol Ann Burrell with us as our new CEO. We know she will lead the Association into the future, helping to empower RAHB REALTORS® to succeed.
This summer we extended our data-sharing agreement with ORTIS to ensure that our partnership will continue once ORTIS and the Ontario Collective officially join forces to provide MLS® to their member boards and associations. Our arrangement with ORTIS has worked well for our members over the last few years, and we are very pleased to see it will continue. Once ORTIS and the OC become one entity, our data-sharing agreement will be extended to the OC, ultimately providing RAHB members with uninterrupted access to region-wide data of 23 boards and associations for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, RAHB members now have access to the OC data through IntraMatrix.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank all RAHB members for your patience and support during our discussions with ORTIS. I am also grateful to ORTIS and the OC for continuing our partnership. This agreement reflects a well-established, industry-wide consensus on the importance of data-sharing. We will continue to investigate data sharing options that will benefit our members and your business.
Although my year as President is coming to a close, I am proud of the work we have done together. Thank you to my fellow Directors for your dedication this year – your contributions have been essential. I’d also like to thank Donna Bacher and Lou Piriano, who stepped in this year to fill two vacancies on the Board – your efforts are greatly appreciated. I would be remiss if I did not specifically thank Kathy Della-Nebbia for stepping into the role of President-Elect this year. I can assure you that the board will be in good hands next year.
Thanks also go to our amazing RAHB staff for another successful year advancing our Association and the profession, as well as supporting our own members. I’d like to specifically highlight Carolyn Infurnari and Kim Sanders, who acted as CEO while we were without one, and who worked diligently to ensure RAHB members did not experience any gaps in service during this time.
Last, and certainly not least, I want to thank all RAHB members for your involvement in our Association, and for putting your faith in me as President this year.
Please watch for more information about what your Board of Directors and Association accomplished for you in the 2019 Annual Report, coming your way in the first quarter of 2020.
I would like to wish each of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the Holiday Season. Happy New Year and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.
Bob Van de Vrande, B.Comm., M.B.A., B.Ed.
2019 RAHB President
REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington
My Listing was Sold by a REALTOR® who is not a RAHB Member – How do I Report This?
RAHB staff have been receiving requests from members on how to report their listing sold, when it is sold by a cooperating salesperson outside of RAHB. There are a few extra steps that need to be followed as outlined below:
- Enter the sale date, sale price and closing date, (with the exception of the cooperating representative information).
- In the Coop Representative 1 MLS® ID field, enter “NONMEM” (in capital letters). This will populate the cooperating representative fields with generic data as shown below. Click the “Refresh” link located directly below this field.
- Click on the “NONMEM Info” tab, which will allow you to enter the cooperating representative’s name and Brokerage as shown below. Only the cooperating representative’s name and Brokerage name are mandatory; however there are additional data fields you can complete if you wish as shown below:
Once these fields are completed, you may submit your listing.
These steps can also be found in RAHB’s MLS® Policies as follows:
Sales
- When broker loading any sales where the selling salesperson is a non-board broker, members will be required under Coop Representative 1 MLS® ID field to enter “NONMEM” and under the NONMEM Info tab enter the name of the Coop Representative and Brokerage name in the spaces provided.
Should you have any questions, please call the MLS® Help Desk at 905.667.4650 or support@rahb.ca
How to Enter an Open House for a Listing
To enter an open house for a listing in Matrix, follow the step-by-step instructions outlined below:
- From the “My Listings” widget on the home screen click on “My Active Listings”.
- Click the check box beside the appropriate listing to select it.
- Click the “Edit” button.
- Click the “Open Houses” link.
- You must enter the following mandatory details to schedule the open house.
- Date
- Start and end time
- Select whether it is a “Members only” or a “Public” open house. Public open houses are automatically uploaded to REALTOR.ca® and Openhouses.ca.
6. Click “More” to enter another open house. Be aware that if you are entering open houses for consecutive days (such as a weekend), you will need to enter two open houses
7. Click “Submit Listing”.
***Special Note***
If a scheduled open house date has passed and you wish to schedule another open house for the same address, you must delete the first scheduled open house first as shown below. Do not edit the date on the previous open house and submit, as your new open house date will not be updated.
Once the previous open house has been deleted, continue with steps #4 to #8.
Should you have any questions, please call the MLS® Help Desk at 905.667.4650 or support@rahb.ca.
RAHB REALTORS® Release December 2019 Market Statistics
The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) reported 585 sales of residential properties located within the RAHB market area were processed through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System in December 2019. This years December sales are up 3.9 per cent over December 2018; however, are down from both November and October of this year. The average price for residential properties increased by 7.6 per cent from December 2018 to $581,566.
Follow the links below for:
- Residential Market Activity for RAHB Area
- All RAHB Residential Market Activity and HPI Report (17 pages)
- RAHB Residential Market at a Glance
- Social Media Stats Kit
- Stats Map for Entire RAHB Area
- RAHB Commercial Activity
- Residential + Commercial Activity for RAHB Market Areas
- Historical Chart
Burlington
- Residential Real Estate Market Activity Table for Burlington
- Burlington Market Activity and HPI Report (72 pages)
- Burlington Area Map
Halidmand
- Residential Real Estate Market Activity Table for Haldimand
- Haldimand Market Activity and HPI Report (58 pages)
- Haldimand Area Map
Hamilton
- Residential Real Estate Market Activity Table for Hamilton
- Hamilton Market Activity and HPI Report (197 pages)
- Hamilton Area Map
Niagara North
- Residential Real Estate Market Activity Table for Niagara North
- Niagara North Market Activity and HPI Report (31 pages)
- Niagara North Area Map
WEBForms® 2019 – UPDATE
WEBForms® 2019
CREA has decided to keep WEBForms® Legacy open past January 2, 2020.
Dear RAHB members,
CREA has been provided feedback on WEBForms® 2019 regarding difficulty of use and glitches. CREA has decided to keep WEBForms® Legacy open past January 2, 2020, allowing members access to the Legacy transaction kits to migrate to the new system. We have not been given a deadline date.
As a full member of RAHB, if you wish to migrate any of your transaction kits from Legacy to WEBForms® 2019, please click the below button for directions on how to get started:
WEBForms® 2019 Migration Instructions
CREA WEBForms® 2019 Resources
If you have any questions or concerns, CREA is asking members to contact their Member Support Team at support@crea.ca or 1.800.842.2732.
The CREA WEBForms® 2019 Member Support Team has extended its hours and is now available from 8 a.m. to midnight (EST) on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST) on weekends.
Please find below an FAQ, which highlights some differences between CREA WEBForms® 2019 and CREA WEBForms® Legacy. This FAQ can also be found on the WEBForms® section on CREA’s REALTORLink® page.
The WEBForms® Training material on the Training Hub can be found here.
Below is a new video highlighting some of the features.
To further facilitate this transition, CREA has made a couple of adjustments to help members take the plunge:
- On December 4, 2019, CREA flipped the landing page experience for all users. That means, as of December 5, 2019, everyone who accesses WEBForms® will land in the new CREA WEBForms® 2019 environment. You will only be able to go back to the legacy version until the official cut-off on January 2, 2020.
- On December 16, 2019, WEBForms® Legacy switched to “Read Only Mode”. This means that members are still be able to access and edit existing transaction kits, download forms and migrate kits, but are no longer able to create new transaction kits in Legacy. Preventing new transaction kits from being created in a system that is two weeks away from going offline is a safeguard against a member creating a transaction kit one day and not having access to it the next.
- Finally, before the end of the year, CREA will be issuing a maintenance release for CREA WEBForms® 2019. This release will include the convenient “Dynamic Paging” feature, meaning members will no longer need to start with multi-page schedules or use the “add page” function; pages will be added automatically as needed.
Getting started is easy and often takes less than an hour. In fact, you can dip your toes with these videos outlining the basics in just five minutes.
- Migrating old transaction kits from the legacy version of WEBForms® to CREA WEBForms® 2019. (Note: your transactions will be editable, but forms will migrate over as flat document
- Creating a Basic Transaction (outlining the quickest way to create a basic transaction.)
Further Training Resources
If you require further training, a support option is available within WEBForms® 2019, through the Member Dashboard.
And scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you can find training webinars, help guides, training videos, and recorded webinars.
If you have any questions or concerns, CREA is asking members to contact their Member Support Team at support@crea.ca or 1.800.842.2732.
The CREA WEBForms® 2019 Member Support Team has extended its hours and is now available from 8 a.m. to midnight (EST) on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (EST) on weekends.
REALTORS® Care Foundation Cheque Presentation
Representatives from 14 local charitable organizations received grant cheques from the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation at the RAHB office on Thursday, December 19.
RAHB President Bob Van de Vrande and CEO Carol Ann Burrell presented cheques totaling $42,180 on behalf of the Foundation, which is supported by RAHB members. Each year, RAHB members raise funds that are distributed among local shelter-related organizations within the RAHB market area.
The recipients of the 2019 Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation grant are as follows: Restoration Second Stage Home, Neighbour to Neighbour, The Salvation Army Hamilton, Shifra Homes, Wesley Urban Ministries, Mission Services Hamilton, Indwell, The King’s Way Outreach, YWCA, The Bridge, Mark Preece Family House, March of Dimes, Good Shepherd Hamilton and St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation.
The recipients of the 2019 Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation grant are specifically using the funds for:
- The Bridge: renovations to the temporary housing facility
- The Good Shepherd Hamilton: purchase “Welcome Baskets” for two years (approximately 250 families)
- Hamilton Health Science Foundation: create a second Enriched Environment — nursery
- Indwell: fund community enhancing programs that are psycho-social activity groups
- March of Dimes: upgrade and renovate Jason’s House to ensure accessibility
- Mark Preece Family House: fund services required to continue providing assistance to families
- Mission Services Hamilton: renovate a bedroom and bathroom that have potential health concerns
- Neighbour to Neighbour: provide produce and dairy items to 1,200 households
- Restoration Second Stage Home: open a residential program in Burlington for 2020
- Shifra Homes: support the maternity home
- The King’s Way Outreach: support two new programs — suicide prevention and literacy
- The Salvation Army Hamilton: support the Salvation Army Meadowlands Adult Day Service
- Wesley Urban Ministries: support the Youth Housing program
- YWCA: support Phoenix Place
If you know any deserving shelter related organizations within the RAHB market area, please encourage them to apply to the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation grant next year!
For more information about the REALTORS Care® Foundation, please go to https://realtorscareontario.ca/
Please click the video to view a slideshow of all the charitable organizations receiving their cheque!
IMPORTANT NOTICE EFFECTING MEMBER ASSISTANTS
RAHB has identified an issue in WEBForms® that was created when CREA updated the default landing page to WEBForms® 2019 last week. The issue affects member assistants; specifically their ability to work as the REALTOR® and/or for migrating member’s transaction kits from the Legacy version to WEBForms 2019.
However, RAHB has found the following solution. If you are a member assistant and require access to a REALTORS® transaction kits in the Legacy version of WEBForms® to read or to migrate to WEBForms® 2019, please follow the steps outlined below. Please keep in mind, after January 2, 2020 you will no longer have access to the Legacy transaction kits.
- Log in Matrix. Ensure you are “Working as” the REALTOR®
You will automatically be redirected to the members Legacy version, which will be available until cutover to WEBForms® 2019 on January 2, 2020.
- Click on the WEBForms® Kit Name.
- Click the “Send Kit to WEBForms® 2019” link.
When the transaction kit has been copied over to WEBForms® 2019, you will see the following message:
Please note, the transaction kit will have been copied over to the new WEBForms® 2019 as a read-only file. You can add editable forms to these kits, but the original forms that were migrated over, will remain read-only. Please note, new transaction kits must be created in WEBForms® 2019 as of December 16, 2019,
CREA is also offering WEBForms® support. You may contact them on their toll free number 1.800.842.2732 with questions or concerns during the follow hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 midnight
Saturday – Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Should you have any further questions you may also contact the MLS® Help Desk at 905.667.4650 or e-mail support@rahb.ca
WEBForms® 2019 – Coming January 2, 2020
There are only a few days left before CREA retires the WEBForms® Legacy version on January 2, 2020. Please keep in mind, after January 1, 2020 you will no longer have access to the Legacy transaction kits. As a full member of RAHB, if you wish to migrate any of your transaction kits from Legacy to WEBForms® 2019, please follow the steps outlined below:
1. Login to WEBForms®. The new default will bring you to WEBForms® 2019.
2. Click the blue “Go to Legacy” tab.
3. Click “Sign into Board/Association”.
4. Click on the WEBForms® Kit Name.
5. Click the “Send Kit to WEBForms® 2019” link.
When your transaction kit has been copied over to WEBForms® 2019, you will see the following message:
Please note, the transaction kit will have been copied over to the new WEBForms® 2019 as a read-only file. You can add editable forms to these kit’s, but the original forms that were migrated over, will remain read-only. Please note, new transaction kit’s must be created in WEBForms® 2019 as of December 16, 2019,
CREA is also offering WEBForms® support. You may contact them on their toll free number 1.800.842.2732 with questions or concerns during the follow hours:
Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 midnight
Saturday – Sunday, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Should you have any further questions you may also contact the MLS® Help Desk at 905.667.4650 or e-mail support@rahb.ca
RAHB Dues Deadline December 31, 2019
The first quarter for 2020 RAHB dues have been billed and e-mailed to you as part of your November monthly invoice. Please note that dues are payable no later than December 31, 2019.
Full Member
$125.00 – RAHB dues (January – March 2020)
$28.75 – OREA dues (January – March 2020)
$77.50 – CREA dues (January – March 2020)
$30.06 – HST
$261.31 – Total
Acceptable methods of Payment are:
In Person: Visa, MasterCard, Interac, cash or cheque
By Phone: Visa or MasterCard
Online through Matrix: Visa, MasterCard, AMEX, Visa Debit http://my.rahb.ca
Online: CIBC/PC Financial, Royal Bank, Scotia Bank, TD Canada Trust – for assistance to set-up, please contact Karin at 905.529.8101 x 258 or karinc@rahb.ca
A reminder about notifying RAHB of terminations in your office
Brokerages are responsible for notifying RAHB when members in their office resign or otherwise leave. Notice must be received by RAHB within seven business days of the member leaving. If notice is delayed beyond the seven business days, the Brokerage will be assessed a penalty of $50 per incident. (RAHB Bylaw, Article 4, Section 1.02.
Provincial Support for Hamilton LRT Cancelled
On Monday, December 16, the province of Ontario cancelled their commitment to Hamilton’s LRT. The Minister of Transportation, in a written statement, said that the project costs were severely underestimated, and that the government, “…was not prepared to download $1-billion in unforeseen costs onto the taxpayers of Hamilton.”
The provincial government will honour the $1-billion capital commitment to transportation infrastructure investments in the City of Hamilton.
For the Minister of Transportation’s full statement, please see below:
Virtually Staged Photos
In recent months, RAHB has seen an increase in the number of property photos that appear to be “virtually staged”, meaning that photos of the home, or rooms within the home, have been digitally modified to show its potential rather than its current condition.
When advertising a home on MLS®, it must be advertised in the condition it appears today. Should you choose to advertise additional photos/images in addition to the photos which represent the current condition, you must clearly identify those modified photos/images on the bottom of the photo. This is done at the time the photos/images are uploaded on Matrix. To indicate photos/images that have been modified, you may use the following words:
- Artist’s rendering only
- Potential improvements
Without clearly indicating the photo has been modified, it is an inaccurate representation of the property, and therefore a violation of REBBA’s 2002 Code of Ethics, section #37 & #38 as follows:
REBBA 2002, Code of Ethics:
Inaccurate representations
- (1) A registrant shall not knowingly make an inaccurate representation in respect of a trade in real estate. O. Reg. 580/05, s. 37 (1).
(2) A registrant shall not knowingly make an inaccurate representation about services provided by the registrant. O. Reg. 580/05, s. 37 (2).
Error, misrepresentation, fraud, etc.
- A registrant shall use the registrant’s best efforts to prevent error, misrepresentation, fraud or any unethical practice in respect of a trade in real estate. O. Reg. 580/05, s. 38.
In addition RAHB’s MLS® policies prohibit any overlay of text or embellishments from appearing on any photos/images.
RAHB MLS® Policies:
PHOTOS/IMAGES
- Photos submitted with any overlay of text will not be accepted; with the exception of sketches.
- Photos/images uploaded to RAHB’s MLS® system will not be accepted if they include embellishments, including but not limited to advertising, marketing as related to the salesperson, broker, or brokerage.
When you advertise additional photos/images in addition to the photos which represent the current condition of the property, you must clearly identify those modified photos/images on the bottom of the photo. This is done at the time the photos/images are uploaded on Matrix. To indicate photos/images that have been modified, follow the steps below:
In Matrix, under the “Input” tab, under “Quick Modify”, select the listing.
Click “Manage Photos”.
Click the “Browse” button and select the modified photo from your files and open.
Click the “Show Photo Details” icon in the top right corner of the photo as shown below:
Click “Enter description”.
In the box provided, enter “Artist’s rendering only” or “Potential improvements”.
Click “Done”, then “Save”.
Should you have any questions, please call the MLS® Help Desk at 905.667.4650 or support@rahb.ca.