Jun 8, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
As of May 30, 2016, when you load a listing located in Oakville, Milton or Halton Hills into Fusion, you will now find all the four-digit neighbourhood codes that correspond to the codes already used in Matrix. When you use these codes, your listings will no longer appear as “Out of Town – 9999” listings when they are uploaded to Matrix and RAHB staff will no longer need to manually produce a duplicate listing to place your listing in the correct neighbourhood. Your listing will be in the right neighbourhood for all to find.
The neighbourhood codes for Cambridge, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo will also be added to Fusion in the near future. The Oakville/Milton/Halton Hills codes were added first because the majority of the “out of area” listings were in these areas.
If you aren’t sure of the correct neighbourhood code for your listing in Oakville, Milton or Halton Hills, you will find all the codes on the map found in Fusion in Resources > RAHB Documents > Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills Neighbourhoods. As the codes for the Cambridge, Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo associations are added to Fusion, maps for those areas will be added to the same Resources section in Fusion.
RAHB staff will be correcting the existing active Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills listings to show the correct neighbourhood code. This correction will generate an auto-email if your search criteria includes those neighbourhood codes, even if an auto-email was previously sent based on the duplicate listing. This will affect only listings that are currently active in the Oakville, Milton and Halton Hills areas.
If you have any questions, please contact RAHB’s MLS® Department at 905.667.4650.
Jun 8, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
Members have been asking about how to deal with pre-emptive, or bully, offers. You asked, we answer.
Q. When a Seller says “No offers until …”, can I present an offer that comes in before the date specified?
A. The short answer is No. When a seller provides written instructions, via OREA Form 244 “Seller’s Direction re Property/Offers”, that offers will be held until a particular date, those instructions must be followed to the letter.
Q. What if the buyer insists on having the offer presented?
A. The buyer will have to wait with everyone else or walk away … the instructions from the Seller are that no offers will be presented until a specified date in the future.
Q. What if the Seller changes his or her mind and wants to see an offer?
A. In this case, and you are the listing salesperson, you must do two things:
- Change the remarks section of your listing to remove the “no offers until” notation
- Contact all the Co-operating Salespeople who showed an interest in presenting offers or who registered offers and arrange for a time for offer presentation of all offers
These two steps should be performed with all reasonable speed. Now that offers are being presented to your Seller, you want to make sure the Seller has the opportunity to review all offers to they can get the best outcome on the sale of their home.
(Note: as good practice, you should also contact all Co-operating Salespeople who showed the property and let them know offers are being presented – they may have clients or customers who were holding off making a decision about making an offer until closer to the date specified for offer presentations.)
Q. What about “No offers until (specified date), but the Seller will review offers prior to this date”?
A. This is a bit of an odd instruction, because it’s really saying the Seller will look at offers whenever they come in. However, if you have a Seller who mostly wants to wait for offers but will look at something that comes in before the specified date, here’s what you do:
- Have your Seller complete Form 244 “Seller’s Direction re: Property/Offers” and make a note of the full instructions in the Remarks section of the listing.
- If you get an offer before the specified date and the Seller wants to review the offer, contact all Co-Operating Salespeople who registered offers to let them know they can present their offers as well.
Again, to be sure you are being fair to everyone and you are working in the best interests of your Seller, you should also contact the Co-operating Salespeople who showed the property to let them know that offers are being presented, just in case their buyers are interested in putting in an offer.
You should be contacting the Co-operating Salespeople with reasonable speed so your Seller has the chance to review all offers and get the best outcome on the sale of their home.
Q. What do you do if someone isn’t following the rules?
A. If you find yourself in a situation where the listing brokerage didn’t let you know that offers were being presented before the time noted on the listing, you should file a formal complaint with either RAHB’s Professional Standards Committee or RECO. For more information about how to file a complaint, contact Angela at angelam@rahb.ca or 905.529.8101.
Jun 8, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
Before RAHB listings were uploaded to Matrix, you were able to load listings into Fusion which were both for sale and for lease on one MLS® number. Members searching for listings that were only for sale or only for lease would see your listing because that’s the way Fusion worked.
Matrix, however, operates differently. If you have a property that is both for sale and for lease, you MUST broker load the listing twice in Fusion: one listing for sale only and the other for lease only. This is the only way to ensure that your listing will be visible to others searching in Matrix if they are searching for only leases or only sales.
If you have existing listings that are For Lease or Sale, you can edit them – change the original to a sale and then upload a duplicate for the lease.
As always, if you have any questions, please get in touch with the RAHB MLS® Department at 905.667.4650.
Jun 8, 2016 | RAHB News |
There are two events happening in June that are worth noting.
RAHB’s Charity Golf Tournament is taking place on Thursday, June 23, 2016 at Copetown Woods Golf Club. This tournament supports the Karan Barker Scholarship Fund, and it is an important way we help our members’ children and grandchildren fund their college or university educations.
Although this will be my first time golfing in this tournament, I am really looking forward to it. I visited the golf course awhile ago and it looks like a great tournament course!
Contest holes are one of the fun parts of any golf tournament. So far, I’ve heard about a putting contest, a “closest to the Crown Royal” contest, a chance to upgrade to an Escalade golf cart and something about a hole in one contest featuring a Mercedes as the prize. How great would that be?!
The golf tournament is about much more than just the prizes, though. It’s the chance to network and mingle with other RAHB members and the sponsors who support the tournament. It’s also about the funds raised for such a great cause, the Karan Barker Scholarship Fund. Higher education has become both very important and expensive, and it’s a privilege for RAHB to help our members and their children and grandchildren through the scholarship program.
If you haven’t already registered to golf on the 23rd, there’s still time to sign up to golf yourself or as part of a foursome. Contact Sheila at sheilas@rahb.ca for complete details.
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The second event is the Hamilton and Burlington Bay Area Economic Summit which will be held on Tuesday, June 21, 2016.
This is a full-day look at the evolving role of the Bay area in an increasingly regional and international economy, strategies to position the area for long-term success and how to drive the changes that will ensure that long-term success. The tagline for the Summit is “Leading Change in a Regional Age” and the agenda is built around the theme of how to prepare for the future of the Bay Area.
The agenda is wide-ranging, touching on all aspects of economic development in our area, and includes two plenary sessions; 12 breakout sessions focusing on topics such as regional superclusters, waterfront development; transit hubs; changes in healthcare and a keynote address by Premier Kathleen Wynne. There will also be an update from the federal government on stimulus funding opportunities available to this area.
This is the second year the Summit will be a joint venture between the Hamilton and Burlington Chambers of Commerce. It promises to be an interesting and inspiring day.
I will be participating in the program and hope to see many of you there. There are still tickets available; see the registration information on page 12 of this issue of REALINFO.
Best regards,
George
Jun 8, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
We are hearing more reports of members who call to make appointments to see a listing, only to be told it’s been sold conditionally.
If you have a listing that has a conditional sale, it is important that you report the sale – it’s important especially in a market as fast-paced as the current one, because members need accurate, up-to-date and reliable information.
The MLS® Rules and Regulations very specifically require you to report conditional sales. Here’s what they have to say:
Section 9 – Reporting of Sales
9.01 An important part of the inherent value of the Association’s MLS® System is the transaction data
accumulated for sales of listed properties. Therefore, it is the responsibility of all Members to ensure, regardless of their business model, that property sold information for properties listed on the Association’s MLS® System, including the reporting of conditionally sold properties and sale prices, be reported to the Association. Members are not permitted to avoid these reporting responsibilities to the Association by, for example, cancellation of a Listing between receipt (or anticipated receipt) and acceptance of an Offer, or encouraging a Seller to do so. Accordingly, the Listing Brokerage will report by Broker Load all sales and conditional sales for Broker Loaded MLS® Listings effected during the Listing term and during the holdover period of an MLS® Listing, within two (2) Association business days following written acceptance of any Offer by the Seller. If the MLS® Listing is Board Loaded, the sale or conditional sale must be submitted in writing within two (2) Association business days following written acceptance of any Offer by the Seller. Power of Sale and commercial sales shall be reported not later than two (2) Association business days after closing.
9.02 In the event an unconditional sale or a conditional sale falls through, the Listing Brokerage will notify the Association in writing or by Broker Load, within two (2) Association business days. If services are to be resumed, the Listing Brokerage shall so notify the Association.
What happens if you don’t report your sale – conditional or firm?
When RAHB’s MLS® department is advised – either in writing or verbally – of a conditional or firm sale that has not been reported within two association business days, staff will investigate and either issue a warning letter or a fine as outlined in RAHB’s MLS® policies:
1st offense – warning letter
2nd offense – $100 fine
3rd offense – $250 fine
4th or subsequent – $400 fine
So do your part to ensure RAHB’s MLS® System remains a valuable, up-to-date and accurate tool for all members – report your conditional sales.
May 19, 2016 | REALTORS Care® |
(received from CREA)
Thanks in large part to your wonderful support, the Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation has raised $186,000 for the Canadian Red Cross’ Alberta Fires Appeal. CREA will be cutting a cheque for that amount to send to the Canadian Red Cross (and sharing this good news publicly so they can start putting the funds donated so far by the REALTOR® Community to good use in support of Fort McMurray evacuees. CREA will follow that up with more cheques as they receive more donations over the next few weeks.
Thanks to RAHB members who donated to the Alberta Fires Appeal! To date, RAHB members have donated $2,705 to the campaign. If you would like to make a donation, through the Canadian REALTORS® Care Foundation, donate online at https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=89286&LangPref=en-CA or send a cheque to Canadian REALTORS Care® Foundation, c/o The Canadian Real Estate Association, 200 Catherine St., 6th floor, Ottawa, ON K2P 2K9
May 5, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
May 4, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
RAHB Average Price by District – (#) Residential Unit Sales
Hamilton
Hamilton West, 10 – 12
Hamilton East, 23, 24, 27 – 29
Hamilton Centre, 13, 14, 20 – 22
Hamilton Mountain, 15 – 18, 25 & 26
Burlington, 30 – 36, 38
Outlying
Flamborough, 40, 43 – 45
Dundas, 41
Ancaster, 42
Waterdown, 46
Stoney Creek, 50 – 52
Glanbrook, 53
Grimsby, 54 -55
West Lincoln, 56
Smithville, 57
Dunnville, 61
Cayuga, 62
Calendonia/Hagersville, 63 & 70
Onieda/Seneca, 71 & 64
Rainham, 65
Canborough/Dunn, 60
May 4, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
(May 4, 2016 – Hamilton, Ontario) The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) reported 1,649 sales were processed through the RAHB Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System in April. Sales were 2.7 per cent lower than the same month last year yet 13 per cent higher than the 10-year average.
There were 2,053 properties listed in April, a decrease of 14.5 per cent compared to April of last year, and 9.4 per cent lower than the 10-year average.
“It’s not a big surprise that sales decreased compared to last year,” said RAHB CEO George O’Neill. “April 2015 was the first of the all-time record-breaking months we had last year. April 2016 sales were still relatively high, at 13 per cent above the 10-year average.”
Seasonally adjusted* sales of residential properties were three per cent lower than the same month last year, with the average sale price up 16.2 per cent for the month. Seasonally adjusted numbers of new listings were 11.1 per cent lower than April of 2015.
Actual overall residential sales of 1,563 units were 4.5 per cent lower than the same month last year. Residential freehold sales were 3.1 per cent lower than April of 2015 while sales in the condominium market decreased by 10.4 per cent.
The median price of freehold properties increased by 14.4 per cent over the same month last year while the median price for condominium properties increased by 10.6 per cent compared to the same period.
The average price of freehold properties showed an increase of 14.5 per cent compared to April of last year; the average sale price in the condominium market increased by 12.7 per cent when compared to the same period.
Average sale price is based on the total dollar volume of all properties sold through the RAHB MLS® System. Average sale price can be useful in establishing long term trends, but should not be used as an indicator that specific properties have increased or decreased in value. Contact a REALTOR® for information about your area or property.
The average days on market decreased from 27 to 25 days in the freehold market and from 33 to 25 days in the condominium market, compared to April of last year.
“With only a little over a month of inventory and a high list-to-sell ratio in the residential market, our area continues to be hot,” noted RAHB President Kim Alvarez, “Residential median and average sale prices have risen over 14 per cent since the beginning of the year – a substantial increase over only four months.”
Every community in RAHB’s market area has its own localized residential market. Please refer to the accompanying chart.
*Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal variations, enabling analysis of monthly changes and fundamental trends in the data.
Established in 1921, the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) represents more than 2,900 real estate brokers and sales representatives from Hamilton, Burlington and outlying areas. Members of the association may use the REALTOR® trademark, which identifies them as real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics. The association operates the local Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) and provides ongoing professional education courses for its members. Advertisements of local MLS® property listings and information about the services provided by a REALTOR® can be found at www.REALTOR.ca. More information about RAHB is available at www.rahb.ca.
May 4, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
On May 10, 2016, CoreLogic will be performing a large data pull from Fusion which will collectively copy saved searches you have created in Fusion and move them into Matrix.
This data pull into Matrix will not automatically activate your saved searches in Matrix – you will have to enable your searches yourself. To enable your searches so they become active and begin sending listings to your clients from Matrix, you need to:
- Hover your mouse over the “My Matrix” tab and click “Contacts”
- Click on your contact’s name
- Click the “Saved Searches” link
- Click on the “Name” you have given to the search
- Click on the “Settings” tab
- Click the link in the top left corner “Turn this Saved Search into an Auto Email”
- Enter a subject line for the email
- Click “Save”
You can also watch a video at https://youtu.be/9U5OCoCMQw0 for complete instructions.
Once you have enabled a search in Matrix, you will want to disable the search in Fusion. This will ensure your client won’t receive emails from BOTH Fusion and Matrix for the same listings.
IMPORTANT – DO NOT DELETE YOUR SEARCHES IN FUSION – ONLY DISABLE THEM. IF YOU DELETE YOUR SEARCH FROM FUSION, IT WILL DELETE THE SAME SEARCH IN MATRIX.
To disable your searches in Fusion:
- In Fusion, hover your mouse over the “Search” tab and click “Saved Search Manager”
- Click on the contact’s name
- Under the Search Name that displays on the right hand side of the page, click “Search Settings”
- Under the “Settings” tab, uncheck the box beside “Turn on auto-notifications for this search”
This will disable the search in Fusion while still retaining the search criteria.
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IMPORTANT REMINDER
Even though RAHB has not fully cut over to Matrix, it is important that you do all your searches – including auto emails – in Matrix, rather than Fusion. Remember, as of May 10, all other associations in the Regional MLS® system will be entering their listings directly into Matrix and data for those listings are not being imported into Fusion. All the listing data from the eight associations participating in the Regional system, including RAHB’s, can be found in Matrix. If you are searching only in Fusion, you do not have access to all the listing data from the other participating associations.
You only need to use Fusion for entering your new listings and listing changes. Should you have any questions, please contact RAHB’s MLS® department at 905.667.4650.
May 4, 2016 | MLS®, Stats & Technology |
Matrix allows you to put aside listings for review at a later time.
When you are viewing a listing you would like to review, click on “Carts” from the “Actions” menu located at the bottom of your screen. You will see a list of carts you can add the listing to. You have one cart for each property type, and one for each client.
For the client carts, you can put aside listings that you feel your client may be interested in, but may fall outside of their search criteria. At any time, you can open the client’s cart from your home page (or from the contacts list), and e-mail some (or all) of the listings in the cart. The system will automatically keep track of when you emailed the listing to your client by displaying the date beside the listing or it will read “Never” if you have never emailed the listing to your client.
May 4, 2016 | RAHB News |
RAHB Outstanding Student scholarships were presented to Mohawk College students Eang Phat (first year) and Justin Sharpe (second year), both pictured with RAHB Past President Bruce Moran. Bruce has represented RAHB on the advisory committee for the Urban Planning Program at Mohawk College for the past 28 years.
RAHB awards $1,000 scholarships each year to the first- and second-year Mohawk students with the highest grade point average in the Urban and Regional Planning program.
