Association Update – RAHB Town Hall Meetings
Three town hall meetings drew 60 RAHB members for updates on the upcoming RAHB GMM, Scout Remediation and the CREA Futures Initiative and for discussion about the proposed RAHB dues increase.
Upcoming Events for June and July
It is time to Hit the Links!
RAHB’s Charity Golf Tournament
Copetown Woods Golf Club
Thursday, June 14, 2012
$165 + HST
Includes: golf, lunch, dinner, driving range, prizes and so much more!
Supporting the Karan Barker Memorial Scholarship Fund and Home Ownership Affordability Partnership (HOAP)
Spaces still available for individual golfers and foursomes!
Check out MOD or REALTOR® Link for a registration form or contact Sheila at sheilas@rahb.ca or 905.529.8101 x 234
It Takes a Big Heart to Ride a Big Bike!
The Membership Area Representation Committee (MARC) is calling all REALTORS® to participate on a RAHB Heart & Stroke “Big Bike” ride.
Yes, it’s a giant bike that will hold up to 29 REALTORS® at one time! This is not a race- it is a 20-minute ride around the community.
RAHB will be participating in two Big Bike Rides and you can sign up for one or both of them:
Friday, June 15 (afternoon) – Jack Astor’s in the Ancaster Meadowlands
Tuesday, June 19 (afternoon) – Slainte’s Irish Pub in central Hamilton
Joining in is simple:
- Let us know which ride you’d like to join, and we will get you set up with your rider package and have you register on-line.
- You will be required to raise a minimum of $50 in donations to Heart and Stroke. (If you are participating in both rides, you will have to raise $50 for each ride.) This can be done easily -donations can be collected in person or on-line.
As if supporting a great cause isn’t enough, Heart & Stoke is also offering great prizes to riders for monies raised at various target levels. So join in and show the community that REALTORS® care!
Although the ride is not until June, we need to hear from you now! Call Kathy or Nancy 905.529.8101.
Release the Dragon in You!
Come join RAHB’s dragon boat team and participate in the Lively Dragon Waterfest Event
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Bayfront Park
Registration Fee: $75
Includes: registration, wicking shirt, 3 practices, 3-4 races, lunch, light snacks throughout the day.
To sign up contact Sheila at sheilas@rahb.ca or 905.529.8101 x 234
Ethics Corner – Court denies REALTOR® Commission
The following article by Mark Weisleder was originally published in MoneyVille. The article was written for the public, but has valuable lessons for REALTORS® as well.
Commercial Investment – Services and Opportunities: The 2012 Commercial Summit
Highlights
The 11th Annual Commercial Summit was held Thursday, May 3 at the Burlington Golf and Country Club. RCC Chair Hank Balfoort welcomed more than 110 attendees, and turned the day’s proceedings over to moderator Professor Marvin Ryder from the DeGroot School of Business at McMaster University.
CREA Update
REALTOR.ca has new features and tools to improve the user experience of REALTOR.ca.
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MLS® Updates
Board ID in search window
Have you noticed that “Board ID†is now a search criterion in MLXchange and Fusion? By using “Board IDâ€, you can specify which listings you wish to view by selecting one or both Associations.
Selecting “H†for Hamilton-Burlington, “N†for Niagara or both “H†and “N†will determine which listings will appear in your results window. However, if you select only one, you may be missing results if members from the other Association have listed properties within your search criteria. If you wish to see all listings from both Associations in your results, simply leaving this criteria blank will also give you all results from both Associations.
New LIVE CHAT feature available
A new “Live Chat†feature is available in both MLXchange and Fusion. This feature can be used when you require computer support.
To use “Live Chatâ€, look under the “Help†File/Tab for the “Live Chat†icon. Click on the button to connect to computer support during the hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.,
Monday to Friday.
OREA Listing Agreements
OREA Listing Agreements are now in stock in the Realty Shoppe. RAHB will advise members via Message of the Day (MOD) when the form is available on WEBForms.
Please note that RAHB will accept OREA’s 2011 forms until February 29, 2012. After that date, only the new OREA Listing Agreement dated 2012 will be accepted.
No need for Acess Listings between RAHB and NAR
Now that RAHB and NAR share a common MLS® database, there is no longer a need for access listings between the two associations. As a result, and to avoid duplication of listings, NAR and RAHB have cancelled ouststanding access listings from their respective associations.
Governance Corner – February 2012
by Cameron Nolan, 2012 President
Members’ Rights
At a membership meeting last year, a motion was made and passed that the square footage field be removed from listing information forms. Of the 188 members at the meeting, 101 voted in favour of the motion and thus it was passed.
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Ethics Corner – The Fourth House
Remember your duty to your buyer client
The Fourth House
The buyer signs a buyer representation agreement including specifics as to the type of property wanted, namely a two-storey residential home in the $425,000 to $500,000 range in the West Ridge area of Anycity. The salesperson locates four listed properties meeting those specifications, three of which offer co-operating brokerages a commission ranging from 2.5% to 3%. The fourth is attractively priced, offers the same amenities but with a lower commission of 1.5% to the co-operating brokerage. The salesperson shows the three properties only and obtains an acceptable offer. Prior to closing, the buyer discovers that the fourth house was deliberately withheld and lodges a complaint with RECO. Disciplinary action is subsequently taken against the registrant.
Article 19 REBBA 2002
19. If a brokerage has entered into a representation agreement with a buyer, a broker or salesperson who acts on behalf of the buyer pursuant to the agreement shall inform the buyer of properties that meet the buyer’s criteria without having any regard to the amount of commission or other remuneration, if any, to which the brokerage might be entitled.
(reprinted from Introducing REBBA 2002:Â The Real Estate and Business Brokers Act 2001, published by the RECO.)
Members are reminded that they have a duty to their buyer client to show their buyer all properties that meet their requirements, even though it might mean a lower commission for you.
Stats Changes – Seasonally adjusted data
Members will notice a few changes have been made to the statistics released by the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton Burlington.
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Association Event
For more information and course outlines, go to www.rahb.ca/events
Gala Highlights
The date was January 21, the place was Michelangelo’s and the stars of the evening were RAHB’s volunteers from 2011, the newest members of RAHB’s long service clubs and RAHB service award recipients. (more…)
Low inventory of listings in Greater Hamilton, Burlington and outlying areas
The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) reported 819 property sales through the RAHB Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) for the month of January, representing a 10.8 per cent increase in sales over the same month last year.  RAHB also reported that 7.7 per cent fewer listings were taken in the month of January of this year compared to January of last year.
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