As was communicated on September 23, Teranet and MPAC’s position on entering and displaying exact square footage was that “…posting exact (actual) square footage – from any source – has been and will continue to be expressly prohibited.”
Following discussions with both Teranet and MPAC, RAHB is pleased to notify members that Teranet and MPAC have reversed their position and are now advising that entering and displaying actual square footage values obtained through sources other than “Public Records” does not contravene MPAC terms of service “as long as the GeoWarehouse® terms and conditions are being followed and MPAC data is protected from unauthorized use.”
While this change is reassuring, it is important to note that the following remains in effect:
The square footage field is mandatory and exact values are required on the RAHB MLS®; however, the option to select “Public Records” as a source of square footage data is no longer offered. Current square footage source options are:
Builder Floorplan(s)
3rd Party Measuring Service
LBO provided
Other (see Remarks)
MPAC data may be purchased, used as a tool for validation, and/or shared with a client outside of the MLS® system, but RAHB and its members are prohibited from entering MPAC data into the MLS® system. MPAC-sourced data includes:
MPAC Propertyline™ reports
Data obtained through Aboutmyproperty
Data available from an owner’s Property Assessment Notice
RAHB continues to work in close collaboration with ITSO and OREA, as well as MPAC and Teranet, to research the matter for additional avenues and resolutions. RAHB will inform and update members on this issue as developments occur.
If you have any questions, please contact the MLS® Help Desk at [email protected].
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Below is a communication from Teranet that RAHB was asked to share with members:
To our valued customer,
For two decades GeoWarehouse has been providing authoritative data and insights to the real estate community. Our goal has been, and continues to be, to offer the most comprehensive property data that enables our customers to excel in their profession. Part of that strategy is to partner with other data providers that provide value in the real estate transaction so everything our customers need is in one central location. From time to time, the strategies of our partners may change and as such, the data we provide may be affected. We aim to always advocate for what is best for our users, but ultimately some decisions will be made by our partners that affect access to certain data and your user experience.
On September 18, 2020 MPAC implemented changes to the MPAC propertyline™ reports available for purchase through the GeoWarehouse e-Store. To accommodate these changes, the workflow to purchase reports has changed and the links in the Site & Structure section of the Property Report have been temporarily inactivated. The data included in your subscription for GeoWarehouse has not been altered. You will continue to receive all the data you’re provided today within the Property Reports. This change initiated by MPAC only affects the transactional reports:
Should you have any questions regarding the revised MPAC propertyline™ terms and conditions of use, or changes to the MPAC propertyline™ reports, please contact MPAC directly at 1-877-671-6722 x1.
We thank you for your continued support and partnership.
Thank you for all of your feedback regarding the MPAC/display of public source square footage data that was communicated last week. We heard you, and felt your frustration, and we have an update to share.
First, we want to highlight that RAHB did not voluntarily suppress public source square footage data from displaying on the MLS®. MPAC hastily imposed their decision to enforce the Terms and Conditions of Use regarding square footage, by advising that posting on the MLS® exact (actual) square footage – from any source – has been and will continue to be expressly prohibited.
Further, Teranet – as the exclusive provider of MPAC data through GeoWarehouse – provided very short notice to boards and associations of this prohibition. Although this is not a new rule or change by MPAC – this has always been within their Terms and Conditions of Use, but has never been enforced – RAHB was given less than a week’s notice to interpret and adhere to these demands.
Based on RAHB’s legal obligation to comply with MPAC/Teranet’s Terms and Conditions of Use, and to protect the Association and RAHB members from liability and breach of contract, the decision was made to no longer display or allow the choice of “Public Records” as a square footage source.
After meetings with MPAC, Teranet, ITSO and OREA, as well as hearing feedback from RAHB members, it has been decided to display historical public source square footage data internally for RAHB members. This is now in effect.
However, this is only an interim measure. It should be noted that MPAC’s Terms and Conditions of Use have not been amended; RAHB and its members remain at risk.
Additionally, RAHB cautions members in using public record/MPAC values as the sole source for square footage data. Instead, we advise that MPAC-sourced data only be used to validate property measurements that you have obtained using other verifiable methods.
RAHB continues to work in close collaboration with ITSO and OREA, as well as MPAC and Teranet, to research the matter for additional avenues, as well as determine a more permanent resolution. RAHB will inform and update members on this issue as changes are made.
If you have any questions, please contact the MLS® Help Desk at [email protected].
Thank you again for the feedback we received. Your engagement with RAHB helps to guide the Association and the real estate profession.
As was communicated earlier this week by RAHB, as of Friday, September 18, 2020, MPAC is enforcing their Terms and Conditions of Use. This affects square footage data within the MPAC propertyline™ reports available through GeoWarehouse. This is not a new rule or change by MPAC – this has always been within their Terms and Conditions of Use; however, they are now enforcing it.
On Thursday, September 17, RAHB met with members of ITSO (formerly ORTIS/OC) and OREA to discuss the issue. All three groups are in agreement that ranges were not ideal representations of the data because they do not represent accurate and validated data. It was also agreed that MPAC’s information regarding square footage should not be relied upon as accurate data for that field – it should only be used as a tool to provide a reference point to assist in validation of the correct information.
Mandatory square footage remains in effect; however, RAHB no longer displays or allows the choice of “Public Records” (i.e. MPAC) as a square footage source. This decision was made based on research conducted by RAHB, ITSO and OREA.
Independently obtaining and verifying the accuracy of measurement for your listing:
Helps to protect RAHB members from potential liability
Protects the Association from potential liability
In addition, it follows CREA’s REALTOR® Code, Article 4 – A REALTOR® has an obligation to discover facts pertaining to a property which a prudent REALTOR® would discover in order to avoid error or misrepresentation.https://www.crea.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/The-REALTOR-Code.pdf
To help RAHB members comply with enforcement, below is a list of third-party vendors who measure/provide square footage. Please note that RAHB does not endorse or recommend the below vendors – this is a resource list for members to research.
RAHB members can also conduct the measurements themselves and use builder floor plans.
All measurements need to be accurate and defensible.
RAHB will continue to work in collaboration with ITSO and OREA to research the matter for additional options and solutions. RAHB will inform and update members as the situation changes.
If you have any questions, please contact the MLS® Help Desk at [email protected].
Teranet provided an FAQ, which could be helpful during this time. To access the FAQ, please click the below button.
As was communicated by RAHB earlier this week, MPAC has implemented changes which will be effective Friday, September 18, to the MPAC propertyline™ reports available through the GeoWarehouse. These changes affect square footage data within these forms.
RAHB is currently researching this matter and will be meeting with the ORTIS square footage task force to discuss the issue further on Thursday of this week. We will continue to inform and update members as the situation changes.
If you have any questions, please contact the MLS® Help Desk at [email protected].
To review the details that were posted for members on Monday, September 14, please see below.
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MPAC has implemented the following changes, which will be effective Friday, September 18 to the following MPACpropertyline™ reports available through the GeoWarehouse store:
A NEW Residential Floor Area Range Report ($4) will replace the existing Residential Floor Area Report ($5)
A NEW Residential Detailed Level 2 Report (displaying floor area ranges) will replace the existing Residential Detailed Level 2 report
The changes affect the new Detailed Level 2 reports and new Residential Floor Area reports, which will be available for purchase through GeoWarehouse. Please note, this does not affect any of the data available inside GeoWarehouse that members currently see without transactional purchase.
Both of the reports will now only provide a square footage range, rather than provide the total square footage. If you are purchasing these reports to obtain the total square footage, you will not receive that specific data anymore – only a range.
On the RAHB listing forms, members must enter the total square footage, so these reports will not be able to be used for that data moving forward. You are reminded that you may use the following options to obtain the total square footage data as follows:
Builder Floor Plans
3rd Party Measuring Service
Measuring yourself (LBO) provided
For the official communication (PDF) from Teranet that outlines the details of the changes, please click the button below.
RAHB is pleased to announce that, beginning this fall, the main floor offices of the building will be renovated for the first time since the last major renovation in 1997. RAHB’s main floor tenant recently expressed an interest to enter into a long-term lease that will increase the size of their office space and install a private bathroom for their unit at no cost to RAHB. This tenant’s requirement for additional commercial office space presented RAHB with a unique opportunity to fulfill the expansion needs of an excellent tenant and increase non-dues revenue for RAHB over an extended number of years, while also renovating and optimizing RAHB’s office space to create a more productive and contemporary work environment. The Board of Directors approved the new tenant lease and the RAHB renovations at their meeting on September 2, 2020.
Staff have continued to work remotely since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as currently recommended by Hamilton Public Health, and are well-positioned to provide uninterrupted service to members over the next several months while renovations take place.
As part of the renovations, the historical files within the RAHB Resource Centre will be disposed of in the next few weeks (as is in keeping with best practice at associations/boards throughout Canada), the filing cabinet will be removed/repurposed, and the older furniture and accessories will be sold. Moving forward, the historical data can be found online (i.e. within RAHB database; GeoWarehouse, etc.).
Information and updates regarding the renovations and furniture (which will be made available for members to purchase) will be forthcoming as details are finalized.
Although the main floor of the RAHB office will remain closed, the Realty Shoppe continues to serve members via phone-in and online orders, with curb-side pick-up Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Plans are underway to open the physical RAHB Realty Shoppe to members in the future – dependent upon public health COVID-19 guidelines.
Thank you for your patience during this time. We are excited to transform the RAHB space for members and staff as we move closer to celebrating RAHB’s 100-year anniversary in 2021.
On September 8, the Honourable Karina Gould announced funding for six projects that will modernize and improve public transit in Burlington.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $5.1 million for projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada plan.
To learn more about the Investing in Canada plan, please click the button below:
Burlington public transit users will benefit from:
The purchase of 12 new 40-foot conventional buses to expand the fleet over the next three years;
The purchase of five new conventional buses that will replace current buses that have reach the end of their lifecycle,
The purchase of three specialized accessible vehicles to support the community’s need for more accessible public transit over the next three years;
The installation of devices on traffic signals and conventional buses that will help increase public transit efficiency and on-time performance by allowing buses to move through traffic more efficiently;
The procurement and implementation of an intelligent transit system technology system to introduce new, on-demand services to areas that are currently under-serviced, and;
The purchase of a new fuel that will improve the quality of the public transit system.
For more information, please click the button below:
RAHB is pleased to announce that a new updated version of Matrix; specifically, Matrix X, is now available to members as of October 14, 2020. Matrix X is the latest version of Matrix from CoreLogic. Matrix X has a new look and feel, combined with modern colour palettes, iconography, navigation and design. Please click here to take a video tour of the new navigation.
Discover What’s New:
Easier Navigation—Matrix X includes a new clean header and navigation bar with features right where you’d expect them. A new notifications icon alerts you to important updates, and a new menu under the user’s name provides quick access to personal settings, account information and help.
Concierge Improvements—Alerts for new Concierge matches have been moved to the new notification centre for quick and easy access. Map and Results tabs have been added to Concierge approvals. Switch between map view and results view just like you would with regular search results.
Great Looking E-mails—Conveying a professional image is key, so we updated Matrix e-mails with a clean, modern design.
New Contacts Module—Matrix X includes a new Contacts module that uses best-practice webpage design, while maintaining a familiar workflow, so there’s no need for retraining. Tabs and widgets provide better readability and accessibility. See how to quickly create a new contact in the new module by clocking this link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzw6jLHTwSg
New Map Functionality—The map screen now uses the full width of your browser. Map and Results tabs have been added to Concierge Approvals. We improved the Map Toolbar with easier icons and tooltips.
New Quick CMA—Matrix X includes a new Quick CMA with easier to read icons, font, glanceability and more. Coming soon: The full CMA report pages are being redesigned with a clean, modern and consistent look.
Please contact RAHB MLS® Support if you have any questions at 905.667.4650 or [email protected].
The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) reported 1,272 sales of residential properties located within the RAHB market area were processed through the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System in August 2020. Sales are down 21.14 per cent over last month and up 12.7 per cent over August of last year. New listings are down 16.1 per cent over July 2020 and up 7.3 per cent over last August. The average price for residential properties was $694,690, which is up 0.24 per cent from last month and up 16.3 per cent from August 2019. The number of active listings for the month was down 18.6 per cent over last year.
The Realty Shoppe is offering a new option for your lockbox needs! Available now is the MasterLock® Vault Enterprise Electronic Lock Box.
With this device, you can open and manage your lockboxes by a variety of means – including your Smartphone app. Use this electronic lockbox for property access as a stand-alone unit with access or integrate with either BrokerBay or ShowingTime® scheduling platforms.
Please note that only the Vault Enterprise model 5440ENT (not the Vault e-lock model) has the required software to integrate with the scheduling platforms.
We would like to thank all members for their patience during the OC/ORTIS cut-over to the new MLS®. Please see below for an update on any issues remaining.
The issues with missing photos on listings has been resolved. If you experience any issues with missing photos, please send the MLS® number to [email protected]
The issue with the Broker Bay links has been resolved
The “Type” mapping issue is still being worked on, and we will update members once it has been resolved
There is an mapping issue with some – not all – ITSO listings appearing in RAHB with no municipality showings. We have just notified CoreLogic about the issue and they are working on the problem
If you experience additional issues with Matrix, please report these directly to the MLS® Help Desk via [email protected] or 905.667.4650.
