Homebuyers have a new ally in the fight against marihuana grow operations and clandestine laboratories. A new national council comprised of industry and government stakeholders was announced at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) headquarters in Ottawa. Pauline Aunger, CREA Director and Federal Affairs Committee Chair, was elected Co-Chair of the Council. (more…)
According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national resale housing activity rebounded slightly in September 2012, marking the first monthly increase since the spring.
Highlights:
• Home sales up 2.5% from August to September.
• Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity down 15.1% from September 2011.
• Number of newly listed homes up 6.5% from August to September.
• Market remains firmly in balanced territory, but conditions have eased.
• National average home price up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis in September.
• The MLS® HPI rose 3.9% in September, its smallest gain since May 2011.
Read the full story here.
The new iPad app will provide users with the same functionality and detail they get from the REALTOR.ca iPhone app, while taking advantage of the larger screen size and unique user experience of the iPad.
The iPad’s built-in GPS allows users to get up-to-date property information, photos and driving directions for properties “Near Me”. Users can also find “New Listings” and if it’s a weekend, they can find “Open Houses” based on their GPS location. Properties can be viewed on the map, in list format and either landscape or portrait! Other new features include an expanded search filter for power users.
Just like the REALTOR.ca iPhone app, users can:
The REALTOR.ca iPad app makes it easier for users to connect with REALTORS® to view, buy or sell a property.
CREA’s REALTOR®.ca 5.6 is now live and brings exciting new features to enhance the consumer experience. The two most valuable features are the inclusion of a Walk Score® and auto-detection for users accessing REALTOR.ca through mobile devices. The release also includes some backend changes and bug fixes.
What’s a Walk Score®?
Walk Score® helps home and property buyers find a walkable place to live or work. Walk Score® is a number between 1 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address. Here’s how it works:
Score Description
90-100 Walker’s Paradise – daily errands do not require a car
70-89 Very walkable – most errands can be accomplished on foot
50-69 Somewhat walkable – some amenities are within walking distance
25-49 Car-dependent – A few amenities are within walking distance
0-24 Car-dependent – Almost all errands require a car
The Walk Score® is now located directly below “Location” (address) on the description to the right of the photo in REALTOR.ca.
Auto-detect for m.realtor.ca
The auto-detect function will ensure that users visiting REALTOR.ca with their tablets and smartphones will be automatically prompted to decide if they prefer to use the mobile site or the desktop version of REALTOR.ca. This will enhance the experience and usability of the site for these visitors.
CREA Trademarks – Know the Rules
How do you know when you are using the term REALTOR® correctly? Here’s a quick way to check.
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The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has updated its forecast for home sales activity via the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) Systems of Canadian real estate Boards and Associations in 2012 and 2013.
Since CREA’s last resale housing forecast, mortgage regulations were tightened further, activity in Ontario softened, and the slowdown of sales activity in British Columbia deepened. As a result of these developments, CREA has lowered its forecast for Canadian home sales this year and next. The national average price forecast has also been reduced, reflecting an expected decrease in Ontario’s and British Columbia’s provincial sales as a proportion of national activity.
Click here for the full story.
According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national resale housing activity dropped sharply from July to August 2012.
Highlights:
* Home sales down 5.8% from July to August
* Actual (not seasonally adjusted) activity stood 8.9% below levels in August 2011.
* Number of newly listed homes down 1.7% from July to August.
* Housing market remains firmly in balanced territory at the national level.
* National average home price up 0.3% on a year-over-year basis in August.
* The Composite Aggregate Benchmark home price was up 4% in August, its smallest gain in over a year.
The number of home sales processed through the MLS® Systems of real estate Boards and Associations in Canada fell 5.8 per cent between July and August 2012, marking the largest month-over-month decline since June 2010.
Click here for the complete story.
CREA’s Futures Implementation Team (FIT) met in July to discuss the 23 recommendations in the Organized Real Estate (ORE) Collaborative Strategy Map to the Future.
One of the most controversial issues under discussion was the recommendation to look at ways to include FSBO and non-MLS® listings on REALTOR.ca. After presentations on legal and other issues, FIT recommended that no further action be taken. The FIT recommendation will go to the CREA Fall Assembly Meeting.
The other significant outcome of the FIT meetings was a recommendation for a business plan to have an outside organization run REALTOR.ca.
Want to learn more about what’s happening on the CREA Futures project? Use the “Creating Our Future” button on the CREA page in REALTOR Link®. To check out the FIT updates, follow the link at the top of the Futures home page.
All members recently received an invitation from CREA to participate in the “Shaping our Future Together” consultation series.
If you haven’t already gotten involved, use the “Your Futures: participate and win” button on the RAHB page on REALTOR Link® to see how you can have your say.
Have you checked out the CREA Data Distribution Facility (DDF) yet? Use the DDF button on the RAHB website on REALTOR Link® to get to the CREA DDF site. Watch the videos. Read the updated FAQs, quick reference guide and the other documents. Access the DDF.
CREA is just finishing up the last touches on the third party destinations but the rest of the DDF is accessible to brokerages which have opted in to the program and their salespeople.
According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national resale housing activity remained stable from June to July 2012. Prices are off their recent peaks in Greater Vancouver and Greater Toronto, but remain above year-ago levels in most markets.
See the full report here.
Because “REALTOR®” is a registered trade mark, there are rules for use that must be followed whenever and wherever it is used. CREA, the owner of the trademark, and RAHB have a responsibility to enforce the rules so that the word does not lose its meaning and become a generic term for all real estate practitioners.
The word “REALTOR®” refers only to a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association. It should never be used to refer to a real estate agent, broker or salesperson.
Following are excerpts from CREA’s Trademark Manual posted on REALTORLink®. (more…)
According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), national resale housing activity edged lower on a month-over-month basis in June 2012. Price gains remained strong in Toronto, continued slowing in Greater Vancouver, and accelerated in Calgary.
Read the whole story here.
Go to the DDF page on the CREA website on REALTOR Link® (REALTOR Link®>CREA>Technology Products>Data Distribution Facility (DDF) Button) and check out the videos explaining the three modules of the DDF and read FAQs and updates.
Here’s what you’ll find:
The Canadian Real Estate Association partners with the National Association of REALTORS® in its application for .REALTOR Top Level Domain Extension.
The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has entered into an exclusive partnership agreement with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) that will result in CREA members being able to operate websites using the .REALTOR Top Level Domain (TLD).
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that controls the creation and distribution of domain names globally, has approved a procedure for establishing a new set of TLDs. If the NAR application is successful, CREA’s partnership arrangement will provide CREA members an alternative to the familiar .ca and .com Only licensed real estate professionals who are members of CREA and subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics have the right to call themselves a REALTOR® in Canada, and only REALTORS® will be allowed to use the new .REALTOR TLD.
Additionally, in order to protect its MLS® trademark, CREA has applied for the .MLS TLD.
ICANN is expected to make a decision on the application some time in 2013.
More details will be made available once ICANN approves the application.
According to statistics released by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the MLS® Home Price Index, the leading measure of Canadian home prices, increased in May 2012.
Highlights:
• The Aggregate Composite MLS® Home Price Index rose 5.2% on a year-over-year basis in May 2012.
• Prices rose further in all five markets and in every Benchmark home category tracked by the index.
• Price increases were biggest in Greater Toronto (7.9%), followed by Calgary (4.8%), Greater Vancouver (3.3%), the Fraser Valley (2.4%), and Montreal (2.2%).
• One-and two-storey single family homes continued to post the biggest year-over-year gains (5.8% and 6.7% respectively), followed by townhouse units (3.3%) and apartment units (2.9%).
To read more, click here.