2021 Board of Directors election results

Thanks to all members who voted in our 2021 Board of Directors election. The voting period ran between January 15 - 21.

Out of 13,763 eligible voters, 1,969 members voted this year. This represents a 14.3 per cent voter turnout.

Here are the results:

1. Leslie McDonnell, RE/MAX Select Properties - 719 votes - elected to a two-year term

2. Steve Jamieson, Stillhavn Real Estate Services - 683 votes - elected to a two-year term

3. Diana Dickey, Sutton Group - Seafair Realty - 681 votes - elected to a two-year term

4. Jennifer Quart, RE/MAX Westcoast - 633 votes - elected to a two-year term

5. Arnold Shuchat, Sutton Westcoast - 543 votes - elected to a one-year term

6. Reggie Tanzola, Rennie & Associates - 454 votes

7. Raman Bayanzadeh, Royal LePage Klein Group - 399 votes

8. Sam Wyatt, Stillhavn Real Estate Services - 393 votes

9. Ellen Hsu, Prominent Real Estate Services - 328 votes

10. Kevin Chiang, Oakwyn Realty - 323 votes

11. Troy Abromaitis, Claridge Real Estate Advisors - 320 votes

12. Andrew Chan, Realtyline - 231 votes

13. Andrew Do, Royal LePage Sussex Realty - 224 votes

14. Chantal Kowalski, Harcourts - 181 votes

15. Louise Boutin, Vancouver Home Team - 167 votes

Thanks to everyone who voted!

Female REALTORS® continue to be harassed with calls and explicit images

Since our last update, more female REALTORS® have told us about being harassed with calls and explicit images sent via text.

In some cases, the man says his father, or his wife’s father, is moving into a home and he wants to sell the house. He may suggest meeting at a different location before going there.

These calls are usually later in the evening. He uses fake phone numbers with area codes 236, 445, 831, 604, and 778. To be safe, let these numbers go to voice mail. There have been no reports of physical harm.

We’re in contact with the police to help coordinate information about these calls. If this person has contacted you or another female Realtor, please file a report with your local police and email Mark Moldowan at mmoldowan@rebgv.org with the case number and relevant information about the incident.

If you’re reporting to the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), they have detectives from the Criminal Harassment Unit working on the case. If you’re contacted by this person, report it to the VPD and quote file number 2021-4768 so your report will be included in their investigation. If you live outside Vancouver, let your local police know about the VPD investigation quoting the same file number.

Safety tips for Realtors:

• Always have another Realtor at your showing.
• Jot down your client’s car descriptions, license plate numbers, and physical descriptions.
• Trust your gut — if you sense someone is up to no good, cancel the appointment. Don’t meet with the person and stop communicating with them.
• Do whatever it takes to remove yourself from an uncomfortable situation.
• Always walk behind an attendee at a showing and show the house by directing, not leading, them.
• Notify someone in your office or a friend that you’ll call every hour on the hour when conducting a showing. If you don’t call, they should notify police.

Please stay safe out there.

Take our personal safety course!

We’ve developed a personal safety course for Realtors that covers various predatory behaviours, steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of getting into an unsafe situation while on the job, and how to protect your personal safety during an open house, while driving in your car, when working alone at the office, and when landing listings or meeting prospects in places that are new to you.

We'll offer this course on February 22 – click here to register today!

Share our 2020 housing market year-in-review infographic

We’ve created a year-in-review infographic that tells the story of the 2020 housing market with images, icons, and statistics. We encourage you to share this content with your clients and on your social media accounts. Click here for a shareable version.

For our full statistical look back at 2020, read our December stats release or watch our 2020 market insights video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avoiding a blanket of blather

I can’t tell you how many great column ideas come to me at 4 a.m. “Oh, I should write about this,” is a common refrain in the early morning hours. The problem is, the closer I get to the keyboard, the fewer inspirational subjects I can remember. There’s so much clarity at 4 a.m. But with the arrival of the day’s phone, email, and text messages, not so much. And sometimes, these little inspirations aren’t big enough to fill up my quota of words, so this week, I offer up some bite-sized chunks of information for you to dwell on—all on the topic of good communication.

Where would we be without a little reminder about the importance of good communication?

Communicating well is an art form. In my book, simple and clear is best. Listening to our politicians and officials bang on about COVID-19 safety protocols is enough to make anyone weep. They mean well and I’m sure they’re kind, decent folks when they’re at home. But they just can’t seem to resist swaddling us in a blanket of blather. Words like “should,” “we suggest,” “please do this,” abound. It’s all fine. I’m just a grumpy so-and-so, but for once wouldn’t it be nice to hear someone make an announcement in 10 words or less like, “This virus could kill you stone-dead. Get a vaccination.” God, I’d love that.

Think about this on the job—say, when you’re telling your seller about what to expect next after the listing’s been signed. That would be a good time to go through what will happen if there are multiple offers, what will happen if you have a conflict, and how you’ll handle the dreaded “DRPO scenario.”

You probably know what I’m talking about, right? Rule 4.02 requires offers to be presented “without delay.” This is a somewhat elastic term, I agree. If a client is 10 time zones away, “without delay” means something different than if everyone lives in Coquitlam. There’s more. Rule 4.02 gives the seller some wiggle room to delay the presentation of offers in the hope of getting a bushel of them to consider.

For sellers who want to collect several offers (and for sellers who’d prefer not to have 27 buyer agents telling them in person why their buyers are such a nice couple), the Direction Regarding Presentation of Offers (DRPO) form is the ticket. When the sellers sign a completed DRPO form, they override the standard “without delay” requirement with a written instruction. Once the form is signed, you can post the form as an associated document, refer to it in R/Remarks, and wait for the presentation day—unless, of course, you’re telling the seller that you have received a short-fuse offer.

Some sellers will say, “Tell the buyers to cool their jets and wait for the presentation time.” But they could also say, “Oh yeah? Bring it over right now.” If this happens, you’ll need to jump through some additional hoops. You may, for example, need to prepare a new DRPO form and have the seller sign it; post it in associated documents to replace the previous form; adjust R/Remarks to reflect the new situation; and last but not least, contact all the buyer agents who’ve asked in writing to be kept informed about the different presentation time before you present the short-fused offer.

This is quite a complicated procedure. Wouldn’t it be a great idea to go over it with the sellers in advance so there’s less chance of miscommunication or head-scratching on the day? Come to think of it, reminding buyer agents in advance of the steps in this scenario isn’t a bad idea either.

Here's another communication nugget: Team member Fred gets a call from another REALTOR® who says he’s got a signed offer to present. It’s an important call. But Fred takes his time about advising his teammates. Or he forgets altogether, leaving his teammates twisting in the wind. Not a good situation to be in. If you’re on a team, think about how you share information with teammates and whether your information-sharing system is robust enough to withstand everyone who contacts you and other team members. Are you all on the same page all the time?

If you’ve ever made an offer in your advertising, make sure you first run your ad by the managing broker. For example, you could say, “List and sell your home through me and the next deal is on me.” To me, this means, “I will give my buyer agent commission back to my sellers when they buy their next property through me.” But since wording can be interpreted in different ways, it’s a good idea to get another pair of eyes on your ad before it runs. The relevant article in our R/Code is 15. Be clear and put your offer in writing. You have to note significant exceptions in the ad. It isn’t okay to say things like, “Some restrictions apply, contact me for details.” Be clear about what you mean. Use fewer words than more.

These are good things to think about.

Top Tip:

If you’re going to make an offer to give something substantial to someone if they do something you want them to do, remember you’re obliged to do it. You’ve made a promise to them in advance. So, if you’re going to offer to give someone a benefit for dealing with you, make sure you review it with your broker and then keep your promise. If you don’t, someone’s going to come after you, not to mention that the regulator and the Board may come knocking.

Why did I mention (above) talking to your broker before running the ad in which you make an offer? First, there’s the aspect of risk management. Second, there’s the conversation about whether it’s feasible. Third, there’s the audit of the ad copy to make sure it complies with Article 15 and RESA. And last but not least, there’s the conversation about whether your brokerage is liable for the promises you make.

There’s a school of thought saying that although you’re an independent contractor, if things go south, your brokerage will probably get named in the complaint or legal action as well. Talk it over with your broker first.

Speculation and Vacancy Tax declaration time, Home Owner Grant changes, and more on short-term rentals

 

Time to complete your speculation and vacancy tax declaration

Owners of residential property in communities where the speculation and vacancy tax applies will soon receive their declaration package. Here’s how to complete it.

Read more.

Home Owner Grant changes

Effective this year, all Home Owner Grant applications must be submitted directly to the province. Residents in municipalities no longer apply through their municipal office.

Read more.

Short-term rentals in Vancouver—what property managers need to know

The City of Vancouver introduced short-term rental (STR) regulations in 2020. Where are STRs allowed and what owners need to do to comply? Here’s what property managers need to know.

Read more.

Municipal short-term rental bylaws and policies

Throughout Greater Vancouver, each municipality deals with short-term rentals differently. Some permit them, some have lengthy conditions, and some don’t allow them. Here’s a detailed matrix.

Read more.

Remember to stay vigilant and follow COVID-19 safety protocols

With new COVID-19 cases still averaging around 500 a day in BC, your Board continues to strongly encourage you to adhere to the provincial health and WorkSafeBC guidelines for the profession.

Here are the most up to date safety protocols:

• Guidelines for showings
• Guidelines for offices and Managing Brokers
• WorkSafeBC Real Estate Guidelines

“REALTORS® have been named an essential service in this pandemic. With this designation comes a responsibility to do everything we can to follow the safety protocols in place for real estate,” said REBGV Chair Colette Gerber. “We can’t relent. We must remain committed to stopping the spread of this virus for the wellbeing of our clients, ourselves, and the long-term good of our community and profession.”

The real estate boards and regulatory bodies in our province continue to urge you not to hold open houses and to limit in-person interactions. Where possible, use technology-based solutions for activities such as showcasing a home, assessing neighbourhood amenities, and completing paperwork.

While Realtors are still permitted to conduct home showings, you’re expected to wear a mask at all times, to limit the number of people inside a home at once to six or less, and to ensure that people aren’t gathering outside of a home.

Schoolhouse Training Facility closed as of January 25

As we shared with you recently, we’re looking to end our lease at our Coquitlam Schoolhouse location given that we haven’t hosted an in-person course in 10 months.

We’re getting closer to finalizing this process. As a result, our Schoolhouse location has closed as of January 25.

Moving forward, we’ll continue to offer online courses after the pandemic is over. We’ll also resume in-person classroom courses when it’s safe to do so, but we don’t expect that to happen until late in 2021 at the earliest.

Every service that we provided from the Schoolhouse location, including a shipping service for your lockbox needs, remains available to you virtually.

For education needs, email education@rebgv.org or call 604-730-3087.

For lockboxes and other member services, email memberservices@rebgv.org or call 604-730-3090.