Featured News
Notice of Annual General Meeting on March 13
Dear member,
On Wednesday, March 13, 2019, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Delta Burnaby Hotel and Conference Centre, 4331 Dominion Street in Burnaby.
We’re holding the meeting on March 13 because it marks 100 years, to the day, since our founding! Help us celebrate this special occasion!
I encourage all members to attend.
Here are the meeting details:
Pre-register
To help us prepare, please confirm your attendance with Member Services by calling 604-730-3090 or emailing memberservices@rebgv.org. You can also register online (login required) or on the day of the meeting.
Meeting package
Click here to download the AGM package.
This document includes:
- Notice of Annual General Meeting
- Annual General Meeting Agenda
- Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on March 27, 2018
- Proposed amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws
- Instructions for Proxy Form
- AGM Voting Proxy Form
- REBGV AGM meeting rules (2019)
- Financial statements for the year ending on December 31, 2018
Meeting day
The event will begin at 8 a.m. with registration and a hot breakfast. The AGM will begin at 9 a.m.
Keynote speaker Leonard Brody
After the AGM, entrepreneur and Creative Labs co-founder Leonard Brody will give a keynote address (approximately 11 a.m.).
Brody was recently named one of the top 30 up-and-coming management thinkers in the world. He’s an award-winning venture capitalist, bestselling author, and a two-time Emmy-nominated media visionary. He also oversees new ventures for some of the most well-known celebrities and political leaders around the world.
Who can attend?
All members can attend. You’ll need to present your membership ID at the door for admission.
Proxy forms
A proxy form allows you to assign your vote to another member if you’re unable to attend. Remember: you can only bring one proxy form. All other forms will be voided.
What you’re voting on
- Special Resolution 1 - to delete transitional provisions put in place in 2017 when members voted to end the Area structure. At that time, those Area chairs automatically served as Directors as per our bylaws. The terms for those Directors have all expired as of this year, so the transition rules are no longer applicable.
- Special Resolution 2 - to limit Directors’ terms to a consecutive period of no more than six years, and a cumulative lifetime maximum of 10 years, both of which exclude years served as President, President-Elect, and past President.
- Special Resolution 3 - would entrench the longstanding practice of past REBGV presidents not returning to serve as a Director except to carry out their one-year term as immediate past president.
I hope to see you there.
Sincerely,
Brad Scott
Chief Executive Officer
Learn more about Collaboration Centre’s Seller’s Portal
The next Paragon update, on February 27, will deliver the Seller’s Portal to the Collaboration Centre. The Seller’s Portal will allow you to share information about how your client’s listing is performing in the market.
When you set up this feature for your client, you’re providing a private communication portal with them. Within this portal, you’ll be able to show your clients how many times their listing has been shared, viewed, and included in searches. You can also automate this information into daily or weekly reports for them.
The Seller’s Portal also keeps your clients apprised of new showing requests, lets you set up appointments, and relay feedback from REALTORS® who’ve shown your listing to potential buyers.
This document shows you how to set up the Seller’s Portal.
Other enhancements
The quick search on Paragon’s home page will be enhanced to include the results counter at the top of the search box – no more scrolling down to see the updated search results.
BC Budget 2019, influencing municipal government, FINTRAC transaction guide, and restricting large cash payments
BC Budget 2019
The latest BC Budget, tabled on February 19 by Finance Minister Carole James, offers nothing to help home buyers – whether they’re first-timers or trading up. There's some funding for renters and to combat money laundering.
Influencing municipal government
Local governments have significant powers over the availability and the cost of market homes. Here’s a summary of what we’re doing to ensure the voice of REALTORS® is heard at the municipal level.
No more large cash payments at City of Vancouver
The City of Vancouver no longer accepts cash payments of $10,000 or more. The rule came about after a taxpayer brought in a bag of cash to pay property taxes.
FINTRAC publishes new suspicious transactions guidance
The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre (FINTRAC) updated three guidance documents focused on Suspicious Transaction Reports and Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing indicators. Familiarize yourself with them.
New video from the Ethics Guy® Kim Spencer
In his latest Top Tip video, the Ethics Guy® Kim Spencer and real estate lawyer Brian Taylor discuss the issue of bringing a buyer to a property you gave a listing presentation to.
The Ethics Guy®: Legal Update, 2019 — It’ll be time well spent
I was given the opportunity to preview Legal Update, 2019 a while back. And although I understand the newish combination of online and in-class work is causing some members’ heartburn, I think that after you’ve taken the course, you’ll consider the effort time well spent.
Similar to the online agency course, the Legal Update, 2019 reading materials reminded me of all the real estate-related issues and details I hadn’t thought about in a while or had forgotten entirely.
The in-class session and course manual are really solid and include up-to-the-minute court and Council decisions that may give you pause for further reflection – which is the whole point. It’s often easy to just focus on the work we’re doing right now and the knowledge we need to do it. Using the wider scope of a course like Legal Update, 2019 helps us understand the professional experiences of our colleagues, and makes us much better at what we do, at least in my book.
There’s a whole garden of good information to take in when you attend the course. For example, it does a terrific job of dealing with professional risk management. While there’s a full-day PDP course you can take on this subject, in the meantime, I think you’ll find what Legal Update, 2019 says about managing your risk very valuable. What do you do when you encounter a professional risk? What are your options? The course looks at ways of dealing with risk, including treating the risk; transferring the risk (to someone else); tolerating the risk (accepting it and hoping for the best); and terminating the risk (sometimes, leaving the relationship).
For example, say you’ve given your clients advice they don’t want to take. A typical manifestation of this is suggesting they get legal advice, but they don’t want to spend money on a lawyer. They’d rather you give them legal advice, instead. Even though you’ve reminded them you’re not a lawyer, they still want you to weigh in with an opinion. But if they rely on your opinion and it turns out to be incorrect, what’s to stop them from claiming later on that they relied on what you said, and that you should have recommended they talk to a lawyer? He said/she said evidence comes down to who the judge (or Council) believes.
To avoid this situation, make a note in your file and send a follow-up message to the clients confirming your advice. In other words, you’re leaving a written record that you’ve suggested the client get expert advice that you’re not able to give. By doing this, you’re helping the clients get the information they need, but you’re also taking reasonable steps to transfer the professional risk back to them and the expert they retain.
There’s also a side order of risk tolerance in this scenario too. If the clients won’t get legal advice, and you want to remain in the relationship, you’ve taken action to tolerate the risk by taking notes and sending a follow-up email message reiterating your advice.
It’s good advice to be reminded of, even if you’ve heard this information before.
TOP TIP: Refrain from sending mass emails
It’s time for my periodic reminder to refrain from sending mass email messages about new listings, price reductions, and open houses to your colleagues, unless they’ve opted in to receive the messages.
We understand these types of communications aren’t captured by CASL (anti-spam) legislation, because they’re business-to-business communications. However, many members consider these messages spam and want their colleagues to stop sending them.
There are good business reasons for respecting the spirit of anti-spam rules. Annoying your colleagues by sending them messages about your listings may do more harm than good, because some recipients may be tempted to show other listings, not yours, and their irritation may spill over into future relationships. Why take the risk?
Your new listing is likely posted on the Multiple Listing Service®, the best marketing vehicle ever conceived. It doesn’t really need you sending mass email messages to members who haven’t asked to receive them.
Ten ways to keep safe at open houses
Even though it might not feel like it just yet, spring is around the corner. This typically means more listings coming onto the market and more open houses.
Open houses are a good way to market a home and find prospective clients, however, there are risks ranging from theft of property to physical assault.
Some members have reported safety issues they've recently encountered at open houses. Here are 10 tips to help you protect yourself and the homes you show at open houses:
- Check all rooms and determine escape routes when you enter a home for the first time. Ensure you can escape from a backyard if you flee through a back door.
- Unlock all deadbolts so you can escape faster.
- Jot down car descriptions, license plate numbers and physical descriptions when attendees arrive.
- Always walk behind the attendee and show the house by directing, not leading, them.
- Watch what attendees are doing at all times. Don't become preoccupied with viewing the home.
- Never advertise a property as vacant, especially online.
- Notify someone in your office or a friend that you’ll call every hour on the hour. If you don't call, they should notify police immediately.
- Tell a neighbour that you’re showing the house and ask him or her to be aware of anything out of the ordinary.
- Ask your clients to consider locking their valuables in a safe or storing them at a relative’s house.
- Have another Realtor join you at your open house to help monitor attendees.
Most importantly, trust your instincts. If you sense someone is up to no good, keep a close eye on them, and always do what you need to do to remove yourself from an uncomfortable situation.
Give back to your profession - volunteer with us!
Get to know your real estate colleagues, learn more about your profession, and gain other benefits by volunteering with your Board!
The first step is to create your profile on our volunteer website. That’s where you can tell us how you’d like to volunteer.
Once you complete your profile, we’ll let you know when there’s a volunteer opportunity that matches your preferences.
What opportunities are available?
Board events: We hold many events each year, from municipal updates to sports tournaments. We always need help with set-up, registration, and day-of operations.
Community outreach: We support several initiatives and charitable activities you can help with. Examples include our REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive, the Real Thanksgiving Meal in Maple Ridge, and other community programs.
Committees, task forces, and focus groups: Our committees depend on volunteers to advise on key Board services such as government advocacy, arbitration, and the enforcement of REBGV’s rules. We also form member task forces and focus groups to get your thoughts and knowledge on REBGV products, services, and initiatives.
100 years of volunteering
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Leon Prescesky |
The spirit of volunteerism has been a vital part of our membership over the last 100 years. Here’s what one of our members, Leon Prescesky of Sutton Group – Seafair Realty, has to say about volunteering:
“Congratulations to the members of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver for 100 years of exceptional public service. Service is giving, and I am honoured to be one of the thousands of volunteers to have given time and expertise to help the organization strengthen and enhance professionalism, communication, and understanding between Realtors and the general public. By giving and volunteering I step out of my daily grind to stay connected with the bigger picture. On the shoulders of many, I look forward to more successful years in connecting us with the community.”
Other News
New Council suspension available
The Real Estate Council of British Columbia regularly posts disciplinary decisions on their website. Click here for the latest rulings.
Virtual Office Websites FAQ
You can now display home sale prices and other information on your Virtual Office Website (VOW). Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the change.
What's a VOW and why would I use it?
A VOW is a password-protected area of your website where you can allow clients to see active listings, previous home sale prices, pending home sale prices where no conditions remain other than closing, cooperating commissions, and more.
How do I get sold data on my VOW?
Whether you already have a VOW or are interested in getting one, you’ll need to sign a new contract with us. You can request a contract online here.
I’ve completed and returned the forms to REBGV – what do I do now?
Contact your website service provider. They’ll provide you with the next steps to get the data flowing to your VOW.
What's a website service provider, and do I need one?
A service provider is a company that builds real estate marketing websites. Providers need to have an agreement with the Board to provide VOW services.
You don’t need a provider to build a VOW, however, the process is complicated and requires specialized knowledge.
Talk to your website provider to see if they have the expertise and agreement in place to provide a VOW. If you need help finding a website provider, see the list below.
What providers already have VOW agreements with the Board?
The following providers have VOW agreements with us:
- Base 10 Design & Development (RealtyNinja)
- Combustion Labs Media Inc. (Ubertor Inc.)
- HBN Media/Commissions Inc
- Heatlist Age Consulting Inc
- MyRealPage
- Pixilink Solutions Ltd.
- Real Estate WebMasters
- RealPageMaker
- Realty Bloc
- Redplug Internet Services
- Virtually Canadian
Are there additional fees to display sold data on my VOW?
There are no additional fees from the Board to provide this information.
More questions?
Email idx@rebgv.org.
Include the Contract of Purchase and Sale with your sales report forms
To streamline sales reporting, every sales report form you submit to the MLS® department must also include the Contract of Purchase and Sale (CPS).
MLS® staff often need to follow up with a brokerage when information is missing on the sales report form. Including the CPS with the sales report form will help mitigate this issue. This change will help shorten delays with documentation for interboard sales and help reduce price discrepancies related to the GST on new developments.
If you have questions, please email James Lindow at jlindow@rebgv.org.
Take a new or updated PDP course
Recently revised: Rental Property Issues and Implications for REALTORS®
Did you know that the Real Estate Services Act requires you and your brokerage to carry additional licenses and permissions to provide rental services?
This six-credit, category B PDP course uses a case study to help you understand the legislation and how it applies to you and your clients. It covers the risks, liabilities, and disclosure requirements associated with managing rental properties. If you have a trading services license and want to deal with rental properties, take this course first.
The next course is April 9 in Vancouver. Visit our course catalogue for more details and to register.
New: Handling Contingent Listings Successfully
Do you know what a contingent listing is and how to handle one?
A contingency can take several forms depending on the seller’s requirements. It can cover items such as restricted showing times, who may attend the offer presentation, when the offers will be presented, or circumstances where a party may receive a reduced commission for the sale of the property. These are legal instructions that the listing agent follows, and they must be communicated in the published listing.
This six-credit, category B, PDP course teaches you how to properly handle a contingent listing, how to deal with changes, and how to respond to buyer agents when the contingency is in effect. You’ll also learn how to make you (and your brokerage) compliant with Section 3.20 of the Rules of Cooperation.
The first course is March 22 at our Schoolhouse Training Facility in Coquitlam. Visit our course catalogue for more details and to register.
Questions? Email education@rebgv.org or call 604-730-3087.
Obituary: Oliver Kuys
Former real estate broker Oliver Kuys passed away in January. He was 94.
Oliver was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He started a night school program for local youth in Cape Town while studying civil engineering. After earning his degree, he took a job in Montreal in 1948. Three years later, he moved to Vancouver.
His real estate career began in 1981 when he became the associate broker for Fuller & Associates Realtors Inc. He worked there for nearly 10 years before moving to New City Realty Corp. in 1991. He was most recently an associate broker with William Parton Agencies Ltd.
Friends and colleagues remember Oliver as a charming man who was generous with his time and exemplified professionalism. He loved his family and friends, and his adopted home of Vancouver. He’d often comment how great it was that in Vancouver one could ski in the morning and sail in the afternoon.
He was predeceased by his sons Adrian (Cathy) and Philip, his son-in-law Don, and sister Elsabe. He’s survived by his wife of 62 years, Jane, along with his daughters Caroline (Brian) and Joanna (Csaba), granddaughters Sophia and Diana, nephews Frank and Eric, and extended family in South Africa, the US, and UK.
We’re sharing stories from our 100 years in business to celebrate our centennial. Learn more about your Board’s history and share these stories with pride!
Through Lions Gate
In the 1960s, the Board put a plan in motion that would showcase Greater Vancouver to the world.
The Board first published Through Lions Gate: A Pictorial Tour of Greater Vancouver in 1966. It was dedicated to the citizens of Greater Vancouver.
Fred Russell, a past REBGV president who was the chair of our Public Relations Committee at the time, first conceived the idea of a book. The concept was brought to life through the work of another past president, Ted Henderson, the Board’s staff photographer, Ted Cholowski, and public relations officer Anne Broadfoot. A member named Bill Clarke won a contest that gave the book its title.
It was a hot item in 1966, so much so that the first order of 7,500 copies depleted within a month of its release. The book also earned Huck Wenaus, Board president in 1966, the July man-of-the-month award from the Greater Vancouver Visitors and Convention Bureau for a “significant contribution to the tourist industry in Greater Vancouver.”
The book got the attention of other companies as well, including Canadian Pacific Airlines. Copies were available in five languages (English, German, French, Italian, and Japanese), and it was later available in a calendar format. The Board also ensured non-profit and educational organizations would receive free copies.
Over the years, we revised the book seven times to stay up-to-date on new developments and buildings. The last revision was done in advance of Expo 86.
The Board circulated some 200,000 copies of Through Lions Gate across the globe during its 20-plus years of existence. It holds the distinction of being the first four-colour pictorial book ever published in Canada.
