REALTOR® NEWSREALTOR® NEWS
November 15, 2018
Watch the news you need to know in 90 seconds.

Featured News

REBGV’s REALTOR® advertising campaign underway

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Your Board’s Realtor advertising campaign is in full swing. We began the month by placing articles in the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers on November 3 and 4 explaining the value of working with a Realtor.

We encourage you to read the article, and share and like it on social media.

You'll hear our radio advertisements during the coveted morning and afternoon drive hours on these stations:

  • CKNW 980 AM
  • QMFM 103.5 FM
  • Rock101 FM
  • News 1130 AM
  • JRFM 93.7 FM
  • The FOX 99.3 FM
  • Virgin Radio 94.5 FM
  • LG 1043 AM
  • Jack 96.9 FM
  • Z95.3 FM
  • AM 730

If you haven’t heard it yet, listen to our radio ad here.

The campaign also includes social media advertisements that'll run throughout November. We’ll add television and online video advertising in 2019. You can view these ads on Facebook, and we encourage you to share and like them.

The ads call on the public to “Take ownership of home ownership and choose the Realtor who’s right for you.”

We’ve hired Wasserman and Partners, one of the most well-regarded marketing and advertising firms in Vancouver, to help us develop the campaign.

The campaign is based on comprehensive public and member research. From this work, we developed a creative approach focused on helping to empower consumers throughout the home buying and selling process and increase their awareness about how hiring the right Realtor brings value to a transaction.

Board President Phil Moore announced the campaign in a video message in our last newsletter: Watch it here.

To learn more about the strategy behind the campaign, click here to watch representatives from Wasserman discuss it at our most recent member meeting. You can also view Wasserman’s PowerPoint presentation.

We’ll provide more information about this campaign, including the measurements we’re using to gauge its effectiveness, in the future.

The REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive is on now!

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The 24th REALTORS Care® Blanket Drive is in full swing!

Here’s how you and your clients can help:

  • Clear your closets. We’re looking for everything from gently used blankets and sleeping bags to coats, sweaters, and warm winter clothing like hats, scarves, and mittens.
  • New items are acceptable too—especially packages of new underwear and/or socks.
  • Visit www.blanketdrive.ca to find one of the over 150 locations where you can drop off your donations.
  • Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/blanketdrive and share your pictures and videos using the hashtag #RCBD2018.

Your support is essential to the success of the Blanket Drive. Last year, more than 38,000 people received a blanket, coat, or other donation.

Questions? Contact Fiona Youatt at fyouatt@rebgv.org.

Government appoints more licensees to the Real Estate Council

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The Real Estate Council of BC (Council) recently announced six new members and five reappointed members. Along with appointments made over the summer, Council now has 16 appointees.

Of those 16 appointees, four are current or former REALTORS®, which doubles the number of Realtors appointed to the previous Council. The four are:

  • Marianne Bond
  • Maggie Chan
  • Ruth Hanson
  • Sukh Sidhu

We’ve advocated for the inclusion of more licensees on the Council to ensure they have the level of industry knowledge necessary to operate effectively.

Learn more about the new Council appointees.  

The Ethics Guy®: Strata specifications — more is indeed better

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With a deadline looming, I was trolling through my “columns I should write next” folder when I came across a member’s message I’d filed away with the intention of using one day. I’m grateful to this member and to all of you who send me ideas for my column. It can be tough to find new and interesting topics to discuss every two weeks.

This brings me to the member’s message. It can be no picnic selling strata properties. With all the paperwork members must obtain, review, assess, discuss, and disclose, coupled with the occasional (but inevitable) issue that comes from multiple families living within the same structure, give me a standard lot with a 50-year-old Vancouver Special on it any day. Selling one of these has always been less stressful, at least for me.

Back to our member who specializes in strata. Here are his concerns.

Sorry, but I can’t help but add that fields like “Exposure” are important to buyers who will often say “no west facing” or “no east facing” or whatever their preference is. I spend considerable time looking up strata plans to avoid the embarrassment of arriving at an open house with an east-facing balcony when my client clearly told me that they only want to face west.

If you have the strata plan, which you should have before posting so you can check the size of the suite (Oh dear, am I starting to talk about the frustration when agents post total sq. ft. from their floor measuring company and fail to identify what the strata plan actually says?), then you can look for the north arrow and identify the exposure. Easier still, use the compass app on your trusty iPhone or whatever.

Is there a view? I mean a real view?

Under “outdoor area,” if it’s an enclosed balcony, then it’s not an outdoor area. If the rooftop deck is a common one and not private, then say so.

If the property is tenanted, is it leased for the next two years, or month to month?

Given that a purchase or a sale can result in a good-sized commission, I don’t think there’s any excuse for laziness or ignorance about one’s listing.

The simple solution is to do what I and an increasing number of good agents are doing: add a page with “offer notes” or “helpful information” in PDF format in the Documents link on the listing. There’s no end to the amount of information and answers to the usual questions that can be provided here from a detailed list of included and excluded items, tenancy details, sellers preferred dates, bylaw restrictions, etc.

As listing inventories increase, we need to work harder than ever to make sure that our listings end up on buyer agents’ lists of properties to show. Make it easy for colleagues to sell your listing and they’ll happily repay you by putting your seller’s place at the top of their list. Make it easy for colleagues to reach you. Fill in as many of the fields on the Data Input Form as you can, including the optional ones. Take really good pictures. Accurately describe the features of the property and have all the documents ready to go. You and your seller will be rewarded with buyer interest and, likely, a quicker sale if you do.

Top Tip: What does 'sold by' mean?

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A member phoned me to discuss a colleague’s “sold by” advertising, expressing the concern that the claim was not, in his opinion, entirely accurate. (We had a good discussion and I promised to mention it in my next Top Tip.) Apparently, the member’s listing had been sold by a buyer’s agent. The member phoning me thought that only the buyer’s agent should be saying “sold by,” not the seller’s agent. One can imagine the seller’s agent saying in reply, “Hey, that’s my listing. It sold and now that the property is sold, and since it was my listing, why would it be inaccurate for me to say ‘sold by?’”

I don’t know what a judge would say or, for that matter, what the Professional Conduct Committee might think if the question were put before it. But the discussion illustrates an important consideration when members advertise what they’ve been up to. It’s a good idea to consider how your target audience might react to your advertising. The REALTOR® Code and our Rules of Cooperation both have general standards requiring that member advertising be accurate. “Puffery” sometimes intrudes and our catchy slogans can sometimes be misinterpreted, so it doesn’t hurt to keep this in mind when you’re composing your next ad.

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Cannabis legalization, help with heating costs, speculation tax details, and more …

Market slowdown to continue

New and resale housing market activity is forecast to slow in the coming year, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Find out why and by how much.

Read more.

Nine ways cannabis legalization could affect your business

Some local municipalities are scrambling to enact bylaws to stop cannabis greenhouses on agricultural land and to regulate whether cannabis can be sold in retail outlets in the local community, while strata councils and landlords are looking for guidance for owners and tenants growing their own.

Read more.

New $24 million program helps home owners save on heating

For home owners facing increasing heating costs, a new provincial program provides up to $14,000 for a home and $200,000 for a commercial business to switch to high-efficiency heating.

Read more.

The new Speculation and Vacancy Tax

BC government is implementing a Speculation and Vacancy tax. Learn where in the province your clients will pay it, how much they’ll pay, and who is exempt (it’s a long list).

Read more.

More changes to the BC Building Code

Members working with builders and developers will find free seminars on changes to the BC Building code useful.

Read more.

Celebrate the holidays in style!

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Join us as we celebrate Christmas Vegas style! The party will feature casino tables, an Elvis impersonator, dancing and delicious bites all evening long.

Your colleagues, friends and family are welcome to join you if they’re 19 or older. Real estate industry affiliated guests and office staff are also welcome.

Attendees will be entered to win a trip for two to Las Vegas including flights and hotel!

It all goes down at 7 pm on December 13 at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown, 6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby. Early bird tickets are $59 + GST, and $69 + GST after December 3.

We encourage all attendees to celebrate responsibly. Here are a few options to consider:

  1. Book a room at the Hilton, starting at $122 - call 604-639-3762; or
  2. Get a minimum 15 per cent discount on transportation by booking a ride with Elite Limousine Service before December 1. Call 604-433-1900 or email info@elitelimo.ca and include the promo code VIVA18.  

Net proceeds go to REALTORS CARE® Shelter Drive Charities.

Get your tickets today! Register online or contact Member Services at 604-730-3090 or memberservices@rebgv.org.

Other News

Send us your real estate stories to help us celebrate your Board’s centennial!

Next year your Board is turning 100! To help celebrate this milestone, we want to share your stories about the profession.

What kind of stories are we looking for?

Anything related to the profession, including stories about:

  • giving back to the community;
  • how the profession has changed over your career; and
  • fun, interesting, or downright bizarre events that can only happen in this business.

If you have a story to tell, share it with us by writing Jesse Lalime at jlalime@rebgv.org.

Rules of Cooperation changes in effect — learn more about these changes

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Changes to the Rules of Cooperation went into effect on November 1. The changes include new rules, adjustments to existing rules, and a new form.

We’ve created several resources to help you understand and comply with these changes.

Ethics Guy® resources

The Ethics Guy®, Kim Spencer, has created a series of top tip videos that explain the changes. There are 10 videos in total – click here to watch them.

He’s also detailed the changes, including rationales for each one, in a two-part article: read both part one and part two to learn more.

Other resources

To compare the old and new rules side-by-side to help you see what’s changing, check out this guide.

You can also download the new Direction Regarding Presentation of Offers form here.

Sub area changes: Update your saved searches

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Sub area changes in Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Ladner go into effect November 27. We’ve created a series of maps that slide between the old and new boundaries so you can see where the changes are happening. Click here to view them.

If you've saved searches in a sub area that’s changing, you’ll need to update them on or after November 27. If you’ve embedded any links from REBGV Stats Centre that reference a sub area that’s changing, you’ll need to update those links on or after November 27 as well.

Need help? Contact the Help Desk at 604-730-3020.

Take Touchbase on the go with SM2 app

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The Touchbase SM2 mobile app makes it easy to schedule appointments and showings on the go!

SM2 is available to members at no additional cost in the Apple App and Google Play stores. Here’s a summary of SM2’s features:

Responsive interface

Whether you work with a phone or a tablet when you’re on the go, SM2’s responsive interface allows you to work quickly and smoothly.

Customize your listings

Save time and increase efficiency by adding custom notes, showing instructions, lockbox information, and showing availability times to your listings. You can also auto-confirm showings or block requests for certain times.

Listing reports

Generate reports for your listings that detail showing activity and feedback from other Realtors. Share these reports with your clients!

Calendar integration

Every showing and appointment you book automatically updates in your calendar.

Send multiple requests at once

SM2’s multi-showings tool lets you book up to 12 showings at once.

Watch this video to learn more about using the SM2 app.

Questions? Contact the Help Desk at 604-730-3020.

Let’s honour exceptional REALTORS®!

Our profession is full of people who care about their clients, their profession, and their communities.

It’s time once again to honour these exceptional REALTORS®. Help us find them by nominating one for the Professional Excellence Award or the REALTORS Care® Award. Here are the details:

The Professional Excellence Award

This is the most distinguished award your Board offers. Recipients demonstrate a lifelong pattern of professionalism, community service, learning, and a dedication to their clients.

Past Professional Excellence award winners include Cal Lindberg, Sandra Wyant, and Eileen Smith.

Do you know a Realtor who fits this description? Nominate them here.

The REALTORS Care® Award

This award recognizes Realtors and real estate offices that go the extra mile when it comes to community service. Recipients are fundraisers, event organizers and planners, and people who bring their communities together and make a difference in people’s lives.

Past REALTORS Care® award winners include John Patricelli, Patsy Hui, and Tom and Kerrie Everitt.

Do you know a Realtor or an office that fits this description? Nominate them here.

Nominations for both awards are due January 18, 2019.

Questions? Contact Fiona Youatt at 604-730-3068.

BC Real Estate Association is moving

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As of November 19, the BC Real Estate Association’s (BCREA’s) new address is:

1425–1075 West Georgia Street
Vancouver, BC
V6E 3C9

BCREA’s offices will be closed from 1 p.m. today (November 15) until Tuesday, November 20. BCREA’s Learner Support Team will be available via phone and email for urgent matters during regular hours today and Monday, November 19.

If you have Legal Update inquiries on November 16, email rep@bcrea.bc.ca. For Applied Practice Course inquiries, email apc@bcrea.bc.ca.

Make sure you’ve completed Council’s mandatory agency course

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The next time you renew your real estate license with the Real Estate Council of BC (Council), you’ll need to show that you’ve completed their new mandatory course, Rule Changes: Agency and Disclosure.

This is a new requirement for all BC REALTORS®, introduced with the June 15 rule changes. You need to complete this course in addition to meeting the Relicensing Education Program requirements (Council’s Legal Update course) and Professional Development Program (courses offered by the Board) requirements to renew your licence.

Rule Changes: Agency and Disclosure is a self-paced online course. You’ll learn:

  • when to use the new disclosure forms;
  • the reasons for the changes to agency and disclosure;
  • how you may need to adapt your day-to-day business practices; and
  • how to communicate effectively with consumers about the required disclosures and changes to agency.

You can register online for this course through the Council.

Course details

  • There are five online modules, each of which contains a lesson and an assessment. You must score 70 per cent or higher to pass each assessment.
  • The course should take approximately five to six hours to complete. You must complete it within three days of registration.
  • The cost of the course is $75 plus tax.

You can review the full details on Council’s website.

Questions? Contact education@recbc.ca

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