REAL info JULY ● 2015
News and Resource for MEMBERS
MLS ®/TECHNOLOGY New dates for access to Matrix and the Regional MLS® System! – page 2 MLS® Dailies End September 2015 – page 2
MEMBER SERVICES Professional development for REALTORS® – page 3 Hamilton " Property Inquiry" has moved – page 3 Record turnout for RAHB General Membership Meeting – page 4 Realty Shoppe – page 5 Commercial Conference registration open – page 5 Say #NoMLTT in #HamOnt – page 6 MLS® activity for the month of June – page 6
R AHB NEWS RAHB welcomes new members – page 7 Scholarship application now available – page 7 Milestones – Retirement – page 7 Search Tips – page 8 City of Hamilton – The Americas Investment Playbook – page 8 Bill 55 now in effect – page 8
CREA/OREA/RECO NEWS E-signatures now allowed! – page 9 RECO News – page 9
MARK YOUR CALENDAR What's coming up at RAHB – page 9
Empowering REALTORS ® to Succeed
Download Full Edition
News and Resource for Members
Mission Statement Empowering REALTORS® to Succeed President Donna Bacher
905.574.4600
President-Elect Kim Alvarez 905.335.3042 Vice-President Lou Piriano 905.628.6625 Immediate Past President Tim Mattioli 905.575.5478 Directors Ann Forbes Arndt 905.574.3038 Gary Herron 905.388.1110 Peter Holgate 905.637.1070 Jack Loft 905.304.3303 Sean Morrison 905.662.6666 Dave Nichols 905.634.7755 Gloria Payton 905.574.9889 Heidi Van der Marel 905.664.7900
REALinfo is published monthly by the REALTORS® Association of HamiltonBurlington (RAHB) 505 York Boulevard, Hamilton ON L8R 3K4 T.: 905.529.8101 F.: 905.529.4349 MLS® F.: 905.529.6636 Help Desk T.: 905.667.4650 Realty Shoppe: T.: 905.529.5979 F.: 905.529.7109 Email: info@rahb.ca Web site: www.rahb.ca Intranet site: www.realtorlink.ca Editor: Valerie Webster Editorial Assistant: Sheila Sferrazza Design: Maggie Inglis In-house Products: RAHB Print Services
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MLS ®/TECHNOLOGY New dates for access to Matrix and the Regional MLS® System! After a brief delay due to development delays, a new date has been set for RAHB and the rest of the STARRS group to access Matrix, the platform for the new Regional MLS® System. There will be a “parallel” period when Fusion and Matrix will run side-by-side – this will begin near the end of August (final date to be released soon). During the parallel period, you will be able to get information in Matrix and set up some of your personal preferences, but you will not be able to broker load or edit in Matrix; those functions will still be done in Fusion. Final cutover to Matrix – when access to Fusion is cut off – will be Tuesday, September 29. At this point, all listing functions will be done in Matrix.
Cutover to the Regional MLS System is taking place in two stages: the Cambridge, Guelph and KitchenerWaterloo associations will access ®
Matrix July 27 for the beginning of their parallel period. They will have their final cutover on August 25, right around the time when RAHB, the other members of the STARRS group and the Oakville-Milton association enter their parallel period. This two-stage access should work to our advantage, as most of the inevitable bugs should be worked out by the beginning of the second stage parallel period. You will be receiving more information about Matrix, the Regional MLS® System and what you can do to prepare for cutover – watch for issues of The Switch coming to your email inbox. In the meantime, more information is available: RAHB information: REALTOR Link® > MLS® > Regionalization Regional information: http://onregionalinfo.ca
This just in!
Matrix orientations have been rescheduled for August 25 and 26, 2015.
MLS® Dailies End September 2015 RAHB will be discontinuing Topsheets and Dailies as of September 24, 2015. This will (approximately) coincide with the cutover to Matrix.
and Dailies will be able to set up their own Hotsheets and Market Watcher in Matrix and customize the information they wish to see.
All of the information in the Topsheets and Dailies will be searchable in Matrix. Members who currently access Topsheets
Information about how to set up Hotsheet and Market Watch charts will be available well in advance to the cutover to Matrix.
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Established in 1921, the REALTORS Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) represents more than 2,700 real estate brokers and salespersons from Hamilton, Burlington, and surrounding areas. Members of the association may use the REALTOR® trademark, which identifies them as real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics. The Association operates the local Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System and provides ongoing professional education courses for its members. In addition, RAHB is an active participant in the Home Ownership Affordability Partnership (HOAP) and holds an annual auction in support of local charities. Advertisements of local MLS® property listings and information about the services provided by a REALTOR® can be found at www.REALTOR.ca. More information about RAHB is available at www.rahb.ca. ®
News and Resource for Members
MEMBER SERVICES Professional development for REALTORS® Sign up for these great courses! Go Paperless Tuesday, July 28, 2015 10 a.m. – Noon FREE
Lunch and Learn – How Money Works Tuesday, August 25, 2015 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Come for lunch (on us) and learn how to make your money work for you FREE
HST for the Real Estate Professional September 17, 2015 10 a.m. – Noon FREE
Commercial Numbers September 17, 2015 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. $45 + HST
Spring into Style with Home Staging September 21, 2015 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. FREE
Designation Course Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) Wednesday and Thursday, August 26 and 27, 2015 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day $299 + HST
Note: New for RAHB! We will be offering courses required for and leading to the ABR designation. This first course is a core course for the ABR designation. For more information about the ABR, go to http://rebac.net/abr/FAQs
Ethics and Business Practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, October 27, 28 and 29, 2015 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. each day $ 595 + HST
Note: Take this course as a standalone course or apply it toward an REIC designation program such as Fellow of the Real Estate Institute (FRI). For more information about the FRI and other REIC designations, go to http://www.reic.ca/DESIGNATIONS.
Professional Development Days – All new courses! October 6 – 8, 2015 Courses offered during Professional Development Days are free for RAHB members who register prior to September 4; courses are $25 + HST each after September 4. Note: members who register but do not attend will have a $15 + HST “no show” fee applied to their RAHB account for each course they register for but do not attend.
October 6, 2015 50 Top Sales Tips – Michael Appleton 10 a.m. - Noon The Four Pillars of Income in Real Estate – Michael Appleton, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Wednesday, October 7, 2015 GeoWarehouse: New Product Update – Theresa Corin, 10 a.m. – Noon Social Media Sales Funny – Rebecca Mountain 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Thursday, October 8, 2015 When Things Go Wrong – Mark Weisleder 10 a.m. – Noon Estate Planning – Ed Ounpuu, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
All sessions held at the RAHB office, McCullough Rooms (lower level) For more information or to register, contact Angela at the RAHB office (angelam@rahb.ca or 905.529.8101 x233).
Hamilton's "Property Inquiry" has moved The City of Hamilton launched its new website in June and, as a result, the property tax inquiry page has moved.
You will have to accept the terms of use before you can search by address or roll number.
Go to Property Inquiry page (http://www.hamilton.ca/ home-property-and-development/property-taxes/ property-inquiry) then click “Property Inquiry Tool”.
The link to this information in Fusion>WebTools has been updated.
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News and Resource for Members
Record turnout for RAHB General Membership Meeting
It was standing room only at the General Membership Meeting at the Burlington Holiday Inn on June 24, where members approved Bylaw changes to separate the MLS® Rules and Regulations and Bylaw. Members in attendance in person and by proxy voted 86 per cent in favour of the change. This effectively cleared the way for RAHB to continue moving forward with the Regional MLS® System.
RAHB was the last of the eight participating associations to ensure its Rules and Regulations and Bylaw are separate documents, which is a requirement for participation in the regional system.
Other highlights of the meeting 503 members attended and 126 proxies were registered for the meeting – the largest attendance in memory RAHB made use of secure voting devices (or “clickers” as they were called at the meeting) to record members’ votes. The clickers replaced the traditional red and green voting cards
Members in attendance were encouraged to tweet their questions or comments on Twitter RAHB Past President Dan Gies, Chair of the Ontario Regional Technology & Information Services (ORTIS) Board of Directors, gave an update on ORTIS and the Regional MLS® System
Bob van de Vrande (Apex Results Realty Inc.) presented a motion requiring greater transparency about professional standards, discipline and arbitration violations and fines. (Information was provided to all members prior to the meeting and will also be included in upcoming annual reports.)
Lynne Riddell (Keller Williams Edge Realty) won the draw for 2016 RAHB dues
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Following the meeting, Michael Lane of ShowingTime demonstrated features of the appointment scheduling program which will be integrated into Matrix. (For more information about ShowingTime, watch the video at https://player.vimeo.com/video/117216129.)
News and Resource for Members
Realty Shoppe Did you know... the Shoppe sells DISCOUNTED attraction tickets for personal use and client gifts:
Shoppe online http://shoppe.rahb.ca/rahb
NEW items in the Shoppe Offer Summary Document (OREA Form 801) For
use with Agreement of Purchase and Sale New form for brokerages to use to comply with the requirements of Bill 55 Pad of 25
1
$ .05 /pad*
Please call ahead to confirm availability. Purchase in person - FINAL SALE /no refunds or exchanges
Customer Appreciation Draw
Feature Sheet Stand
Drop by the Realty Shoppe and enter today! RAHB members who make a purchase, in person, before July 30, can enter their business card to win two Canada’s Wonderland Adult tickets (good for any one day of the 2015 season).
$
9.20 ea.*
Clear
acrylic with two business card pockets Display your 8 ½ x 11 feature sheets prominently
* All applicable taxes are extra. Prices subject to change.
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. T.: 905.529.5979 F.: 905.529.7109 E.: realtyshoppe@rahb.ca
Commercial Conference registration open The 2015 Canadian Commercial Conference will be held in Winnipeg from September 30 to October 2. This conference will offer topics such as emerging trends in REITS, the changing face of office space, how to benefit from global opport- unities and more including Commercial Real Estate Negotiations and Leasing for Retail Landlords and Commercial Tenants courses
Keynote
speakers Christopher Leinberger (land use strategist, President of Locus and professor at
George Washington University) on Changing Dynamics, New Perspectives in the U.S. and Canada, and Glen Hodgson (Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the Conference Board of Canada) on Commercial Real Estate in Canada, an Economic Outlook
A
live “haves and wants” session
Networking
with commercial REALTORS® from across Canada. This conference is open to all REALTORS®. More information and registration through www.events.crea.ca.
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News and Resource for Members
Say #NoMLTT in #HamOnt
! N O
On June 22, Hamilton Councillor A. Johnson filed a notice of motion regarding a Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT). The motion, if passed on July 8, would instruct City staff to investigate the pros and cons of asking the Province for special taxation powers.
W E
Come out to City Hall on July 8 at 9:30 a.m. to show your opposition to this tax.
W
According to the report Potential Economic Implications of the Municipal Land Transfer Tax in the Selected Ontario Municipalities conducted by Altus Group Economic Consulting, the economic impacts of an MLTT in Hamilton alone are predicted as follows: Loss
of $342 million in economic activity Loss of 2,240 jobs Loss of $116 million in wages and salaries For more information, visit http://donttaxmydream.ca/.
MLS® activity for the month of June Watch your email for the monthly stats release and charts. New for 2015 – the stats maps and pie charts will be included with your monthly stats email.
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You can also find the RAHB stats on: www.rahb.ca, REALTOR Link®: Market Data & Stats, RAHB blog: http://blog.rahb.ca (use tags "stats" and "stats maps".)
News and Resource for Members
RAHB NEWS RAHB welcomes new members The REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington extends a warm welcome to its newest members (May 27 to June 23). Adrian Mekli
Vali Mikho
Carol T. Jones
Kevin Corcoran Anupa Chowdry
Denis Serifovic Grant Lister Mark Benedict
Nikhil Bhawnra
Ambitious Realty Advisors Inc., Brokerage
Apex Results Realty Inc., Brokerage
Stephen MacLeod
Coldwell Banker K. Miller Realty Inc., Brokerage
Homelife Professionals Realty Inc., Brokerage
Keller Williams Complete Realty Inc., Brokerage
Lindsay Harrison
Keller Williams Edge Realty
Kingsway Real Estate Inc., Brokerage Judy Marsales Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage
Paul Cann Jeff Turner Lenka Vavrek Raegan Reigate Jaclyn Conacher
Steven Augustine Joshua Bass-Meldrum U.E. Lee DeDauw RE/MAX Garden City Realty Inc., Brokerage
Roberto Mendola
Royal LePage Macro Realty Inc., Brokerage
Rhett Thurston
Sutton Group Innovative Realty Inc., Brokerage
RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage
Scholarship application now available Applications are now being accepted for the 2015 Karan Barker Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to a student who is or will be attending university or community college and is a child or grandchild of a RAHB member or RAHB employee. The student must demonstrate academic excellence, a high level of involvement in school and/or the community, maturity, initiative and/or strength of character.
Application deadline is Friday, August 14, 2015. The application can be found in REALTOR Link® under the Member Services tab.
Milestones - Retirement The Association would like to recognize members who have recently retired after achieving at least 40+ years of consecutive membership. If you know of a member who has achieved 40+ years and has recently retired, please contact Camryn in Membership at camrynh@rahb.ca or 905.529.8101 x251. Congratulations to R. H. Bud Murray (Coldwell Banker Pinnacle Real Estate) on his recent retirement!
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News and Resource for Members
Search Tips Have you ever tried finding something on the City of Hamilton’s website? Chances are the process was a frustrating one. Here’s a tip: Instead of searching on the City’s site, use the power of Google. Here’s how: In the search bar type site:hamilton.ca followed by what you’re searching for. This can be used to search any public site, just replace hamilton.ca.
City of Hamilton – The Americas Investment Playbook The City of Hamilton and the Region of Niagara have collaborated to develop a unique platform to attract investment, business and trade opportunities for industry and organizations in the Hamilton/Niagara region.
two
A series of investment and business-focused events will take place between July 10-26 during the Pan Am games, with high-potential delegates attending from the U.S., Mexico, South America and other international locations.
Optional - attend an exciting semi final men’s soccer game at the CIBC Pan Am Stadium.
There will be five events, with the final one - the Real Estate and Development Familiarization Tour - taking place in Hamilton on July 23, 2015. This full day event will include: a continental breakfast (sponsored by RAHB) market overviews and investment highlights, a tour of McMaster Innovation Park (lunch included), and
tours from which to select: Commercial & Residential Focus Industrial Focused Tour networking
The tours will showcase new investments, profile opportunity for future growth, and the multi-modal transportation networks that are nearly unrivaled in the Province of Ontario. Attendees will also have opportunities to meet with Hamilton’s top leaders in local industry, academia, and government. Seats are limited, so register/RSVP early at www.investhamiltonniagara.ca
Bill 55 now in effect Do you have your supply of forms to help you document written offers, as required by Bill 55? RAHB is now stocking OREA’s standard form 801 “Offer Summary
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Document” to help you comply with Bill 55. The form is also available on WEBForms.
News and Resource for Members
CREA/OREA/RECO NEWS E-signatures now allowed! Effective July 1, 2015, buyers and sellers in Ontario are now able to use electronic signatures on agreements of purchase and sale. This was made possible by the recent proclamation of an amendment to the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000. Electronic signatures on agreements of purchase and sale will help improve transaction efficiency by reducing the time required to complete a deal, help improve the consumer’s experience and save REALTORS® time and money. The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) advocated vigourously over the last five years to have e-signatures become a reality for real estate transactions in the province of Ontario, and are to be commended for their efforts. Go to http://rahb.ca/memberinfo/2015/electronic commerceact.pdf for more information from OREA about e-signatures.
Special Professional Development course offering! As of July 1, 2015, electronic signatures are permitted on Agreements of Purchase and Sale. Learn more about electronic signatures in this important session.
Go Paperless
Tuesday, July 28, 2015 10 a.m. - Noon Cost: FREE RAHB – McCullough Room For more information and to register, go to http://rahb.ca/education/2015/courses/gopaperless.pdf or contact Angela (angelam@rahb.ca) or Camryn (camrynh@rahb.ca).
RECO News Congratulations to Mike Cusano (RE/Max Escarpment Realty Inc.) on his re-election as Region 2 Director on the RECO Board of Directors.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Professional Development Held at RAHB – 505 York Blvd. – Lower Level C – Chambers Room M – McCullough Room Fusion
Level 1
Broker
Load
Wednesday, July 8 – C, 9 a.m. – noon SOLD-OUT Tuesday, July 21 – C, 9 a.m. - noon
To register for these courses, email Angela at angelam@rahb.ca or call 905.529.8101 x233
Upcoming Events Professional
Development Days October 6 – 8, at the association office. See page 3 for course information.
Thursday, July 16 – C, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Thursday, July 30 – C, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
RAHB Office Closures
Go
Monday, August 3, 2015 for Civic Holiday
Paperless – Electronic Signatures
Tuesday, July 28 – M, 10 a.m. – Noon, FREE ABR®
– Accredited Buyer’s Representative**
Wednesday and Thursday, August 26 – 27 – M, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. $ 299 + tax ** two day course
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