Why did the occupancy field become optional?
The initial change was made to address concerns from members who were instructed by sellers not to disclose the occupancy of their listings and based on detailed feedback from the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA). Ultimately, the change to an optional field was made to ensure members were protected from possible regulatory penalty.
Why is the occupancy field now mandatory?
Member feedback clearly preferred that the occupancy filed be kept mandatory and include an undisclosed option.
After further consideration, CREB® is pleased to report that the regulator has now agreed to this suggestion and the following change took effect Monday, March 25, 2019:
The occupancy field in Matrix™ is a mandatory field with the option for members to select “undisclosed” at the seller’s request.
RECA supports this change and notes that by making the data field optional or by adding an "undisclosed" option in a mandatory field, the consumer makes the decision.
What do I do if the occupancy field in my client’s listing is empty?
If you have left the occupancy field blank, please update your listings with the appropriate information.
As a reminder, you will not be able to activate new listings in Matrix™ without entering information in the mandatory occupancy field.
What is my obligation to my clients?
It is the member’s responsibility to ensure they act on their client’s wishes on what to select in the occupancy field. It is also the member’s responsibility to update their listings if instruction from the seller changes at any point in time.
Thank you to our members who provided some great feedback about the importance of filling in the occupancy field accurately.
For further questions, please contact CREB® Member Practice at mp@creb.ca.
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