To help promote timely communication between members, a new CREB^® Rule will take effect on Jan. 30 to ensure delivery of the best client experience.

The new rule states:

A member shall respond to all forms of communication from other members in a timely, truthfully and lawful manner or advise that their client has instructed them not to provide the information sought. This rule does not waive any obligations around disclosures of material latent defects.

This rule will promote professionalism, cooperation and communication between REALTORS^®.

Situations where this rule may be applied include:

• Failure to respond to a request inquiring about the conditionally sold status of a listing.
• Lack of confirmation if an offer has been received or presented.
• Request for more information on a property with no response received.

If you encounter a situation where you cannot provide the information being requested or have been prohibited from providing the information due to a client’s lawful instruction, please do not ignore the request. You are still required to respond and can say, “my client has instructed me not to answer this question.”

All members must respond within a reasonable timeframe when another member communicates with them. To support positive client experiences, please respond to other member’s requests appropriately.

As a reminder, the CREB^® Rules will be updated on Thursday, Jan. 30 to reflect the changes.

For questions on this topic, please contact CREB^® Member Practice at 403-781-1336 or mp@creb.ca.