Over the past year, the committee has analyzed practice trends, member input, and member experiences to recommend meaningful updates to the Board of Directors.
Highlighted below are the key amendments to the CREB® Rules, which will take effect on Dec. 16, 2024.
Rules for unlicensed assistants
When CREB® issues login credentials for an Unlicensed Assistant, the expectations are for the assistant to keep those confidential and not allow other non-members or REALTORS® to use their login and password. Sharing usernames and passwords puts systems and information at risk for security breaches. Just as members must keep their board-issued credentials confidential, the same is expected when CREB® issues credentials to Unlicensed Assistants.
Practice tip: Register your Unlicensed Assistant(s) with CREB®. The Unlicensed REALTOR® Assistant (URA) form is available to fill out and submit to crebmsc@creb.ca to have the URA signed up and a unique login and password set up.
Did you know that CREB® offers a certificate course for Unlicensed Real Estate Assistants to become familiar with the real estate business?
- Find details on creb.com or by clicking here
Unlicensed Assistants who are already working with an associate and registered with CREB® can also take selected Pillar 9™ and CREB® training at no additional cost?
- Unlicensed Assistants can register for Pillar 9™ Matrix Training here
- Unlicensed Assistants can register for selected CREB® courses by visiting the Upcoming Courses page on CREB®Link.
- CREB® members are prioritized for training with limited seating
- Assistants will only see courses on CREB®Link they qualify for
- Questions? Contact training@creb.ca
Communication requirements
Connecting with fellow REALTORS® is vital to building relationships and providing services to the public. To enhance professional standards that promote collaboration and connection while respecting how the recipient’s contact information is being used, it’s important to get a member’s permission to send non-transactional or personal messages.
Practice tip: Review the contact information that you have on file for other members and how it's being used. If you don’t have the recipient’s permission to send messages unrelated to transactions, or personal messages, reach out to that member and verify they are ok with receiving those types of messages. It’s recommended that you keep track of the date and method used to obtain permission. We understand that members need to connect with other members to check if they want to get the sender’s non-transactional messages. Contacting a member to get permission won’t violate this rule, however, repetitive requests to get permission may be considered under CREB® rule Part II 5.04.
Elevate your communication habits by attending Speak Wisely at CREB® in February.
This half-day workshop will teach attendees how to create powerful, new communication habits and verbal techniques designed to become more influential and improve relationships.
Speak wisely (In-person)
Date: Thursday, February 27 | Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Register
Alternatively, if on-demand is more your style, check out these webinars:
Or, browse other communications focused topics in the Marketing Playbook webinar category.
Advertising standards
Members use advertising strategies to promote their listings and services, and our marketing methods are expected to reflect the professionalism of our industry. Consumers and the REALTOR® community rely on advertising to contain accurate and meaningful information and not use deceptive or sneaky approaches, which can lead to frustration or allegations of misleading advertising.
The new rules below are designed to promote the MLS® System as continuing to be the best source of accurate information that REALTORS® can rely on.
Practice tips:
- Listing agents need to know what the buyer is getting when they purchase their client’s property. For example, if the buyer gets a brand new home built by the home builder, then the photos should reflect the fully built home. If photos are of a show home or show suite, they must be comparable in square footage, floorplan, lot characteristics, and level of finishings to the property the buyer will receive with the list price; listing agents must disclose in the public remarks if photos are of a show home/ suite.
Example: if the buyer is getting a 1,400 square foot bungalow built in the 1950s, even though the buyer could tear it down and rebuild, at least 75% of the listing photos must be of the property with the structure(s) that the buyer will take possession of. If an artistic rendering of an infill or floorplans of a potential new structure want to be included in the listing photos, the listing agent must ensure those renderings are part of the sale and disclose in the public remarks or photo description that renderings and floorplans are artist’s renderings.
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Research the property to learn if a suite is legal or illegal. In the City of Calgary, legal suites can be identified using the Registered Secondary Suites map tool. If your public remarks include comments about the suite, ensure you use the word legal or illegal to describe the suite at least the first time you use the word.
Members should save the phrase “subject to approvals and permit by municipalities” and have it on hand to include in a listing if they’re going to talk about the potential for a suite.
Reduce your risk reminder: Did you know that disclosing the legality of a suite every time the word “suite” is used in a listing advertisement is a requirement from REIX to ensure errors and omission insurance can be extended if, in the future, a lawsuit is filed related to the suite?
- If a suite is legal and has existing income, review the tenancies agreement before entering the residential listing on the MLS® System to ensure any dollar amounts included in the public remarks can be substantiated. As a reminder, only legal suites can be listed as a rental listing on the MLS® System.
Acceptable use
CREB® continues to explore and maintain tools and systems that are valuable for our members. When providing our members with access to these resources, the intention is for our members to use them professionally and avoid misuse.
Practice tips:
- Access to properties for sale is a foundational element of our cooperative REALTOR® community and the expectation of MLS® System Listings. If your seller has days and times that they prefer showings, you can include that information in the private remarks, but avoid phrases like “no showings this week” or “showings only on Monday and Tuesday”.
These, or similar phrases that indicate showings can’t be facilitated with 24-hour notice, create a restriction beyond what’s permitted by our showing rule. Instead, use remarks like, “Seller would prefer showings between 5 pm and 8 pm, Tuesday to Friday.”Additionally, if using ShowingTime, ensuring that another REALTOR® can book a showing 24 hours in the future is important. Members who set up showing restrictions which prevent other members from requesting a showing 24 hours or more in the future may violate this rule.
- Members should approach conversations with each other respectfully and professionally. If connecting with other members using chat or messaging functions, be objective in your messaging and avoid insulting or rude language or belittling comments.
Free training is available to CREB® members on tech tools and more, including ShowingTime in CREB®’s Technology 360 Course available live and on-demand:
- Live January 15 & 16 – Register here
Penalty summary
When considering the escalation between the first and second offences, Educational Advisory to a $250 fine, and considering the rules that fall under the summary offence system in Part I of the CREB® Rules, most violations are mistakes. With this in mind, the PGSC considered if the $250 fine was suitable for a violation that is typically a mistake.
The Board of Directors decided a $50 administrative charge is a more appropriate step for a second violation before imposing larger fines.
Practice tip:
To avoid making repetitive mistakes, when a member receives an Educational Advisory, members should consider what led to the error and think about ways to prevent it from happening again. CREB® prefers to see members develop best practices instead of paying charges or fines for recurring misstates.
Record of decisions
CREB® continues to explore different ways to help members learn and grow. Beyond attending educational sessions, guest speaker events, or earning a professional designation, members can soon review case summaries based on professional standards and arbitration hearings.
Understanding the expectations of a rule and how hearing panels uphold industry standards is another way members can expand their knowledge of professional practice.
Members can access the CREB® Rules anytime on CREB®Link.
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