On September 17, housing representatives from the Green Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada, and New Democratic Party of Canada convened at the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) to discuss housing issues. All major federal political parties were invited to participate. The forum explored multiple issues including affordable housing, home ownership, and the importance of the housing sector in creating jobs and economic activity.

Click here to watch the highlights.

To find out where the federal political parties and candidates stand on issues that matter to REALTORS®, please visit yourhomeyourvote.ca.

Do you remember when the Toronto average home selling price was $255,000 (1990)? How about only $19,000 (1965)? On September 24, TREB recognized a special group of people who recall these days very well. This year's annual 25 Year & 50 Year TREB Member Dinner drew more than 1,500 attendees to the Toronto Congress Centre, celebrating the industry and those who have been Association Members for as many as 60 plus years.

As Master of Ceremonies, President Mark McLean recognized more than three hundred and eighty new 25 Year and twelve new 50 Year Members on behalf of TREB. He extended his sincere and heartfelt congratulations for their long participation in and devotion to the real estate industry. "We are all very fortunate to work in the world's greatest profession," stated McLean, "and tonight's event offers the perfect opportunity to connect with old friends and colleagues."

A moment of silence in memory of those Members who have passed away during the year was also offered in gratitude for their service. Before concluding for the evening, attendees enjoyed the fellowship of associates, friends and invited guests with live music.

Click here to view event photos on Facebook or download photos here.

Real estate practitioners searching for new ways to connect with other professionals and tap into valuable resources should join TREB's Young Professionals Network (YPN). Everybody is welcome, whether you are new to the business or just young at heart.

What is YPN?
A group of real estate professionals looking to

• share best practices and innovative ideas, while serving the community and each other; and
• educate the community about the real estate profession and work cooperatively with other real estate professionals to support the next generation of REALTORS®

through meet and greet sessions, educational seminars, and learning from experienced professionals.

The YPN Mandate

1. The mission of the Young Professionals Network Committee is to foster professional development within the TREB community by bringing fellow young professionals together, to meet, share ideas and build relationships through social/business networking.
2. The Young Professionals Network Committee primarily focuses on programs to better enhance young real estate professionals' knowledge, industry best practices, credibility and overall image.
3. The group also gives direct feedback to the board to help improve TREB services in a broader sense.
4. Members will receive access to unique educational seminars, panel discussions and the opportunity to develop as future industry leaders.

Join Now!
YPN is a great way for TREB Members to network and build a referral base. It is also a great way to learn new tools and technology advancements in organized real estate.

Also, there is a great personal reward that comes with being involved in TREB Committees. YPN gives you the opportunity to acquire leadership qualities and experiences that will stay with you throughout your career.

Join now: www.facebook.com/groups/trebypn/

No Cost
There is no cost to be part of the TREB YPN.

For the latest updates and information on upcoming TREB YPN events, visitwww.facebook.com/groups/trebypn/events/

All comments, complaints and inquiries should be directed to socialmedia@trebnet.com

SEE VIDEO: http://bit.ly/1KGlL23

With a federal election campaign underway, the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) recently helped to shine the spotlight on housing issues by bringing together federal political party representatives for a housing forum.

The capacity event was attended by over 100 REALTORS®, who had the opportunity to hear from Wes Regan, Urban Affairs and Housing Critic for the Green Party of Canada; Adam Vaughan, Urban Affairs and Housing Critic for the Liberal Party of Canada; and Mike Sullivan, Deputy Housing Critic for the New Democratic Party of Canada. All major federal political parties were invited to participate.

"As REALTORS®, we play critical roles in facilitating home ownership, creating jobs, and advocating for affordable housing.  These issues are of immense importance to REALTORS®, particularly as we move closer to the federal election.  Our federal housing forum was an excellent opportunity for dialogue with federal housing representatives and to become informed," said Mark McLean, TREB President.

The forum explored multiple issues including affordable housing, home ownership, and the importance of the housing sector in creating jobs and economic activity. The party representatives discussed how the federal government can help support Canadian home ownership, especially for first time buyers.  They also discussed options for creating affordable housing and for investing in Canada's aging housing stock. Watch TREB's Federal Election Housing Forum Highlights Video.

TREB's housing forum is just one of a number of things that Realtors are doing to make sure housing and homeowner issues are considered during the current federal election campaign.  In this regard, one of TREB's other key initiatives is the launch ofwww.YourHomeYourVote.ca, where you can learn more where the federal parties and individual candidates stand on key housing issues, learn about upcoming election events, get information on voting, and read an informative blog.

TREB has also sponsored numerous debates and all-candidates meetings of federal election candidates, in partnership with local GTA Chambers of Commerce.  These events have been excellent opportunities to continue raising housing issues with the candidates.

Housing is one of the key issues of this federal election campaign.  You can make a difference by learning what the parties and candidates are committing to, and, most of all, by exercising your right to vote on October 19, 2015!

Mark McLean is President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, a professional association that represents 42,000 REALTORS® in the Greater Toronto Area.

Follow TREB on www.twitter.com/TREBhome, www.Facebook.com/TorontoRealEstateBoard, pinterest.com/trebhome/,www.linkedin.com/company/treb and www.youtube.com/TREBChannel

A Member has reported that a property for sale has been fraudulently displayed for rent on Kijiji and Craigslist. The rental amount shown is unusually low for the area. This alerted a person familiar with the area to question the amount and contact the Member.

Another person contacted the poster of the ad and asked to view the property. They were advised to view the pictures and send a deposit, as the poster was out of town due to a family member being ill. When the potential renter drove to the location, they saw the for sale sign on the property and contacted the Member, who let them know it was not available for rent and had been fraudulently posted.

The homeowner has reported the situation to the local police.

In order to guard against such fraudulent activity, Members may choose to routinely undertake an Internet search of their listings. Once alerted to such occurrences, they can be reported to local police and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre, which is jointly managed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and the Competition Bureau.

For more information, visit www.antifraudcentre.ca

On October 15, we email broadcast September's edition of the monthly, electronic Across The Board Member newsletter to all TREB Members. This issue features:

• Text and Win a FREE TREB Membership at TREB's Annual Meeting
• "LIKE" to WIN a $20 Coffee Gift Card
• Electronic Invoicing Coming Your Way
• Make Your Vote Count on October 19
• 2015/2016 TREB Quick Reference Guide
• Introducing TREB Wire
• Webinar Wednesdays
• What's In Your REALTOR® Toolkit? – Advertising Public Open Houses
• Important Changes to the Rules for Use of the REALTOR® Certification Mark
• Training That Fits
• Members for Members – Thank You for Your Service
• Privacy Reminder to Members

If you can’t find the email link to Across The Board in your Inbox, or you’ve accidentally deleted it, you may click here to open the newsletter.

If the link to open Across The Board doesn’t work on your computer, there is an alternate method to read the newsletter. To access Across The Board from within TorontoMLS/New Stratus:

1. Log into TorontoMLS/New Stratus.
2. Click Your Information Centre near the top of the home page. The Your Information Centre page appears in a separate window.
   
3. Click Across The Board Newsletter. The current edition of the newsletter appears.
   
4. To print or download the current issue, select Click here to download current issue in PDF. To read a previous issue, select CLICK HERE FOR ARCHIVES, then select the issue you want to read.
   
   

To print Across The Board:

1. Follow the steps above to open the PDF version of the newsletter.
2. Click File, then Print.

TREB's Young Professionals Network Committee is excited to present our second event to be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2015 at TREB.

ALCHEMY IN YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS
PRESENTED BY DION BEG, MORTGAGE SPECIALIST WITH BUTLER MORTGAGE

Topics include:

• Seeing opportunities in your business that most REALTORS® can't see
• The definition of wealth in today's world
• The options your clients have to obtain that wealth (e.g., savings, shares, business, property)
• How banks make lending decisions and how knowledge of this will clarify all the options, for example, why property may be the best choice
• What and where people are buying
• How to take this knowledge and grow your business with it.

Join us from 1:00–2:00 p.m. in TREB's Press Room for this 1-hour session plus 15-minute Q&A.

Cost: FREE

To register, please visit TREB's e-Commerce.

After signing in, click Professional Development Registration. Under Upcoming Courses on the left-hand side, choose Professional Development, then select Alchemy in Your Real Estate Business. If you do not see the event, it means that it is sold out. Please call the Professional Development department at 416-443-8108/8128 to be put on a wait list.

Hope to see everyone there.

Data, data, and more data was the unofficial theme of this year's TREB Annual Meeting, held Tuesday, October 20 at the Allstream Centre, Exhibition Place. Despite the previous night's double whammy of elections and Blue Jays, the meeting was well attended.  We hosted the fall meeting at this location to try and accommodate centrally located Members.

From the video highlighting TREB's successes during the past year to the results of Ipsos' Consumer Home Buying Intentions study conducted for TREB, Members received up-to-date information on the health of the Association and of the local industry.

President and CEO Highlights
During his first Annual Meeting as TREB President, Mark McLean told Members, "We need to keep the TREB brand strategically strong across all of our communication vehicles." The recent change to bringing our social media channels and public website under the TREBhome umbrella is a step in that direction. "TREB Wire, the new Association blog, will provide useful information for REALTORS®, homeowners, new and prospective Buyers, as well as real estate investors at any level," McLean stated.

CEO John DiMichele provided a brief update on the recent Competition Bureau re-hearings. "It is our individual duty as Members to uphold our industry's standards, and to engage in any discussions on residential and commercial real estate issues that may arise," said DiMichele. Re-hearings were held September 21 to 24 and October 5 to 8. Witnesses have given their testimony, and closing arguments will be wrapping up on November 7. TREB will provide additional information on the proceedings as it becomes available.

Ipsos Consumer Home Purchase Data
Special guest John Wright, Senior Vice President of Ipsos, presented TREB commissioned survey results on GTA "Consumer Home Purchase Intentions," including data on first-time home Buyers and the size of down payments. Moving forward, TREB plans on providing this type of data to Members on a regular basis.

• One-third (32%) of respondents are at least somewhat likely to purchase a home during the next year.
• Just under half (47%) of those who are likely to buy a home with the next 12 months will also be first-time home Buyers. The profile of these Buyers are young (18-34), single occupancy, and with an annual income of below $60,000.
• Of all those who plan to buy a home over the next year, 79% plan to use a REALTOR®. Two-thirds of homeowners also reported using REALTOR® services when buying their current home. The results suggest that more and more purchasers and homeowners may be recognizing the value of using a REALTOR®.

Ontario PC Leader Address
Patrick Brown, Leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, was also present and shared his plans for the province and real estate if he is elected Ontario's next premier. He praised the industry's stances on electronic signatures, mandatory home energy audits, affordable housing and the municipal land transfer tax, and is looking forward to the reintroduction of a bi-partisan bill dealing with personal real estate corporations. Brown recalled a recent discussion he had with a government chief minister in the state of Gujarat, India in regards to preconditions for economic development. Brown then elaborated on each of these areas – good roads, affordable power and reduction of red tape – and his vision for Ontario. "Any changes that are made should be done in consultation with you," said Brown. "We need to speak to the front lines about the changes that will affect their industry."

Awards, Recognition, Other
In addition, Members were recognized for their service and dedication to the Association:

• President's Plaque – Paul Etherington
• Honourary Life Award – Dianne Usher
• Awards of Recognition – Karen Gerrard, Rosalind Menary, and Shirley Porter.

Networking and professional opportunities were offered through the complimentary breakfast and lunch and a mini trade show featuring exhibitors from TREB's REALTOR® QUEST conference. Many congratulations to Mike Jahshan, Zolo Realty who won a free TREB membership for the 2016/2017 term through the TEXT and WIN contest.

Summary

• TREB 2014/2015 Annual Report
• Photos from AGM

Effective December 1, 2015, TREB is introducing a new electronic billing process as part of ongoing efforts to provide Members with accessible and efficient electronic services. With 85 per cent of Members already taking advantage of paying online, TREB expects this to become a welcome service enhancement.

Once implemented, you will no longer have the option to receive a paper copy of your TREB invoice. Instead, you'll receive an email notifying you that your invoice is ready to view and pay online with a credit or debit card. Should you wish a paper copy of your invoice for your records, you can print it easily from TREB's e-Commerce site from the comfort of your home or office.

If you wish to pay by cheque rather than online, you can continue to do so; simply include your membership number and invoice number on the cheque.

Please note: For invoices dated October and November, Members will receive both an email notification that the invoice is ready and a paper copy of the invoice. From that time onwards, only an email notification will be received. 

To ensure the timely and proper delivery of your email notification, please confirm that your email address is up to date by clicking "Manage My Profile" in the LINKS menu of Stratus. If you need assistance, please contact the Help Desk at 416-443-8111.

We also recommend that you add trebinvoice@trebnet.com and webmaster@trebnet.com to your safe sender's list or email contact list to prevent it from being blocked as spam. TREB will make every effort to ensure a smooth transition for our Members as we move to electronic billing.

SALES LEADERSHIP THAT DRIVES PERFORMANCE - 3 CRB Credits
Instructor: Gareth Jones
This program is designed to help you understand different management techniques and to construct your personalized Sales Leadership Strategy. Perfectly suited for team leaders and managers, this two-day, 3 CRB credit course is presented to a maximum of 25 attendees, allowing for an effective and interactive learning environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Understanding/adjusting leadership styles based on individuals and situations
• Coaching and mentoring skills
• Recruiting and retention

To register, click e-Commerce or call Professional Development at (416) 443-8108/8128 or (905) 895-7624.

Since 1968, the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers has awarded this prestigious Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) Designation to help REALTORS® improve individual, team, and Brokerage office performance in the competitive world of real estate.
Perfectly suited for team leaders, these two-day, 3 CRB credit courses are presented to a maximum of 25 attendees, allowing for an effective and interactive learning environment. 

If you miss this date, we will be running all if the CRB designation courses in 2016. Click the Education tab on the home page to view the handy, month-at-a-glance Education Calendar and keep an eye out for dates.

The following six courses will be offered at TREB's Don Mills office in 2016.

For more information regarding the Certified Real Estate Brokerage Manager (CRB) Designation, click here.

The Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing has indicated that they intend to allow every municipality in Ontario the power to charge a Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT), a change that could double the land transfer taxes consumers have to pay on their next home.   

Since 2008, only the City of Toronto has been able to levy a municipal land transfer tax.  A recent study showed that the Toronto land transfer tax has cost the city almost 15,000 jobs and $2.3 billion in lost economic activity.

Together we can stop the spread of this tax to other municipalities. TREB along with OREA and REALTOR® Boards/Associations across Ontario are taking action against MLTT.   
 
TREB is calling on all Members to take action now and say NO to another home owner tax. Together we can stop the spread of this tax. Click here to voice your concern. YOUR VOICE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

For more information on the Municipal Land Transfer Tax and the campaign to stop it, visitwww.DontTaxMyDream.ca