Emails, and other types of commercial electronic messages, have become an integral part of the marketing and sales strategy for many real estate professionals.

If you currently use, or you're planning to use, electronic messages to promote your business to consumers and/or prospect clients, you must familiarize yourself with your compliance obligations pertaining to Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) to:

• Avoid significant financial penalties;
• Prevent potential investigations as a result of consumers reporting violations; and
• Ensure you are operating your business on the right side of the law.

Read on for a description of CASL, types of consent and how to obtain consent, information on what is and is not allowed according to this anti-spam law, and the consequences of non-compliance.

WHAT IS CANADA'S ANTI-SPAM LEGISLATION (CASL)?

CASL is an anti-spam law that regulates the use of electronic messages by individuals or businesses for commercial purposes (relating to the sale or promotion of a product, service and/or business). CASL applies to the following types of electronic messages:

• Emails;
• Text messages (SMS);
• Direct messages on social media for marketing purposes; and
• The installation of software or apps on consumers' devices.

Passed into law on July 1, 2014, CASL is designed to protect Canadians from "spam," which includes unsolicited or deceptive commercial electronic messages promoting a product or service as well as malicious electronic messages or software that could pose a threat to a consumer's privacy or personal information.

CASL is primarily enforced and regularly monitored by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), a public authority in charge of regulating and supervising Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications.

TYPES OF ELECTRONIC MESSAGES COVERED BY CASL

CASL only regulates commercial electronic messages that relate to the sale or promotion of a product, service and/or business.

Therefore, CASL may apply to some, but not all, of the electronic messages you send to your clients and customers.

Below, we've provided a few real world examples of what CASL does and does not cover to 
to help ensure you stay compliant in your business.

• Examples of What CASL DOES Cover:
• A commercial electronic message providing information about a listing or open house
• A commercial electronic message regarding the sales record of a real estate professional
• An inquiry into whether an individual is interested in buying or selling a property

• Examples of What CASL DOES NOT Cover:
• An electronic message sent to deliver a standard form to an existing client, such as a copy of an offer of purchase
• An electronic message to a client to discuss only personal and/or contract-related matters
• Electronic messages sent to respond to an inquiry or complaint

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATING CASL?

Consumers can report CASL violations on fightspam.gc.ca. According to the CRTC, penalties for the most serious violations of CASL include a maximum fine of up to $1 million for individuals, and $10 million for businesses.

Since CASL came into force, nearly $2 million in Administrative Monetary Penalties and more than $400,000 in monetary payments were issued by the CRTC to corporations and individuals who violated CASL.

For more information about the consquences of violating CASL, please visit thislink on the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page on fightspam.gc.ca.

ABOUT IMPLIED AND INFORMED CONSENT

Before you promote a product or service to a consumer using electronic messages, such as email, CASL requires that you must obtain either explicit or implied consent.

For information about consent requirements for commercial electroinc messages, please:

• Visit this link on The FAQ page on fightspam.gc.ca; and/or
• Read CREA's detailed overview of this legislation.

WHAT MUST CASL COMPLIANT COMMERCIAL ELECTRONIC MESSAGES CONTAIN?

For information about what Members must include in their commercial electroinc messages to consumers, please:

• Visit this link on The FAQ page on fightspam.ca; and/or
• Read CREA's detailed overview of this legislation.

TREB is hosting complimentary webinars on how to conduct an eSigning using Authentisign®.

In this free webinar, you will learn:

• How to electronically sign a document from both WEBForms® and Instanet®;
• How to sign a document emailed to you by someone else;
• How to place the signature, initial and date blocks on the forms for both clients and salespeople to sign; and
• You'll see how your clients would actually "sign" a document.

At the conclusion of the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask questions.

Two days after the webinar, TREB will send you a link to the recorded video.

To find a complimentary webinar date that's convenient for you, click here to sign up!

A Member has reported that a person came into the brokerage and requested to view properties with the salesperson who was in the office at the time. However, the salesperson did not feel comfortable with taking the prospective buyer to the Tottenham area properties alone, so a colleague accompanied them. Both of the salespeople felt something was "very off' with the buyer's behaviour. The buyer did not contact anyone at the brokerage after the showings. 

TREB wishes to remind Members to endeavor to verify the identity of potential buyers and sellers.

Members are encouraged to take appropriate safety precautions when meeting a client for the first time, including meeting at the office and verifying their identity, being accompanied by a colleague for showings where possible, keeping a mobile phone on hand at all times, and updating the office on your itinerary.

In Part 1 of 2 of our Spotlight On Government Relations & Municipal Services, we'll highlight TREB's top lobbying initiatives and the Government Programs that affect our industry and which you and your clients should be aware of.

TOP LOBBYING ISSUES

Some of the current lobbying initiatives of top importance to TREB and to our industry include:

• Municipal Elections - TREB will be speaking out during the upcoming October 22, 2018 municipal elections to encourage candidates to support more housing choice and take steps to facilitate more housing supply. TREB is also supporting Members running as candidates by publicizing their candidacy to fellow Members. If you're running as a candidate, please email aoprea@trebnet.com

• No More Close Calls - The traffic dangers posed at Don Mills and Kern are an all-too-familiar cause of concern for Members when visiting TREB's Head Office. That's why we launched "No More Close Calls," a website that demonstrates the risks posed by this dangerous intersection and also allows Members and the public to easily send a message calling for the installation of a traffic light.

If you want to help us make the commute to TREB's offices safer, please take a few minutes to easily spread the word about this campaign by visiting nomoreclosecalls.ca

• Land Transfer Tax - TREB continues to lobby the provincial government and municipalities against the spread of municipal land transfer taxes (MLTT) in Ontario. 
  
  In response to a push from York Region to implement their own MLTT, TREB and OREA launched a campaign to raise issue with, and help stop, this tax. If implemented, an MLTT in York Region would add $15,000 on top of the price of an average York Region home. We also continue to advocate for greater tax relief for home buyers, such as the increased MLTT rebate for first-time buyers in Toronto, which TREB aggressively lobbies for. Read More

• Housing Supply - TREB continues to call on policymakers to address the GTA's housing supply issues, with a focus on increasing 'missing middle' housing options (home types that bridge the gap between detached houses and condominium apartments). TREB has also advocated for, and supported, recent rezoning measures by the City of Toronto that allows for laneway housing and the inclusion of more affordable housing.

• REBBA Review - This important piece of real estate legislation has undergone two phases of review by the provincial government. TREB participated in this review by gathering Member feedback and formulating a submission to OREA and the government to help ensure your priorities are reflected in the legislation update. Read More

• Vacancy Tax - TREB has urged caution over a possible vacant home tax in the City of Toronto, and has met with the Mayor's office and several senior staff at City Hall about this issue. Thanks in large part to TREB's efforts, this proposed tax has been deferred and recommended for further review in 2019. TREB highlighted several issues with this tax, including the lack of empirical evidence that the implementation of a tax would help increase housing supply. We also flagged concerns over private property rights, the unintended consequences the tax could have on the housing market, and the difficulty of its enforcement. Read More

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS

TREB has published a series of educational PDFs about Government Programs for Home Buyers and Owners in Ontario for you to read and/or share with your clients.

• Home Buyers' Plan (HBP) - This program allows first-time buyers to withdraw up to $25k ($50k for couples) from their RRSPs, tax free, to fund their property purchase. Read More

• Land Transfer Tax (LTT) Rebate - First-time buyers in Ontario can save up to $4,000 on the Provincial LTT. Plus, those buying in Toronto can save up to $4,475 on the Municipal LTT. Read More

• Second Suites - These units often come in the form of basement apartments and may require additional insurance and building permits. Read More

• Rent Increase Guideline - Understand how rent increases are calculated based on new regulations and what's required when issuing a notice of rent increase. Read More

OTHER INFORMATION:

• LTT Calculators
• Tax Rates

Click here to visit the Campaign Archive Page and to view all of TREB’s 100+ tools and services.

Don't forget to visit the Interactive Member Tools & Services Map on Stratus for all 100+ tools and services, any time and on any device. 

This new column will highlight some of the key issues being discussed by your Board of Directors on a regular basis.

In July, the Board of Directors committed to exploring the following issues raised by many Members:

FINTRAC Training & Communications

The Board of Directors is considering options to enhance Member training and communication of FINTRAC rules. Additional compliance training sessions, led by FINTRAC staff, are being planned. 

TREB is also working directly with FINTRAC to help ensure that Member practices are taken into consideration in the drafting of new regulations and the revision of existing regulations. A meeting with senior FINTRAC and Federal Department of Finance officials was held in June and another is planned for late July.

Existing Professional Development Offerings on FINTRAC

Whether you would like to attend in-class at a TREB location, in the convenience of your Brokerage office, or in the comfort of your own living room, TREB offers a wide variety of professional development courses that cover various issues surrounding FINTRAC compliance.

Here is what we currently have available either online, in-class, or as a Brokerage outreach session (click here to read more). We are also working to bring new content to our Video Centre as Mark Weisleder prepares a new, in-depth video for you, our membership, to assist with your FINTRAC compliance obligations.

Electronic Lock Boxes

Over the years, TREB has looked at the opportunity of electronic lock boxes four times. In each case, the Board has exercised a great deal of caution on this issue due to the large capital investment required and logistics.
 
TREB generally supports the concept of electronic lock boxes. However, the technology is evolving, and TREB continues to monitor developments in this area as various new technologies emerge.

If you would like to share your thoughts, we're listening. Stay tuned for upcoming TREB Member focus groups and surveys, where you'll be invited to share your feedback.

DID YOU KNOW?

A listing for an irregular residential lot must be reported with the frontage and the smaller dimension of depth, and must include the words "lot size irregular" on TREB's MLS® System.

Bev Patel provides a great opportunity for you to learn about this and more in A Comprehensive Review of MLS® Rules - Register Here!

SEMINARS & WORKSHOPS

Are you a residential practitioner looking to learn the basics of commercial real estate? This course is aimed at providing the residential practitioner with the basics and a general overview of the types of commercial real estate, allowing salespeople to build on this knowledge to expand their field into marketing certain types of commercial properties.

Cynthia Lai covers this and more in Commercial Real Estate 101 for Residential Practitioners - Register Here!

VIRTUAL LEARNING

In this 1-hour eSignatures Using Authentisign® webinar we will explore how to create eSignatures for transactions in WEBForms® and Instanet®.

Check out the Webinar Wednesdays page on Stratus.

CLOSER TO YOU

The B.Y.O.D. Collaborate session will show you how to set up your profile, add clients and invite them to use Collaborate, set up searches for clients, control global and client settings, share documents with clients, and create a team. Bring your own device (laptop or tablet) to this workshop. - Register here! 

Access e-Commerce here to see other courses and dates available at the location nearest you!

DESIGNATION COURSE

Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) Designation - Register Here! 
The Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) Designation is designed to elevate professional standards and enhance personal performance. This 2-day program focuses on providing REALTORS® with the tools necessary to represent Seller Clients in a variety of formats. Particular attention is given to differing listing models, office policies, field issues, and legal ramifications to representing Sellers in today's changing environment.

BROKERAGE OUTREACH

The Tech Tips - Simply Stratus session is a collection of useful techniques and tips designed to simplify the searching process and familiarize you with a variety of Stratus functions.

Let TREB come to you! Brokerage Outreach sessions are available to Brokerage offices through the Broker of Record or Manager. Email professionaldevelopment@trebnet.com for more information.

TECH TRAINING

What is MOI? HPI? It can be difficult to keep all the market stats and acronyms straight. The 4-hour Residential Statistics in Stratus course will help.

You'll gain insight on how to use the TREB Market Stats dashboard, export data to Excel to create and format your own charts, interpret Market Watch data and the MLS® Home Price Index to use in your CMAs, and how to create custom statistics using Stratus search tools. - Register here! 

Looking for more great Professional Development opportunities? Visit e-Commerce for the full list of courses available for registration!

TREB endeavours to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of information, but it is not guaranteed.

Looking for something to do on the weekend of August 10 to 12? Look no further than the Pickering Food Truck Festival, of which TREB is a proud sponsor!

Head to Esplanade Park (1 The Esplanade, Pickering, map) to enjoy some unbelievable food, great music, a children's village, beer garden, and live entertainment stage. The best part? Admission to the event is entirely free!

Festival events will take place:

• August 10 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• August 11 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• August 12 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.

If you attend the festival, share your experience on social media, tagging #TREBEvents as well as the festival tags: #CFTF2018Tour and #PickeringFoodTruckFestival.

For more information on the festival, including an event list and how to purchase tickets, click here.

It has come to the attention of TREB that there are presently SPAM email messages circulating which appear to be sent from the Toronto Real Estate Board. See the screen capture below for an example.

TREB is not sending these emails. You should avoid clicking on any of the links contained in the messages. Simply delete the emails, as they are likely just phishing for your personal information.  

On Thursday, August 9, TREB will be switching to a new phone system that will provide an improved communication experience for our Members.

The new phone system offers several enhanced features which will be implemented over the course of 2018.

The following features will take effect beginning August 9:

1. The Automated Attendant will allow callers to be directed to where they need to go without the intervention of a receptionist, unless needed. This will reduce bottlenecks when you call TREB, especially during peak times.
2. The new phone system is easily Scalable and gives TREB the ability to seamlessly add additional phone lines during high volume call periods.
3. While on hold, you will benefit from Voice Recordings that will provide important up-to-date information regarding TREB services and events.
4. The added Call Recording function will be a useful tool to monitor customer service quality and ensure that you are provided with optimum service.
5. A feature which notifies callers of the number of Callers Ahead of them in the queue.

Later this year, you will also benefit from the following additional features:

1. The On-line Chat feature, which will create an additional way for you to contact the Help Desk.
2. Wait Time Notifications that will provide those on hold with relevant and up-to-the minute information, including the estimated duration of their wait.

The switch from TREB's current system to the new version is expected to be seamless. However, as with any technology change, unforeseen issues can occur.

Our team of dedicated TREB Staff and our telephone service provider will be available to immediately address any issues that may arise. This will help to ensure that any impact on you, the Member, is kept to a minimum.

TREB is implementing a change that will increase the visibility of Freehold Link listings in Stratus.

After August 22, when you add or edit Freehold Detached listing, you will be required to select a value for a new mandatory Y/N field entitled Link before submitting the listing.

HOW WILL I ADD A DETACHED LISTING TO STRATUS?
After August 22, when you are entering a new Freehold Detached or Link listing:

1. Select "Detached" as the value for Type
2. A new mandatory Link selection box will be presented, within which you must select either "Y" or "N".
3. Once steps 1 and 2 are complete, the entry of listing data will continue as usual.

PLEASE ALSO NOTE: If you edit a Freehold Detached listing after August 22, you will be required to select either "Y" or "N" in the new mandatory Link selection box.

HOW WILL THIS CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OF A DETACHED LISTING?
If you select "Y" in the Link selection box, the following text will be automatically added just above Client Remarks: "This is a linked property." See the example listing below.  This auto-populated text will also be submitted to REALTOR.ca.

The listing's assigned value for the new Link: (Y/N) field will be also be displayed in the Stratus detail reports for Freehold listings.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO EXISTING LINK LISTINGS?
Stratus will also be converting all existing Link property listings in the system, changing their Type field value from "Link" to "Detached", and assigning the value of "Y" to the newly added Link field. The "Link" option will no longer exist as an option under Type for theFreehold class.

HOW WILL I SEARCH FOR DETACHED OR LINK LISTINGS?
After August 22, when you conduct a search for Detached properties, Link properties will also be returned in the results, giving them enhanced visibility.  If you wish to filter out Link listings, set the new Link selection box to "N".  Conversely, if you wish to search just for Link properties, set the Link selection box to "Y".

If you have any questions about this new change, please contact the TREB Helpdesk at 416-443-8111.

On Tuesday, October 30 at 10:00 a.m., TREB will host its Annual Meeting at the Toronto Congress Centre (650 Dixon Road, map), and we invite you to mark your calendars for this exciting Members-only event.

Following on the heels of a successful 2017 fall meeting, which had a record attendance of 1,200 Members, you'll want to join us this year for:

• The latest TREB and industry updates
• An expansive trade show
• Awards presentations to some outstanding TREB Members
• A special keynote speaker
• A great networking opportunity

More meeting details will be released in the coming weeks, so be sure to check your inbox, Stratus, and TREB’s social media for updates!

Meeting Details
Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Meeting Time: 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Toronto Congress Centre, 650 Dixon Road (map)
*Free Parking & Complimentary Lunch*
PLEASE NOTE: this meeting is for TREB Members only.

Industry-leading electronic forms and electronic signatures platforms Instanet® & Authentisign® are now available for Stratus users.

Further to the email sent last week regarding adding Custom Forms to Instanet® (read more after the video below), did you know you can also template standard forms by adding Custom Clauses specific to your brokerage?

Templating Standard Forms with Custom Clauses in Instanet®

Are you interested in templating standard forms with custom office clauses in Instanet® so they do not have to be re-typed for each transaction?  Did you know that you can do this yourself? It's simple and it's included with TREB's version of Instanet®.

Click on the link below to watch the short video of easy to follow instructions on how to add your Brokerage or individual custom clauses to standard forms in Instanet®.

Adding Custom Brokerage-Specific Forms to Instanet®

From now until August 31, 2018, Brokers of Record may submit their custom, Brokerage forms to Instanet® & Authentisign® at no additional cost. They will be uploaded into the Office Forms section of the application for all of their Salespeople to use.

After August 31, the cost to submit custom forms will be $50.00/page.

Guidelines for Submitting Custom Forms:

• Forms should be submitted in .PDF or .DOC/.DOCX file formats.
• Files cannot be scans of paper documents (images).
• If you can select and copy text from the form, Instanet® & Authentisign® will be able to program them for you.

Brokers of Record may submit their custom, Brokerage forms to forms@instanetsolutions.com

Please note: Do not send TREB/OREA forms to Instanet® because that would be a copyright violation. For example, don't submit OREA Form 105 with your own text typed in it to serve as your Brokerage's Schedule B. Instead, send the text in another format, like Word for example, that has no copyright information or logos.

Have Questions About Instanet® & Authentisign®?
Click here for your complete resource on these new platforms, including:

• Links to guides for creating a Transaction and Electronic Signatures
• Linking to existing Authentisign® accounts
• Signing up for a complimentary training webinar
• How to contact the Instanet® and Authentisign® 24/7 Help Desk Support
• & more.

Or, download a PDF of this resource here for easy reference. 
TREB is also offering complimentary, 1-hour webinars on Authentisign®. Click here to sign up on a date that’s convenient for you.

JULY MARKET WATCH REPORT AND MARKET WATCH BY THE NUMBERS INFOGRAPH

For a breakdown of TREB's MLS® System housing figures for June, including average sold prices and more, view our latest Market Watch report, video, housing market charts, and infograph below:

• Read the complete Market Watch report for June (here)

• Market Watch video, which you can view or share with your clients from TREB's YouTube Channel. Plus, you can access an archive of the last six months of videos from the Video Centre on Stratus, under Market Statistics.

• Housing Market Charts, a series of bar charts that allows you and your clients to compare June's housing figures with those of the previous three years.

• NEW: Market Watch by the Numbers (here), a newly-created infograph that offers an illustrative overview of July's Market Watch numbers and breaks down the story behind the numbers.

Click here to view the full Market Watch by the Numbers infograph.

DON'T FORGET: These reports and the new Market Watch by the Numbers infograph can be shared on your blog, social media, newsletters, and emails, and can be used to help you inform your clients and customers.

RECAP OF TREB MARKET WATCH IN THE NEWS

Below, TREB has gathered a list of coverage from national, provincial, and local media outlets for you to read or share with your clients.

• Toronto Home Buyers Feeling a Swell of Confidence - The Globe and Mail
• GTA Home Sales, Average Prices, Climb Higher in Contrast to Vancouver Drop - Toronto Sun
  
• Toronto Housing Shows Signs of Rebound Even as Vancouver Hits the Skids - HuffPost
  
• Vancouver, Toronto Housing Slowdown Takes Toll on Canada's Economic Growth - The Globe and Mail
  
• Toronto-area Home Sales Climb Higher in July - Global News
  
• Home Sales Across GTA Climbed 18.6 per cent in July: TREB - CP24
  
• Toronto home sales surge 19% as buyers return to market - Financial Post

Plus, watch this clip for some coverage on CTV News, including an interview with TREB's Director of Market Analysis and Service Channels, Jason Mercer. Click to 11:00 to view the clip.

Stay tuned to your email inbox next month for August’s issue of Market Watch to Your Inbox.

As we continue to explore various aspects of the rental market and the associated regulatory changes introduced by the province, we want to highlight information about the new mandatory Ontario Standardized Lease and OREA Form #400 Agreement to Lease - Residential.

Standard Lease Form 
We previously mentioned that, as part of Ontario's Fair Housing Plan and amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords of most private residential rental units (single and semi-detached houses, apartment buildings, rented condos and secondary units) are now required to use the government-designed Standard Lease Form for all new leases starting on or after April 30, 2018.

With input from industry stakeholders, the government included an "additional items" section in the standard lease to give landlords and tenants some flexibility within the confines of the form.  

Currently, the standard lease form is only available on the Government's Central Forms Repository.

OREA Form #400 – Agreement to Lease - Residential
What is the impact of the new mandatory standard lease on Form #400? OREA has circulated several memos to Members emphasizing that Form #400 can only be used to negotiate terms between landlords and tenants, and that the new standard lease template must be used to formalize the actual lease.  

To align with the new regulatory changes, OREA's Standard Forms Committee reviewed Form #400 along with its associated clauses and made several changes. The form, along with the respective annotated version file and a Q&A Lease FAQ are available on the OREA Standard Forms landing page (authentication ID & Password required). TREB strongly advises its Members to refer to this page for more information.  Should you have any additional questions or comments about Form #400, please contact OREA directly at standardforms@orea.com.

It is important to remember that all OREA Standard Forms and Clauses are intended as tools for Members to use in their trading activity. Therefore, neither OREA nor TREB can provide trading activity or legal advice to Members, but we encourage Members to speak with their Broker of Record and/or Brokerage management, and familiarize themselves with all rights and obligations for landlords and tenants under the Residential Tenancies Act should they decide to take on rental or lease activities. 

In the second half of our Spotlight on Government Relations & Municipal Services, we'll highlight Zoning Information and Municipal Services.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES

Your clients look to you for advice, not only about the home buying and selling process, but also on the everyday issues they may be facing with their property or neighbourhood.

TREB's Municipal Services page features graphics and/or charts that make it easy to discover exactly whose job it is to fix the common issues your clients may be facing, including residential issues such as:

• Low water pressure;
• Unplowed streets;
• Noise complaints;
• Broken street lights;
• Litter or Debris removal;
• And more

IT ALSO COVERS A RANGE OF COMMERCIAL ISSUES, INCLUDING:

• Street lights out;
• Graffiti;
• Broken Parking meters;
• Water main breaks;
• Litter on street or overflowing garbage bins;
• And more

Whether your clients are situated in Ajax, Markham, Toronto, Mississauga, Oakville or anywhere in the GTA, TREB's charts (here) provide municipal services information for both residential and commercial property in every major city in the GTA.

ZONING INFORMATION

While municipalities across the GTA have begun to provide zoning information online, finding the relevant information you and your clients need isn't always easy. That's why TREB created its Zoning Information index, a compilation of links that point to current zoning information as well as a PDF that outlines the availability of additional zoning information across the GTA.

Zoning has long been a focus of TREB's Government Relations team, who continue to lobby for adjusted zoning by-laws to increase housing supply and recently played a key role in advancing the provincial government's decision to streamline the housing approvals process.

Click here to visit the Campaign Archive Page and to view all of TREB's 100+ tools and services.

Don't forget to visit the Interactive Member Tools & Services Map on Stratus for all 100+ tools and services, any time and on any device. 

As the municipal elections taking place across the GTA on October 22 fast approach, TREB is working with the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) to pressure election candidates to support effective housing policy choices.

BILD represents nearly 1,500 residential and commercial building, land development and professional renovation industry members in the Greater Toronto Area.

It is no secret that the GTA is experiencing an ongoing shortage of housing supply. A combination of factors, including the impact of government regulations and policies, is also slowing the pace of construction of new homes and having a negative impact on supply and affordability. Compared to all other levels of government, municipalities have the most direct influence over where new housing will go, what type it will be, the number of homes built and pace of building. 

On October 22, municipal elections will be held across the GTA. As part of this year's elections, BILD is running a non-partisan campaign across all the municipalities of the GTA to highlight the importance of policies and actions that can increase housing supply and have a positive impact on affordability. TREB will also be launching a similar campaign shortly.

You can show your support on this important issue and help make the 2018 GTA municipal elections the "housing elections." 

Together we can lay the groundwork for effective housing policy and choices with future municipal councils.

Take a minute to learn more about the BILD campaign here.

You can also show your support for the BILD campaign by taking one (or all) of the following actions below:

Step 1
Take two minutes and send an email to your candidates for municipal council and mayor. 

Step 2
Like or share the BILD campaign on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BuildforGrowth/ or follow us on Twitter at @Build4Growth.

Step 3
Encourage others you work with, friends and family to support the campaign by doing steps 1 and 2.

Do you operate as part of a real estate team, or do you work with an office administrator who assists you when dealing with clients?

Then, learning how to leverage Collaborate to communicate with your Team can help to ensure that your clients receive assistance, even when you're not available.

TEAMS IN COLLABORATE

You can use the "Teams" feature in Collaborate to share your clients with your team or office colleagues, and allow them to track your clients' Collaborate usage and/or interact with your clients on your behalf.

Additionally, you can send broadcast messages for your team to read directly from Collaborate, which can help you save time and avoid back-and-forth emails or calls with colleagues.

To create a "Team" in Collaborate, simply click on your profile, select Teams, press the New Teams button. From there, you can proceed to add Members. When you no longer need to share your clients with a "Team" on Collaborate, you can easily remove group members or delete the group altogether.

For more information about how to create and use Teams on Collaborate, please watch our instructional video by clicking here or on this video below.

ABOUT COLLABORATE

Did you know that thousands of your fellow TREB Members, and their clients, use Collaborate to interact with each other and search Stratus on any device, in real time?

If you haven't accessed Collaborate yet, you can do so from your desktop, smartphone or tablet, here. View this infograph below to read about the key benefits of this online tool.

Coming soon to TREB is a great Professional Development opportunity to gain a designation as a Certified International Property Specialist.

About the Designation & Course Topics

Foreign investment in Canada and Canadian investment in international real estate continues to surge. Knowledge and preparations are essential to take advantage of these global opportunities. The Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation provides the education, resources, and network to help you succeed in this growing global market.

A different topic will be covered each day of this five-day designation course, including:

• Global Real Estate: Local Markets
• The Business of U.S. Real Estate
• Asia/Pacific & International Real Estate
• Europe & International Real Estate
• The Americas & International Real Estate

You can register for courses individually, or you can attend them all (read more details below).

As a bonus, you will also be invited to a Global Networking Reception on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

Course Details
Dates: September 24–28, 2018 
Time: 8:45 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Location: Press Room, TREB Offices, 1400 Don Mills Road (map)

Cost & Bundle and Save Options

• One Course: $195 CAD plus taxes
• Two courses: $380 CAD plus taxes
• Three Courses: $570 CAD plus taxes
• Five Courses: $780 CAD plus taxes

Registration includes all PDF-electronic copy of course materials, exam, electronic copy of course completion certificate, breaks and lunches per course. A $10 fee applies per hard copy course manual ordered, if you would like one.

Registration
For more details, or to register for this course, visit the course page on CREA's website by clicking here or following the link below.

https://crea.itsevents.com/Apps/Pages/ams-event-details/19435?isPreview=False

About the Instructor

Join Aziz Kanjee, Canadian CIPS instructor, who will open your eyes to the world of global business possibilities and the outstanding potential to build a referral base with likeminded professionals.