We want to lead the country when it comes to enhancing professionalism in real estate. If we do not hold ourselves to the right standards and take ownership of our reputation, no amount of advertising will get us to where we want to be.

With this in mind, REBGV just completed this discussion paper that highlights the key factors, barriers, and opportunities related to enhancing REALTOR® professionalism.

This body of work is based on years of comprehensive research from different sources, various focus group conversations, and a detailed comparative analysis of the standards and requirements for Realtors versus other professions in Canada.

The discussion paper provides a clear picture of where professionalism in real estate is at today and where it needs to be if we aspire to achieve greater public trust and confidence.

The document makes a series of recommendations focused on:

• Raising education standards for both entrance and continuation in the profession.
• Strengthening enforcement and demonstrating an intolerance for misconduct.
• Addressing basic Realtor-to-Realtor courtesy issues.
• Intensifying our public relations and advertising focus around Realtor professionalism and value.
• Establishing more robust advocacy processes, including policy panels, to achieve more right-sized regulation for members.
• Requiring practitioners to demonstrate competence.
• And more.

While insightful and instructive, we recognize that this research holds no value if we fail to act on its findings. 

As we continue to develop a new multi-year strategic plan for the organization, our directors and management have been working on an action plan based around these key themes. This plan will identify specific, measurable, achievable, and timely objectives for us to act upon.

On June 30, myself, VP of Communication and Events Craig Munn, and Professional Standards Manager Kim Spencer presented the research, its findings, and our plans for leading professionalism in real estate across Canada to a group of approximately 100 members. If you missed it, you can watch a recording of our presentation below.