FEBRUARY ● 2016

News and Resource for MEMBERS

Empowering REALTORS® to Succeed

What's coming up at RAHB – page 12

REALinfo

MEMBER SERVICES

RAHB NEWS

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

MLS®/TECHNOLOGY

Download Full Edition

Addition of 'Reserved Spaces' fields – page 7Internet Explorer users! – page 8

Professional Development for REALTORS® – page 8 Realty Shoppe – page 9REALTOR® CONNECTIONS 2016 – page 10

Gala highlights and award winners – page 3RAHB welcomes new members – page 6Increase to monthly service fee – page 6Increase to photo fee – page 6Noise issues in Flamborough? – page 7

FEATUREMusings from RAHB CEO George O'Neill – page 2

CREA/OREA NEWSCREA's health and dental insurance plan for REALTORS – page 11Alarm system leads to alarming lawsuit – page 11New 'Registrar’s Bulletin' on advertising compliance – page 11The New GeoWarehouse is coming! – page 12

REALinfo is published monthly by the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB)

505 York Boulevard, Hamilton ON L8R 3K4 T.: 905.529.8101 F.: 905.529.4349 MLS® F.: 905.529.6636Help Desk T.: 905.667.4650Realty Shoppe:T.: 905.529.5979F.: 905.529.7109

Email: info@rahb.ca Web site: www.rahb.caIntranet site: www.realtorlink.ca

Editor: Valerie WebsterEditorial Assistant: Sheila Sferrazza Design: Maggie InglisIn-house Products: RAHB Print Services

Established in 1921, the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB) represents more than 2,700 real estate brokers and salespersons from Hamilton, Burlington, and surrounding areas. Members of the association may use the REALTOR® trademark, which identifies them as real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics. The Association operates the local Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) System and provides ongoing professional education courses for its members. In addition, RAHB is an active participant in the Home Ownership Affordability Partnership (HOAP) and holds an annual auction in support of local charities. Advertisements of local MLS® property listings and information about the services provided by a REALTOR® can be found at www.REALTOR.ca. More information about RAHB is available at www.rahb.ca.

Mission StatementEmpowering REALTORS® to Succeed

President Kim Alvarez 905.407.7046

President-Elect Lou Piriano 905.628.6625

Vice-PresidentJack Loft 905.304.3303

Immediate Past PresidentDonna Bacher 905.520.1946

DirectorsAnn Forbes Arndt 905.574.3038Nikola Bucalo 905.388.1110Kathy Della-Nebbia 905.574.4600Gary Herron 905.388.1110Peter Holgate 905.336.9001Paul Martindale 905.572.9465Andrew Robertson 905.308.8333Bob Van de Vrande 905.332.4111

News and Resource for Members

continued on page 3

2REAL infoFebruary

2016

MUSINGS FROM RAHB CEO GEORGE O'NEILL

I know you have been wondering when RAHB is going to change over to fully use the new Regional Matrix MLS® System … we’ve certainly been talking about it, and working on it, for a long time. The reality is there are two major interdependent projects, underway simultaneously. The first is upgrading our Fusion MLS® system to Matrix. The second is defining and putting into place an accept-able working arrangement amongst eight regional real estate associations to manage a common MLS® system providing listings data across the eight association areas, a system I think you agree is critical to the business success of each and every one of you.

We are getting very close to providing a transition date from Fusion to Matrix. Remem-ber you can currently access in Matrix all active and sold listings within the regional areas of all eight participating real estate associations which includes Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Oakville/Milton, Niagara, Simcoe, Brantford and, of course Hamilton-Burlington. But until we go fully live on the new Matrix system, you must continue to load into our existing Fusion MLS® system new listings as well as any amendments or status changes. Those listings, and any subsequent changes, are automatically uploaded to Matrix every 15 minutes. So although you can use Matrix today to both view and search all listings, you cannot use Matrix yet to load new listings. I know this is not ideal, but I believe it is better than rushing the system into production while ignoring issues that would affect your livelihood.

Since the time we started in September to perform Matrix quality and functional assurance reviews from the perspective of RAHB members’ anticipated usage, 392 test cases identified issues our testing team and I felt would not be acceptable to you. The good news now is that the vast majority of those issues have been resolved, with only around a dozen outstanding. The remaining items fall into three broad categories: items RAHB identified and the other regional associations now all agree need fixing and we are working to resolve; items RAHB identified and not all of the regional associations currently agree they need changing and so we are trying to negotiate a common acceptable solution; and governance/business-model related concerns, meaning how we, as eight associations of varying sizes and market experiences, will operate together to manage and share the same business system that is so critical to you, our members. Working together as a group of eight means each and every system change, from a simple rewording of a pick menu item, to more substantial business and MLS® rules and how listings data are displayed, must be negotiated until we have agreement from all of the eight associations. One significant outstanding issue is updating and then accepting the current Regional MLS® Rules document – the same rules must apply and be adopted by all eight associations in order for the regional Matrix system to function effectively.

Upgrading to the new Matrix MLS® system, coupled with implementing an effective MLS® governance/business-model across eight real estate associations, is not a task to be underestimated, because it impacts the ability of each and every one of you to make a living. The single driver for me to continue to make this happen is the expected ben-efit accruing to all of you, our members, who choose to take advantage of access to a broader pool of listings across the Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Cambridge, Oakville/Mil-ton, Niagara, Simcoe, Brantford and, of course Hamilton-Burlington areas. Enabling you to be more effective in your chosen market is what your association is all about.

In February I hope to be able to announce the exact date we will fully go live with Matrix. Please watch your e-mail, and thank you for your patience as we try to get this system and the regional working arrangement right for you.

MATRIX MLS® System UPDATE

News and Resource for Members

3REAL infoFebruary

2016

continued from page 2

You may already be aware that just a few days ago, on January 26, we celebrated RAHB’s 95th anniversary. That’s quite a milestone! If you were at our Gala this year on January 23, you have already heard a bitabout this special occasion.

To put the date into perspective, in 1921 King George V was on the throne, and William Lyon McKenzie King was Prime Minister. Canadians Banting and Best discovered insulin and Albert Einstein received his Nobel Prize in physics. Canadian women were finally allowed to vote and run for office, and the first woman, Agnes MacPhail from Ontario, was elected to Parliament. The Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the World Series, and to this day we remember the name Shoeless Joe.

A lot has changed in our world since these events. RAHB has grown and changed as well to become the modern association of members it is today. Our association is the third largest real association in Ontario with about 2890 members – around 100 members fewer than the second largest association in Ottawa.

What hasn’t changed over time is our association’s and members’ commitment to establish high standards of real estate practice, encourage cooperation among members, foster civic action and provide education and training programs. RAHB’s founders had a vision that is timeless, and we today reap the rewards of what began in 1921.

Congratulations on our 95th anniversary! I hope this is your best year ever, and your association is here to help you make that happen. Let me know what more we can do to help. I can be reached directly via email at George.ONeill@rahb.ca or via phone at 905.529.8101 x230.

Sincerely,

Happy 95th RAHB!

RAHB NEWS

RAHB members were recognized for the time they devoted to serving on RAHB committees and task forces in 2015 and for long-time membership at the Annual Appreciation Gala on Saturday, January 23, 2016.

RAHB President Kim Alvarez thanked committee, task force and Board members for their service, and noted that RAHB is “fortunate to have both veterans and newcomers who take time away from their businesses and personal lives to serve the wider interests of their fellow members and our association.”

(left to right) RAHB CEO George O'Neill presented certificates to outgoing directors Tim Mattioli, Gloria Payton, Dave Nichols, Heidi Van Der Marel, Sean Morrison and Hank Balfoort while RAHB President Kim Alvarez thanked themfor their contributions and dedication in advancing the interests of the association.

The formal portion of the evening ended with a presentation to Past President Donna Bacher.

Gala Highlights

continued on page 4

News and Resource for Members

4REAL infoFebruary

2016

Long service pins were presented to the newest members of the Long Service Club. 50 members reached the 25-year milestone in 2015, 14 members reached the 40-year milestone, one member – Ron Hewitt - reached the 50-year milestone and one member – T. Glen Chambers – logged 65 years as a RAHB member.

Long Service Award recipientscontinued from page 3

25 Year Recipients

(first row l-r) Amy Gallant, Val Dalgetty-Righton, Debora Agro, Margaret DeGroot (back row l-r) Deborah Coles, Dominic Almonte, Laura Doucette

(first row l-r) Debby Murphy, Kim Hummell, Sue DePaulo, Janice Hinkley (back row l-r) Kiet Le, John Petis, Bill Chow

(first row l-r) Oscar Simoes, Kimberly Ehler, Dean Spencer(back row l-r) Paulo Ribeiro, Brian Miller, David Howitt, J. Michael Ricottone

(first row l-r) George Vergadis, David Stasuik, (back row l-r) Frank Salvatore, John Schlett

(first row l-r) Michel Desrochers, Erna Willem, Donna Gallo, Elsie Anderson, Lino Colangelo(back row l-r) Jamie Edwards, John Bucalo, Brian Lee, Mark Boyak

40 Year Recipients65 Year Recipient 50 Year Recipient

Kim Alvarez, 2016 RAHB President and T. G. Chambers

Ron Hewitt

continued on page 5

News and Resource for Members

5REAL infoFebruary

2016

(photo, from left to right)Outstanding Community Service – Nancie Mlezcko

Nancie Mlezcko (Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate) was presented with the Outstanding Community Service Award, which recognizes a member who has shown outstanding dedication to the real estate profession and exceptional volunteer service to her community.

Nancie has served on numerous RAHB committees and task forces over the last 25 years. She is highly respected in the real estate profession and is known to be available to share her expertise with others. She is co-founder of a franchise network which provides training as well as business and social networking opportunities to others in the organization.

Nancie has a long history of being involved in community and charitable organizations, and serves as mentor, committee member, tutor, volunteer for events, back-stage manager, volunteer coordinator and sponsor, among other roles. She has sat on numerous volunteer boards of directors and committees, has been active in election campaigns and served as volunteer supervisor of event services for the recent Pan Am Games. Nancie received the Hometown Hero award for volunteerism and dedication to the community.

Honorary Life Membership – Mike CusanoMike Cusano (RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc.) was presented with the Honorary Life Award, which recognizes an individual who has rendered outstanding service to the real estate industry and/or the Association.

Mike is known as a leader in the real estate profession who always leads with a strong ethical example. He has served on numerous RAHB committees and on the Board of Directors; he was RAHB President in 2007. Mike has also servedon various committees and the Board of the Ontario Real Estate Association and as a Director of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO). Mike is a Fellow of the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation and was recently re-elected as a RECO Director.

Award of Merit – Gloria PaytonGloria Payton (L. Piriano Real Estate) was presented with the Award of Merit, which recognizes a member who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and service to RAHB.

Gloria has served twice on the RAHB Board of Directors and on numerous committees and task forces. She is a known professional with the highest regards for ethical behaviour, who shows dedication to the profession by sharing her time and expertise with other members. Gloria was a long-time instructor of RAHB’s new member orientation program, and she continues to mentor new members and others.

Congratulations to the following RAHB Award recipients!

RAHB Awards

Photos provided by REAL SERVICES PHOTOGRAPHY INC.

Musical entertainment was provided by Kim & Company

continued from page 4

News and Resource for Members

6REAL infoFebruary

2016

RAHB welcomes new membersThe REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington extends a warm welcome to its newest members (December 12 to January 21).

Margaret Cameron Le To Keller Williams Complete Realty Inc., Brokerage

Lindsay RussellLydia De Santis Colleen LoboKeller Williams Edge Realty Inc., Brokerage

Lori BirbariJudy Marsales Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage

Timothy GoodwinJim Pauls Real Estate Ltd., Brokerage

Laura RodstromRealty Network: 100 Inc., Brokerage

Mitchell RyanLisa Marie SandharMatthew PreszJohn Van DoornJason HughesClinton Howell RE/MAX Escarpment Realty Inc., Brokerage

Rose MartinhoRE/MAX Escarpment Golfi Realty Inc., Brokerage

Laura NeherTiffany FunkeRight At Home Realty Inc., Brokerage

Daria RostkowskaJosh CoulterNaida BastedoRoyal LePage Niagara Real Estate Centre Inc., Brokerage

Konstantinos Violaris Michelle ShivbarranNatalie MichalskiRoyal LePage State Realty Inc., Brokerage

Bassant Ali Sutton Group About Town Realty Inc., Brokerage

James BarclayThomas BrownAmbitious Realty Advisors Inc., Brokerage

Roberta ReidApex Results Realty Inc., Brokerage

Marco Visocchi Cirrius Realty Inc., Brokerage

Matthew ChristieCity Brokerage

Dana Eddy Coldwell Banker Community Real Estate Inc., Brokerage

Nina TomaWendy BreenHomelife Professionals Realty Inc., Brokerage

Jay PatelDebbie MacaskillIPRO Realty Ltd., Brokerage

(reprint from email to all members in December, 2015)

RAHB’s monthly service fee (“Flat Fee”) is assessed on a cost recovery basis and is subject to revision according to the increase or decrease in costs incurred by RAHB to provide MLS® and MLS®-related services to members.

As per policy, [at the end of last year] the Finance Committee completed a review of expenses related to the monthly service fee for 2016 and recommended a two dollar increase, primarily due to: • increases in the cost of services provided by Teranet • pressure from the weak Canadian dollar for services billed in US dollars

As a result of these factors, the Board of Directors approved that the monthly service fee be increased from $42 to $44 per month, effective January 1, 2016. [The fee increase appeared on the January invoice you received on February 1.]

Please note this increase is only for your monthly service fee and not for your RAHB membership dues (“RAHB Quarterly Dues”), which will remain the same in 2016.

Increase to monthly service fee

Increase to photo charge Effective February 1, 2016, REAL SERVICES Photography Inc. increased the cost for the photographer to take a front photo. The fee is now $20.

News and Resource for Members

7REAL infoFebruary

2016

If you list and sell properties in the Rockton/Highway 8/Cooper Road, Cambridge area, you should be aware that there is a privately-owned airport on Cooper Road from which the SOSA Gliding Club operates.

The club has three tow planes flying out of the airport daily, year-round, to take gliders to a safe altitude. Because take-off is dictated by wind conditions, flight patterns change daily. All flights are in accordance with Transport Canadaregulations as well as in compliance with municipal and provincial regulations.

Why is this important?

If you have buyers who are interested in this area, they should know there may be small planes flying over their properties, and those small planes may be noisy.

If you or your buyers have concerns about the flights or the noise, the SOSA Gliding Club has offered to work with you, at no cost to you, to provide overflight data, flight directions and flight frequency, so there are no surprises for the buy-ers. The club’s experience is that when buyers know what to expect, they have no issue with the flights or the club.

To get in touch with a representative of the SOSA Gliding Club, contact John Brennan at the SOSA Gliding Club, Box 81, Rockton, ON LOR 1XO or call the club at 519.740.9328.

Noise issues in Flamborough?

MLS®/TECHNOLOGY

On January 19, 2016, an additional field called ‘Reserved Spaces’ was added to the Matrix system for Residential Property types. This field was added to accommodate previous listings from other MLS® systems which permitted text in the ‘Garage Spaces’ field. With text being allowed, some agents were inputting not only the number of spaces, but also the space assignment numbers (e.g “2,A123,B456” where 2 would be the number of spaces and A123/B456 would be the assigned parking spot numbers). Following the addition of the new field “Reserved Spaces”, the ‘Garage Spaces’ field data will be copied to the ‘Reserved Spaces’ field and then the ‘Garage Spaces’ field will be changed to a numeric entry only field. The reason for this change is to allow for a more accurate and flexible way to search for parking/garage spaces using the numeric input fields.

In summary….

BeforeDriveway Parking Spaces <numeric character input>Garage Spaces <freeform character input>Result: no easy way to predict what might be typed in the ‘Garage Spaces’ field, making it very difficult to search.

AfterReserved Spaces <freeform character input>Driveway Parking Spaces <numeric character input>Garage Spaces <numeric character input>Result: easier to search the ‘Garage Spaces’ field now that is a numeric value only.

Also new! Garage Types - New pick valueOn January 19, 2016, the value ‘Oversized’ was added to accommodate oversized garages which are commonly referred to as a “1.5 Car Garage” or “One and a Half Car Garage”.

Please note these changes are only in Matrix – this does not affect your listing entry into Fusion.

Addition of 'Reserved Spaces' fields

News and Resource for Members

8REAL infoFebruary

2016

MEMBER SERVICES

MouldWednesday, February 10, 201610 a.m. – Noon

Instructor: Richard Merkley

www.rahb.ca/education/2016/Mould2016.pdf

Tax and Investment Planning for REALTORS®

Friday, February 12, 201610 a.m. – Noon

Instructor: Ed Ounpuu

http://rahb.ca/education/2016/TaxInvestment Planning2016.pdf

Tax and Estate Planning – Part IIMonday, February 29, 201610 a.m. – Noon

Instructor: Hem Bhatt

www.rahb.ca/education/2016/TaxEstatePlanning JanFeb2016.pdf

OREA 2016 Standard Forms and Clause Revision UpdateFriday, March 4, 20169:30 a.m. – Noon OR 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Instructor: Cassandra Agnew Walker

www.rahb.ca/education/2016/StandardFormsClauses Revision2016.pdf

Professional Development for REALTORS®

Problems with Older HomesFriday, April 8, 201610 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Instructor: Andrew McCarthy

www.rahb.ca/education/2016/ProblemsOlderHomes.pdf

HST for the Real Estate ProfessionalWednesday, May 12, 201610 a.m. – Noon

Instructor: Ed Ounpuu

www.rahb.ca/education/2016/HSTRealEstateProfessional.pdf

All the above courses are FREE for RAHB members (although members who register but do not attend will be assessed a no-show fee on their monthly invoice) and will be held at the RAHB office, McCullough Room (lower level). For more information or to register, contact Angela at angelam@rahb.ca or call 905.529.8101 x233.

e-PRO® Day 1 – Certification courseWednesday, May 11, 20168:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Fee: $199+HST

NOTE: e-PRO® Day 2 – is completed onlineFee: $149 +HST

www.rahb.ca/education/2016/eProCertificationCourse.pdf

Microsoft ended support for Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 on Tuesday, January 12, 2016. Microsoft will support IE 9 only on Microsoft Vista computers. This means that Microsoft will no longer be providing updates for these versions of Internet Explorer and significant security vulnerabilities may exist for users who continue to use them. Clareity Security software solutions will still permit logins from these browser versions, but limited support may be available because of Microsoft’s actions. If you don’t want to work with a browser that is no longer supported, we recommend you switch to Google Chrome or Firefox.

Internet Explorer users!

News and Resource for Members

9REAL infoFebruary

2016

Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. T.: 905.529.5979 F.: 905.529.7109 E.: realtyshoppe@rahb.ca

* All applicable taxes are extra. Prices subject to change.

Realty Shoppe

Choice of black or white 31”w x 72”h (11” shank w/stabilizer bar)

Metal sign frames to promote listings & open house showings:

Colonial “L” Style – 2 pieces

$32.05 ea.*

Sign inserts for “A” & “H” frames Red letters on white background, 4 sign choices, 24”w x 18”h each

• Open House This Sunday 2 – 4 p.m./ Open House This Saturday 2 – 4 p.m. (printed both sides)

• Open House with arrow• REALTOR® On Duty• Garage Sale with arrow

$20.25 ea.*

$17.00 ea.*

Black only24 ½”w x 54”h (14” shank)Holds 18”h x 24”w sign inserts

Double “H” style – 2 pieces

$27.85 ea.*

Double “H” bottom only – Black only

$16.75 ea.*

Open House “A” frame

Choice of black or whiteHolds 24”w x 18”h sign inserts

Colonial bottoms onlyChoice of black or white, 35” h(11” shank w/stabilizer bar)

Colonial tops onlyChoice of black or white

$25.75 ea.*

$5.22 ea.*

$3.90 ea.*

Customer Appreciation DayJust to say THANK YOU for your continued support

Wednesday, February 10, 2016, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Visit the Shoppe to enjoy light refreshments and enter

your business card to WIN a prize! No purchase necessary.

News and Resource for Members

10REAL infoFebruary

2016

This one-day conference is filled with opportunities and events designed for REALTORS®, and you are invited to attend!

Rebecca Mountain: Online Lead Generation: The Simple Solution Rick Shelley: Multi-Residential: The Ins and Outs Don Patterson: CREA Update and Information for the Commercial Practitioner Trade show with 65+ exhibitors RAHB Annual General Meeting (AGM) Light breakfast and buffet lunch

REALT R®

CONNECTI NS2016

AGM, Conference and Trade Show

For more information, visit www.rahb.ca/eventssponsors/realtor-connections/ Register online at http://registration.rahb.ca/MainList.aspx or contact Sheila at the RAHB office

– 905.529.8101 x234 or email sheilas@rahb.ca

Knowledge Pods in the Exhibit Hall – stop for

a few minutes and learn from the pros

WHAT’S HAPPENING

DATE: Wednesday, March 23, 2016 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Badge pick up begins at 7:30 a.m.)WHERE: Hamilton Convention Centre 1 Summer’s Lane, HamiltonCOST: FREE for members who register by 8:30 a.m., Monday, March 7.* $35+HST for RAHB members registering after the cut off or at the door.

* Members who register before 8:30 a.m. Monday, March 7 but do not attend REALTOR® CONNECTIONS (and do not cancel their registration in advance of the event - see cancellation policy below) will have a $35+HST administration fee

charged to their RAHB account.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations will be accepted until 8:30 a.m., Monday, March 14. Cancellations received after that date will not be eligible for any applicable refund.

CONNECTIONS Café – a place to meet and chat with your colleagues about

issues of the day

Lunch time Panel with Moderator Keanin Loomis –

Find out more about local municipal initiatives

News and Resource for Members

11REAL infoFebruary

2016

CREA/OREA/GeoWarehouse NEWS

Did you know that CREA offers a health and dental insurance plan for REALTORS®?You will soon be receiving a brochure that describes the benefits of the Plan which is underwritten by ManuLife Financial. If you want more information, you can also go to www.manulife.com/creahealth, the website designed exclusively for CREA members, where you can evaluate the merits of the plan and get a no-obligation quote.

It all began when a home owner arranged for an alarm system to be installed in his residence. The cost of installing the system was more than $700 and the package featured a keypad entry and basic alarm system. The owner also signed up for a monitoring service, which included a monthly charge of $45.14. A modem was installed that would trigger the monitoring device.

Some 18 months later, the same owner decided to sell his home. The agreement of purchase and sale (APS) stated: “Chattels included … Alarm system and equipment.” However, the only item listed in the Rented Equipment category was as follows: “Hot water tank with the buyer to assume the rental contract.”

In the course of the property sale, a lawsuit ensued. The buyer and seller disagreed on whether the buyer was required to assume the monthly charges for the alarm system. The seller claimed that the buyer was to have taken over the cost of the alarm modem and monitoring system.

The judge in this case ruled that the APS was a “botched” agreement. It was not made clear to the court why the seller did not have the modem and alarm monitoring system removed from his prior residence and transferred to his new residence, to minimize costs. The seller stated that he did not know where the modem had been physically located. The judge ruled that the seller was responsible for the monthly charges. The seller’s claim against the buyer was dismissed.

Gu v Carnovale 2013 CanLII 60220This content has been reproduced with permission from the Ontario Real Estate Association.

The following article appeared in the January, 2016 issue of OREA’s “The Edge”

Alarm system leads to alarming lawsuit by Merv Burgard, Q.C

In response to registrant feedback, RECO is making changes to further help registrants comply with regulations, starting with a new process to review advertising before it is published.

A new Registrar’s Bulletin (http://www.reco.on.ca/registrars-bulletin/advertising-reviews-and-complaints/) describes a new procedure whereby RECO will review registrant advertising before it is published. RECO will review the advertise-ment when asked to do so by a Broker of Record. The bulletin also introduces a new process for registrant-based complaints about advertising. All registrants should review the bulletin as soon as possible.

The changes are intended to: Elevate advertising compliance; Promote accountability for brokerage advertising among brokers of record; and, Encourage registrants to settle more disputes amongst themselves before taking a complaint to RECO.

The changes took effect January 1, 2016.

From the Registrar's office ....

New 'Registrar’s Bulletin' on advertising compliance

News and Resource for Members

12REAL infoFebruary

2016

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Computer

Held at RAHB – 505 York Blvd. – Lower Level C – Chambers Room M – McCullough Room

New Member Computer Training Level 1 Thursday, February 18 – C, 9 a.m. – Noon Thursday, March 3 – C, 9 a.m. – Noon Thursday, March 17 – C, 9 a.m. – Noon

Courses Mould Wednesday, February 10, 2016 – M, 10 a.m. - Noon

Tax and Investment Planning for REALTORS®

Friday, February 12, 2016 – M, 10 a.m. - Noon

Tax and Estate Planning – Part II Monday, February 29, 2016 – M, 10 a.m. - Noon

OREA 2016 Standard Forms & Clause Revision Update Monday, March 4, 2016 – M, 9:30 a.m. - Noon OR 1 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Problems with Older Homes Friday, April 8, 2016 – M, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

HST for the Real Estate Professional Wednesday, May 12, 2016 – M, 10 a.m. – Noon

e-PRO® Day 1 – Certification course Wednesday, May 11, 2016 – M, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

NOTE: e-PRO® Day 2 – is completed online

Board of Directors, Committee and Task Force MeetingsHeld at RAHB – 505 York Blvd. – First Floor T – Thompson Room P – Purnell Room

Governance Friday, February 5 – T, 9:30 a.m.

Audit Meeting Thursday, February 11 – P, 9 a.m.

MLS® Committee Tuesday, February 16 – T, 9:30 a.m.

Board of Directors Thursday, February 25 – T, 9 a.m.

Upcoming Events REALTOR® CONNECTIONS 2016 Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Hamilton Convention Centre 1 Summers Lane, Hamilton

Office ClosuresThe RAHB office will be closed Monday, February 15 – Family Day

Teranet has announced its New GeoWarehouse – everything you loved about GeoWarehouse, only better. Here are just a few of the improvements:

• An enhanced single search bar makes property searches even easier o Quick search by address, name, PIN or ARN o View recent search activities o Receive real-time suggestions as you type

• Improved map search o Single-click map search o Quick links to the Property Report and full-screen Street View o Location detection to find properties near you

• Enriched comparable sales search o Quick access to comparable sales search o Custom polygon drawing tool o Real-time stats

Sign up to learn more: http://marketing.geowarehouse.ca/acton/form/1288/0106:d-0001/0/-/-/-/-/index.htm.

The New GeoWarehouse is coming!(From the GeoWarehouse blog, January 25, 2016)