TRREB Members can now promote and Live Stream Open Houses.
Interested clients can join you in real time as you walk through the property, present its features, and answer any questions.
Choose a Streaming Platform
In order to create a Live Stream Open House, you must first select a streaming platform for your live stream.
This could be one of the following providers:
How Can I Add a Live Stream Open House to My Listing?
Adding a Live Stream Open House to your listing is an easy two-step process (and is the same way that you would promote a Public Open House)
2. When entering the open house, simply fill in the property details, and choose Live Stream Open House under Select open house type and include your Live Stream Open House URL.
How Can Interested Clients Join the Live Open House Stream?
Once you’ve entered your live stream open house, the links will become available online, and visitors to those listings will be able to join Live Stream Open Houses over the Internet.
Links for Live Stream Open Houses will be displayed on Collaborate, on TRREB’s public listing site (TRREB.ca), as well as on REALTOR.ca.
Here’s How Clients Can Search Live Stream Open Houses on TRREB.ca and Collaborate:
2. Once you select a listing, scroll down & click to join the Live Stream Open House.
The post How to LIVE Stream Virtual Open Houses appeared first on TRREB Wire.
TRREB has communicated with Mayor Tory and the Toronto City Manager regarding important City Services that have been impacted by the City’s suspension and adjustment of City services, specifically the City’s Planning and Building Departments.
In a letter to Mayor Tory and the City Manager, TRREB highlighted that City services play an important role for numerous real estate transactions. Specifically, the City’s Planning and/or Building Departments play important roles for many inquiries, permits, zoning reviews, etc., which often form parts of conditions on real estate transactions that must be cleared before the transaction can be completed. Initially, the City of Toronto had suspended all of these services, while most other GTA municipalities were still able to continue providing these services with staff working remotely to ensure safety and social distancing.
TRREB worked with other stakeholders, including the Building Industry and Land Development Association and the Toronto Region Board of Trade, to ensure that the City was aware of the potential severity of impact that this could mean for the City’s economy.
Status of City Planning and Building Services
The City has now made adjustments to allow some of these services to continue during the shutdown, while still ensuring the safety of their staff. The following is an update on these services posted by the City:
Current Building Department services include:
Suspended Building Department services:
Currently evaluating needs and capability to safely allow for the following activities:
Current Planning Department services include:
Suspended Planning Dept Services
The post TRREB Action on Toronto City Services Relevant to R.E Transactions appeared first on TRREB Wire.
As of the morning of Monday, April 6, TRREB will introduce a tool that will allow Members to add links for Live Stream Open Houses to their listings so that interested clients can join the Salesperson in real time as they walk through the property, present its features, and answer their questions.
You will now be able to promote upcoming Live Stream Open House showings on your Collab listings, on TRREB’s public listing site (TRREB.ca), as well as on REALTOR.ca.
Links for Live Stream Open Houses can be added to your listing using the Manage My Profile interface, in much the same way that you would promote a regular Public Open House. When entering the new open house, you simply need to specify the open house type.
As a reminder, TRREB has suppressed the display of regular public open houses on TRREB’s Stratus MLS® System and our public facing websites TRREB.ca, Collaborate, and realtor.ca (owned by CREA), until it is safe to restore them.
Once you’ve entered your live streaming events, the links will become available online, and visitors to those listings will be able to join Live Stream Open Houses over the Internet.
Links for Live Stream Open Houses will be displayed on Collab reports, on TRREB’s public listing site (TRREB.ca), as well as on REALTOR.ca.
A Live Stream link will stay visible up to the date of the Live Stream Open House, and for the rest of the day after the presentations, in the same way that regular expired Open House links are removed.
As a convenience, Clients will also be able to search for property listings that are promoting Live Stream Open Houses.
As of Tuesday, April 7, the same Live Stream Open House links will also be sent to CREA and will be displayed on REALTOR.ca.
The post Live Stream Open Houses appeared first on TRREB Wire.
Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,012 home sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in March 2020 – up by 12.3 per cent compared to 7,132 sales reported in March 2019.
However, despite a strong increase in sales for March 2020 as a whole, there was a clear break in market activity between the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 periods. For the purposes of this release, the start of the post-COVID-19 period was the week beginning Sunday, March 15.
For March as a whole, new listings were up by three per cent year-over-year to 14,424. However, similar to sales, new listings dropped on a year-over-year basis during the second half of the month (beginning March 15) by 18.4 per cent.
“Despite sales and listings trending lower in the second half of March, demand for ownership housing remained strong enough relative to listings to see the average selling price remain above last year’s levels, including during the last few days of the month. As we move through April, we will have a clearer view on how social distancing measures and broader economic conditions will influence sales and ultimately the pace of price growth,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB’s Chief Market Analyst.
The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark price was up by 11.1 per cent year-over-year in March 2020. The average selling price for March 2020 as a whole was $902,680 – up 14.5 per cent compared to March 2019. The average selling price for sales reported between March 15 and March 31, was $862,563 – down from the first half of March 2020, but still up by 10.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Preliminary Market Outlook Guidance
2020 started with a near-record pace for home sales in the first quarter and double-digit annual rates of price growth. However, the COVID-19 outbreak has clearly changed this year’s outlook. TRREB will be releasing a forecast update in mid-April, once we have a longer time series of data since the onset of the strong social distancing measures, the concern over economic growth and the related employment picture. However, TRREB is providing some initial guidance as follows:
The post TRREB RELEASES MARCH RESALE HOUSING MARKET STATISTICS appeared first on TRREB Wire.
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s (TRREB) annual REALTOR® QUEST conference and trade show originally scheduled for May 27 and 28, 2020, will be postponed to late fall 2020.
Following the increased and overwhelming concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, TRREB believes this is the right decision based on the information we have today and is proceeding with caution during such an unprecedented global situation.
We appreciate the importance of REALTOR® QUEST to our Members and our sponsor, exhibitor, and vendor partners. TRREB remains committed to hosting REALTOR® QUEST, and if conditions are appropriate in late fall 2020, we will host the event at that time and hope you are able to join us then.
Please continue to check this page for news and updates on the situation.
The post REALTOR® QUEST postponed appeared first on TRREB Wire.
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) today issued a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guidance to its 56,000 REALTOR® Members on the provincial shutdown, as it relates to trading in real estate. The key message is to avoid in-person business, such as open houses and showings with clients, during the provincial state of emergency. This will include home sellers, buyers, tenants and business clients.
TRREB is strongly advising Members to refrain from face-to-face real estate practices during the State of Emergency as they continue to satisfy their ethical duties to their clients. Members are encouraged to use alternative marketing strategies, such as video and virtual tours wherever possible, and to continue to follow directives and guidance being given by the government and public health agencies.
“Realtors have a responsibility to protect their own safety, as well as the safety of their colleagues, clients, and the general public. Members should adapt their practice to ensure that their professional activities are safe and comply with all guidance provided by Health Canada, the Province of Ontario and medical professionals,” said TRREB President Michael Collins.
Real estate was included as one of the essential workplaces announced by the Ontario Government yesterday, with the provincial shutdown scheduled to take effect at 11:59 p.m. tonight. This was primarily to ensure people who had already bought or sold a home, but are still in the process of finding a new home or selling their existing property, were not left in limbo during the provincial shutdown.
“Clients and other consumers are subject to the shutdown orders and should not be visiting properties for open houses in particular. Many aspects of the home buying and selling process can continue to occur without in-person contact, including documentation and signing, and in many circumstances, closings. We’re still at a critical phase with this pandemic, and we all have to do our part to be successful in confronting this challenge in order to protect the health and safety of all,” continued Collins.
“In light of provincial government restrictions on public gatherings and guidance regarding social distancing, TRREB is doing its part to limit face-to-face contact by suppressing public open houses for the time being on its Stratus MLS® System, and removing them from public facing websites: TRREB.ca, Collaborate and realtor.ca, until it is safe to restore,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.
TRREB will also not enforce its MLS® Rule dealing with showings and inspections while the current government health advisories remain in effect. Property listings on the MLS® System will not be suspended because a property is not available for showings or inspections, which is what the rule requires.
The FAQ TRREB developed for Member use addresses questions surrounding real estate issues related to the provincial shutdown such as:
You can access the full TRREB FAQ with answers via this link: https://bit.ly/33JoG6k
Media Inquiries: Mary Gallagher, Senior Manager, Public Affairs maryg@trebnet.com 416-443-8158
The post TRREB PROVIDES COVID-19 GUIDANCE TO REALTOR® MEMBERS appeared first on TRREB Wire.
The Province has released a list of essential workplaces considered “essential services” under the provincial shutdown that takes effect at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, March 24, and is expected to last for at least 14 days.
TRREB is reviewing the list and the implication for our industry and will share our analysis, including an FAQ for REALTORS® shortly.
Below are industries that impact our industry directly that have been considered essential:
Land registration services, and real estate agent services and moving services: This does not mean business as usual as we will have to adhere to the health advisories related to COVID-19 which means use of technology and remote work arrangements. Stay tuned for an FAQ shortly.
Institutional, Residential, Commercial and Industrial Maintenance
Construction
Financial activities
Businesses that support the safe operations of residences and essential businesses.
Here’s the complete list: https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/03/list-of-essential-workplaces.html
The post Essential Workplaces Related To Real Estate Under Provincial Shutdown appeared first on TRREB Wire.
As you are probably aware, today, Premier Doug Ford announced the shutdown of all non-essential services across the province to take effect at 11:59 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24, and continue for at least 14 days. Toronto Mayor John Tory has also just declared a state of emergency.
Details on which businesses are considered “essential,” and by implication, those that will be required to shut down, will be announced by the province tomorrow, at which time we’ll send an update to all Members. Please note that businesses with remote working arrangements will likely be able to continue to do business that way.
TRREB is looking into a range of issues that will impact our business, and we will inform Members as we obtain clarification and answers, for example:
TRREB has been operating, and will continue to operate, with remote work arrangements for employees who are able to do so.
We will provide updates on above and related issues tomorrow as we obtain clarity and answers.
The post Province-wide Shutdown for Non-Essential Businesses appeared first on TRREB Wire.
TORONTO, MARCH 21, 2020 – The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) issued a strong recommendation to its 56,000 REALTOR® Members to stop conducting in-person open houses during the Ontario COVID-19 State of Emergency.
TRREB is committed to the protection of the health and safety of its Members and the general public, and has encouraged Members to continue to offer best practices due to the uncertainty we’re faced with in dealing with COVID-19. Open houses are typically used by some home sellers and their Realtors to market properties for sale to home buyers.
“In light of provincial government restrictions on public gatherings and guidance regarding social distancing, TRREB recommends that Members do not hold open houses for the time being. TRREB will be suppressing open houses on its Stratus MLS® system and our public facing websites trreb.ca, Collaborate and realtor.ca, until it is safe to restore,” said TRREB President Michael Collins.
For clarity, TRREB will also not enforce its MLS R-345 dealing with showings and inspections while the current government health advisories remain in effect. Property listings on the MLS® system will not be suspended because a property is not available for showings or inspections, which is what the rule requires.
“We’re at a critical phase with this pandemic and we all have to do our part to be successful in confronting this challenge in order to protect the health and safety of REALTORS®, their clients and the general public. We have provided resources to our Members to assist with Best Practices which you can review
here: http://trreb.ca/index.php/news/news-releases/661-updated-open-houses-showings-covid-19-best- practices,” added Collins.
“While we appreciate that this is the real estate brokerage’s decision in consultation with their clients, home buyers, sellers and businesses, we are recommending that open houses stop until further notice.
e encourage members to use alternative marketing strategies such as video and virtual tours wherever possible, and to continue to follow directives and guidance being given by the government and public health agencies,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.
TRREB continues to monitor developments and will provide additional guidance as appropriate and as the situation develops.
Media Inquiries: Mary Gallagher, Senior Manager, Public Affairs maryg@trebnet.com 416-443-8158 trreb.ca
The post Official News Release: TRREB MOVES TO STOP RE OPEN HOUSES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC appeared first on TRREB Wire.
Brokerage Decision, But Carefully Consider the Risks
It is understandable that real estate open houses and showings are of concern to many, due to the uncertainty we’re faced in dealing with COVID-19. The real estate regulator in Ontario, the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), has issued a guidance on open houses and showings that you can read here: https://www.reco.on.ca/covid-19/
It is important that we all remain informed about the coronavirus (COVID-19), and to that end, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) continues to monitor COVID-19 developments closely. The well-being of TRREB Members, their clients and TRREB staff is our utmost priority.
As RECO has pointed out, real estate trades typically involve a significant amount of personal contact, particularly during showings, open houses, and in-person client communications. This includes REALTORS® and their clients, home buyers and sellers, and businesses. However, in the current environment, public health authorities are strongly encouraging social distancing. This is advice that should be taken seriously by every professional that works with the public.
Consider the Health of Others
RECO’s advice echoes earlier advice issued by TRREB. Both organizations have emphasized that, as registered professionals, it is the duty of Realtors to support their clients in making an informed choice about hosting or attending open houses and showings. This is a real estate brokerage decision that will have to be considered, taking into account the health of clients, Realtor staff and the community.
Realtors need to speak openly and honestly with clients so that they can weigh the risks in their community. It is important to heed the advice of health authorities (local, provincial and federal). This is particularly important for clients who are in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. See Health Canada guidelines on prevention tips.
Realtors are reminded that there are alternative online and virtual marketing opportunities for sellers that can easily be accessed by buyers.
As RECO has advised, “though it is your client’s decision whether to hold an open house, you can decline to proceed if you are not comfortable with the risk to your health. As always, you should discuss the services you are prepared to offer with your clients.”
Keep a two-metre radius
If Realtors and clients do interact, it’s a good idea to follow Health Canada’s guideline to keep a two-metre radius from others when out in public, and to practise “social distancing.” Realtors and their clients should stay in isolation if you’re showing any symptoms of being sick.
Realtors should consider contacting clients by email, phone or using other forms of technology, such as video calls.
If Realtors and their clients feel the need to host an open house, showing or have an in-person meeting with clients, consider the following tips from TRREB, RECO, CREA & Other Real Estate Organizations:
The regulator (RECO) has advised that before a showing or open house, you should seek to confirm whether any occupants of the property (owners or tenants) are ill, under self-isolation, have recently travelled out of the country or may have been exposed to COVID-19.
TRREB continues to encourage all Members to follow the advice of public health authorities and exercise reasonable precautions as needed to ensure the safety of all Members and their clients. CREA and NAR have published resources that TRREB Members can also refer to in determining appropriate measures for their respective operations. Those resources can be found here (CREA) and here (NAR).
Looking for more information surrounding COVID-19?
For a full list of prevention tips, please visit the Health Canada website.
You should also be mindful of the following advisory on Enhanced Public Health Measures for COVID-19 from the Office of the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health regarding travel, large events and other related matters.
Ontario Ministry of Health
https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus#section-0
Toronto Public Health
https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/diseases-medications-vaccines/coronavirus/
Public Health Agency of Canada
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html
World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Centres for Disease Control (CDC) – United States
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
We are monitoring developments closely, and will communicate any additional measures as they become necessary.
Thank you for your understanding as we all deal with these challenging times.
TRREB Official News Release:
The post Updated: Open Houses, Showings & COVID-19 Best Practices appeared first on TRREB Wire.
