The annual PAC Days conference, to be held this year from Oct. 26 to 28, allows Realtors to advocate for housing policy recommendations. 

“Realtors live and work in every part of Canada. They are deeply invested in their communities, and when they come to Parliament Hill to talk about important housing issues, MPs listen,” said David Humphreys, CREA consultant and founding PAC Days organizer.

This year, Realtors will be urging the federal government to accelerate the construction of missing middle housing such as townhomes, duplexes and family-sized apartments, and to dedicate a share of the Build Canada Homes projects to these types of projects.

“When an MP hears directly from a constituent who lives and works in their riding, it resonates in a way no lobbyist ever could. That’s the enduring genius of PAC Days – local voices shaping national decisions,” said James Lorimer, CREA consultant and founding PAC Days organizer.

The first PAC Days in 1985 brought together about 100 association members to meet with 60 to 70 MPs. In 2024, more than 400 PAC reps from across Canada came together in Ottawa to meet with more than 120 MPs.

“For 40 years, PAC Days has shown the power of Realtors speaking with one voice. As we look ahead, that voice will be more important than ever in shaping policies that build more homes across the continuum, strengthen communities, and keep the pathway to homeownership within reach,” said Janice Myers, CREA CEO.

PAC Days programming features training, panels, educational sessions and speeches from experts.

The post CREA celebrates 40 years of PAC Days appeared first on REM.

Today, the word feels less like a badge of honour and more like a brand you’d whisper about at a cocktail party before someone asks, “Oh, are you one of those?”

A shared word with split reputations

Canada’s real estate professionals use the word Realtor by permission. It is not ours. The trademark is co-owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the United States. CREA’s financial statements show no money changing hands through their joint company, Realtor Canada Inc., but the symbolic connection is undeniable.

And lately, that connection has been a problem.

Over the past two years, NAR has been mired in scandal, not the petty variety, but the kind that burns trust to the ground. Multiple U.S. class-action lawsuits have accused NAR of price-fixing and collusion around commission structures, culminating in a massive settlement that could reshape how real estate is practiced across America. 

While those legal battles play out, an even darker story has emerged: the sexual harassment and workplace abuse scandal that forced NAR president Kenny Parcell to resign in 2023.

When leadership fails

The New York Times investigation that broke the story read like something out of a corporate horror novel. Former employees described a culture of fear and silence, where senior executives faced repeated accusations of harassment and retaliation. Parcell allegedly sent explicit messages to subordinates, made unwanted advances, and fostered what insiders called a “boys’-club environment.” NAR apologized, launched internal reviews, and promised reform. But the damage was done. The organization built to uphold ethics could not even uphold its own.

For Canadian agents watching from across the border, the embarrassment is hard to ignore. The public does not parse the difference between CREA and NAR. To most consumers, a Realtor is a Realtor. When NAR sinks, the whole fleet lists with it.

When allies walk away

Redfin’s decision to cut ties with NAR in 2023 was a turning point. CEO Glenn Kelman had tried for years to reform the organization from within, pushing for transparency and modernization. Instead, he was met with resistance, outdated commission policies, and, as he said, “a pattern of alleged sexual harassment that betrayed the ideals the association was founded on.”

So Redfin left. Not quietly, not diplomatically, but with a statement that echoed across the industry: “Enough is enough.”

It was not just about money or antitrust risk. It was about integrity. If one of the largest, most visible brokerages in America could no longer stomach the association, what does that say about the health of the brand itself?

Control without independence is not freedom

Here in Canada, CREA controls the trademark rights to the word Realtor, but not the narrative. We carry a name that is not truly ours, tied to an organization in another country that keeps proving it cannot manage its own moral compass.

We do not pay dues to NAR, but we pay something harder to measure — reputational cost. Every time another headline breaks, Canadian agents brace for the fallout. Conversations with clients shift from home values to ethics. The word that once distinguished us now puts us on the defensive.

Who am I to say so?

I am a new agent. My licence cuts me if I turn around too fast. I have not worn off the corners or creased it into the soft parchment that comes with a dozen years in the field. I came into this industry through being an assistant in the aughts, then a real estate photographer in this decade. Three generations of my family have worked in real estate. My grandfather was a bit of a shark in the Lower Mainland, back when women did not do this job.

I debated getting my licence for a long time because, to be honest, this profession has baggage. Maybe it was getting licensed through the NAR lawsuit era, or maybe it was the public perception of what we do, but it gave me pause. 

I’m passionate about finding people homes, but I’m not passionate about the wince that sometimes comes with the word Realtor. You will not find Realtor in my branding, and I do not use it with clients. That is my choice. I am not asking every agent to redo their signs and billboards — that expense in this market!? But what I want to do is plant a seed.

It is time to build our own brand

The easy answer is to say “it is just a word.” But language matters. Words carry reputation, and reputation builds trust or erodes it. When the word Realtor drags behind it lawsuits, harassment scandals, and tone-deaf apologies, maybe it is time to ask if we still need it. The word Realtor ties us to NAR’s shenanigans, and if 2025 has taught us anything, it is that a strong Canadian identity is important.

Imagine rebranding the profession under a distinctly Canadian identity — one that does not require shared custody with an organization still trying to find its moral footing. A name that signals independence, modern ethics, and national pride. Something that says, “We represent our clients and our communities, not another country’s baggage.”

The word Realtor once stood for something bigger. But words can lose their meaning. Maybe the most professional thing we can do now is outgrow it.

After all, integrity is not trademarked. And maybe, finally, it’s time Canadians stopped renting their professional identity from the United States of America.

Lauren Towers

Lauren has lived in Canada, Germany, Italy, France, Mexico, Belize and Thailand—an eclectic résumé that includes time as a frustrated architectural photographer and a business English educator (really… the intellectual equivalent of a ski instructor). Now based in the South Okanagan, she channels her lifelong curiosity and eye for design into real estate, helping clients see the beauty and potential in every property. She loves alternative forms of housing, and even more, helping people with furry friends find the perfect place. Equal parts pragmatist and dreamer, she believes that finding the right home isn’t just a transaction—it’s an act of translation between space and soul.

The post OPINION: Does the word ‘Realtor’ still belong in Canada? appeared first on REM.

For more than 40 years, Bosley guided the Toronto-based brokerage with her husband, Tom Bosley, overseeing its growth into one of the city’s most established firms. She was widely recognized for advancing professional standards, championing mentorship, and supporting the next generation of industry leaders.

Bosley’s influence reached beyond her company, and even beyond Toronto. She served as president of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) from 2002 to 2003 and later as president of Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) from 2007 to 2008. Together with Tom, she was part of the first wife-and-husband team to lead both organizations. 

During her tenure, she played a central role in the development of Realtor.ca and was instrumental in establishing the Canadian Realtors Care Foundation, which continues to fund community initiatives across the country.

“Ann’s vision was rooted in humanity. She saw real estate as a calling that connected people to the rhythm of their lives. Those who had the privilege of knowing her will remember the passion she brought to leadership and the way she lifted others simply by believing in them,” reads a statement from Bosley Real Estate.

“Ann’s light endures in the company she shaped, in the industry she transformed, and in every act of integrity that bears her influence.”

She also conceived and developed Bosley U, the firm’s internal training program, which she wrote herself. 

Her daughter Christan now serves as president of Bosley Real Estate, carrying the family firm into its fourth generation.

The post Toronto real estate leader Ann Bosley remembered for industry impact appeared first on REM.

The month also broke with seasonal tradition. Sales declined by 1.7 per cent from August to September, a reversal that is unusual for a period when activity typically accelerates. Major markets, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal, all saw slower sales, with Toronto and Winnipeg as the exceptions. Rather than marking the beginning of renewed momentum, the September figures suggest a market struggling to generate even the modest lift that normally accompanies the fall season.

Supply, demand and the tilt toward buyers

What ultimately governs market direction is the relationship between supply and demand. While sales volumes were up 5.2 per cent from last year, listings increased at a faster clip. Active listings stood at nearly 200,000 properties in September, a 7.5 per cent rise year-over-year and roughly consistent with long-term averages. In contrast, sales remain well below those averages.

This divergence matters. A housing market bends toward whichever side expands more quickly. At present, listings are outpacing sales, forcing sellers to adjust downward to meet buyer bids. 

CREA’s sales-to-new listings ratio fell to 50.7 per cent, below the long-run mean of 54.9 per cent. Months of inventory sat at 4.4, slightly under the historical benchmark of five. According to traditional definitions, these readings still describe a balanced market. Yet these conventions are increasingly outdated in an era when technology accelerates transactions and shortens days on market. By older standards, the market appears stable. By contemporary dynamics, it leans distinctly toward buyers.

Prices flat, confidence fragile

On the surface, prices appear steady. The MLS Home Price Index was effectively unchanged in September, slipping just one-tenth of a percentage point from August. Year-over-year, the decline was 3.4 per cent. Such stability suggests the violent correction of 2022 and 2023 has given way to a slower grind. But stability in the numbers does not equal stability in sentiment.

The Canadian labour market has begun to fray. The closure of Stellantis operations in Brampton erased 3,000 jobs. Manufacturing layoffs ripple through Ontario. Unemployment rates are rising across most cities, with Alberta as a notable exception. GDP growth and job creation have been flattered by public sector hiring and fiscal spending, but households know that secure employment is what enables the confidence to purchase a home. Without conviction about income, families hesitate to assume long-term debt even if mortgage rates edge lower.

The fragility of confidence is why CREA’s invocation of “three years of pent-up demand” rings hollow. Demand is only meaningful if it is actionable. The desire to own does not translate into transactions when affordability remains out of reach. Wages must rise, rates must fall further, or prices must adjust downward before demand can be considered real.

The policy backdrop and political void

For years, population growth was the bedrock of housing demand. Immigration targets sustained a bullish narrative even when affordability eroded. That tailwind has now slackened. Political appetite for renewed acceleration in population growth is weak. Without it, a key pillar of long-term demand has been diminished. The looming renegotiation of CUSMA in 2026 adds further uncertainty to the outlook for demand, as the prospect of trade disruption clouds Canada’s broader economic trajectory.

Meanwhile, fiscal and monetary policy operate at cross purposes. Bond markets price the possibility of higher fixed rates toward the end of next year even as the Bank of Canada signals restraint. Government spending props up GDP in the short term, yet this masks structural vulnerabilities. Insolvencies and delinquencies are rising. The foundations of household balance sheets are deteriorating.

It is in this context that CREA’s optimism must be read. The association and its economists are correct that interest rates have normalized relative to the recent past. They are less convincing in suggesting that this will unleash latent demand. Recovery requires not only lower financing costs but also a sense that the broader economy is resilient enough to sustain households over the long term.

An extended holding pattern

Canada’s housing market now occupies an awkward middle ground. It is neither collapsing nor recovering. The correction phase has ended, but the renewal phase has yet to begin. Prices are flat, sales volumes are weak, and the balance of supply and demand tips gradually toward buyers. The system is stalled in place, waiting for either confidence or affordability to break the deadlock.

For policymakers, this limbo should be a warning. In the absence of robust wage growth, sustained employment, or structural improvements to housing supply, the market will not find a natural path back to equilibrium. For households, the message is equally stark. Stability is not the same as security. The risks of job loss, inflation and policy drift weigh heavily on decisions to buy or sell.

The September report is thus not the turning point CREA suggests. It is another entry in a long sequence of data that shows the same reality. Canada’s housing market is stuck. The question is not whether a boom or bust is imminent. It is whether we are prepared for the prolonged stasis that lies ahead.

Daniel Foch

Daniel Foch is the Chief Real Estate Officer at Valery.ca, and Host of Canada’s #1 real estate podcast. As co-founder of The Habistat, the onboard data science platform for TRREB & Proptx, he helped the real estate industry to become more transparent, using real-time housing market data to inform decision making for key stakeholders. With over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, Daniel has advised a broad spectrum of real estate market participants, from 3 levels of government to some of Canada’s largest developers.

Daniel is a trusted voice in the Canadian real estate market, regularly contributing to media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CBC, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail. His expertise and balanced insights have earned him a dedicated audience of over 100,000 real estate investors across multiple social media platforms, where he shares primary research and market analysis.

The post Foch: Canada’s housing market is stuck in neutral appeared first on REM.

Patrick Pichette is ending his 13-year chapter with Realtor.ca and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

Since January, Pichette has served as the founding CEO of Realtor.ca on an interim basis. The role was created as the website was spun out as a wholly-owned subsidiary of CREA. 

Pichette had previously served as vice president of Realtor.ca for over six years. He spent his earlier years at CREA in marketing and product development. 

“​​I’m especially grateful for the chance to rally the industry and the team around a new vision for Realtor.ca, and for the opportunity to spin the platform out into a for-profit company as its founding CEO,” said Pichette in a social media post on Wednesday. 

In the statement, he said he is a “builder at heart,” and he’s excited for what’s next.

Janice Myers, CREA CEO, has been appointed interim CEO of Realtor.ca while the search for a permanent CEO continues.

“(Patrick) has held pivotal roles in product management, product development, and marketing,” said Myers in a statement to Real Estate Magazine. “His deep expertise in aligning technology with business goals has helped position Realtor.ca as an indispensable resource in the real estate industry.”

A search was launched in July for a permanent CEO for Realtor.ca. At the time, the board said it anticipated making a hiring decision in the fall.

Until this year, Realtor.ca operated as a not-for-profit, but with growing competition and rising costs, CREA said it saw a need to rethink its approach. 

By transitioning to a for-profit model, it believes the platform can unlock new revenue streams and reduce its reliance on member dues, reinvesting profits back into the platform.

Already, Realtor.ca has appointed six members to its board. 

The post Patrick Pichette departing from Realtor.ca appeared first on REM.

Suze Cumming, founder of The Nature of Real Estate and Canada’s Real Estate Negotiation guru, answers Realtors’ questions on the first Friday of the month about negotiation tactics and working through tricky situations. Have a question for Suze? Send her an email.

The overwhelming majority of letters I received this month were about pricing listings. So, let’s dig in on how you and your sellers can get the advantage in this market.

Over 79.5 per cent of Canadian homes listed for sale today aren’t selling, according to an estimation based on Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) data. Sellers can’t understand why their homes aren’t moving, and agents are struggling to tell the truth. This isn’t a small issue – it’s the defining challenge of our market.

Why we keep getting it wrong

The bidding war for listings

Too many agents set their suggested list price higher than they know is reasonable because they fear losing the listing to a competitor who promises more. In some cases, this is fully conscious. They know the market won’t support the number, but they also know another agent will come in and tell the seller exactly what they want to hear.

Other times it’s unconscious bias. Because we want the listing and don’t want to disappoint the seller, we start seeing evidence that supports a higher number, even when the data doesn’t. The pressure of competition makes it easy to round up without realizing it.

The skills gap

I’ve seen several CMAs recently where agents used the MLS tools in ways that don’t establish accurate market value. They’re not choosing comparables effectively, they’re not making accurate adjustments, and they’re using average asking price data. This leads to recommended prices that can be significantly higher than market value.

Wishful thinking isn’t a strategy

I’ve watched agents give higher prices because they’re sad the seller will lose money. I get it, but contributing to unreasonable expectations doesn’t help a seller who needs to sell.

Many agents simply don’t believe real estate prices have dropped as much as they have, or they assume recovery is around the corner. We don’t want the market reality to be true, so we replace it with positivity.

I’ve started using a new term: practical optimism. Be realistic about market conditions and positive about a potential sale. “While the price won’t be what it was in the COVID bubble, there are buyers out there, and with the right strategy and positioning, we should be able to get your home sold.”

Why sellers overvalue

They love what’s theirs

People overvalue their own assets. Research shows that someone’s maximum willingness to pay for an object is typically lower than the least amount they’re willing to accept to sell it. That gap is huge in real estate.

The waiting game

Most sellers have accepted recent market depreciation, but many feel if they wait they’ll get a higher price. Interestingly, if you ask them directly whether the market will improve soon, most admit it’s unlikely. They just don’t want to accept it applies to them.

The old playbook

Many sellers stick to the belief that if they ask more, they’ll get more. They imagine perfect buyers are waiting who will pay above market, or that overpricing leaves room for negotiation. It almost always costs them.

Contributing to this mindset:

• The trust gap: The trust deficit in real estate creates skepticism when an agent gives them a lower but more accurate number. They think you just want a quick commission.

• The “I have time” myth: Some sellers feel that if they’re willing to wait, they’ll get a higher price. Agents reinforce this by suggesting a time/price relationship. That’s true in a rising market—not in a flat or falling one.

• Industry conditioning: Listing presentations have long been about promising high prices and flashy marketing, not the harder, more valuable skills of strategy and negotiation.

The strategic edge of pricing right

Here’s the opportunity: there are a finite number of buyers in the market, and they will offer on and purchase the properties that are most attractive, typically a combination of the home’s attributes and the asking price. With most homes overpriced, you and your seller have a chance to price realistically, attract quality buyers, and secure a market value offer.

Think about this: if every listing got reduced to the current market value tomorrow, and the number of buyers remained fixed, the market value would fall quickly and significantly. So use those overpriced properties as the lever to get your client’s home sold.

In a balanced market, it’s not about the highest asking price. It’s about the highest probability of a successful sale.

Communicating the truth

Truth – Empathy – Clarity – Courage

Truth: Assess market value accurately without bias. This isn’t what you want it to be worth; it’s what a buyer would be willing to pay.

Empathy: The truth is hard for some sellers to hear, but supporting unrealistic expectations is unprofessional and could be damaging. Let them know you understand how difficult this might be.

Clarity: Communicate directly. Avoid long-winded hedging that leaves sellers with false hope.

Courage: Deliver the truth. Most people need it.

And when they say another agent gave them a higher price? Respond truthfully: “I have no doubt. There are lots of agents who will tell you what you want to hear to get the business. What data did they show you, and do you believe it?”

The bottom line

The agents who master the skill and gather the courage required for accurate pricing are the ones who will thrive in this market. Not the ones with the highest promises.

Suze Cumming

Suze Cumming is the founder of The Nature of Real Estate and Canada’s Real Estate Negotiation guru. Suze and her team have run over 5000 real estate professionals through negotiation designation courses since 2013 and have guided many top agents and teams to their success.  

Her courses, the Accredited Real Estate Negotiator (AREN) and the Professional Real Estate Negotiator (PREN), are Canada’s newest and fastest-growing designation.   These courses are offered live online in small interactive groups or in person for brokerages and boards.   

Suze is passionate about two things. Helping REALTORS get massively successful results for their clients and for themselves.   And Sailboat racing.   When Suze isn’t on a stage or in a zoom room, you’ll find her racing her sailing yachts in various locations around the world.    

For 40 years, Suze has been passionate about real estate and the lifestyle that it makes possible for each of us.  She knows for sure that the only way to the top is to be remarkably good at what you do.  

thenatureofrealestate.com/

The post Negotiation Intelligence: Mastering the art of pricing in a stalled market appeared first on REM.

August marked the fifth consecutive month of sales gains, edging national transactions 1.1 per cent higher on a seasonally adjusted basis and bringing cumulative activity since March to 12.5 per cent. It was the strongest August since 2021. Yet such framing obscures a more sobering reality.

Even after half a year of steady increases, sales remain well below long-term averages, as the Canadian Real Estate Association’s own chart illustrates below. The so-called resurgence is not a restoration of vitality by any means. It is just the slow crawl back to ordinary levels of activity after a period of deep contraction.

Supply’s ascendancy

If there is a true story in CREA’s August release, it is the rise of supply. New listings climbed 2.6 per cent month-over-month, more than double the pace of sales (refer to the chart by Valery below). Active listings stood 8.8 per cent higher than a year earlier, placing inventory squarely in line with historical norms. The sales-to-new listings ratio slipped to 51.2 per cent, beneath its long-term average of 54.9 per cent and a full point lower than in July. The balance has moved further in favour of supply.

These dynamics do not make for trivial ones. Policymakers and market participants alike must recognise that rising inventories alter the psychology of buyers and sellers. With more choice in the marketplace, prospective purchasers feel less urgency to transact, while vendors face greater competition. This is the mechanism by which price discovery bends downward, not upward, even in the face of incremental sales growth.

Prices under pressure

The price data reinforce this narrative of fragility. The national Home Price Index (HPI) was virtually unchanged in August, slipping 0.1 per cent from July and standing 3.4 per cent below its level a year earlier. The national average sale price rose 1.8 per cent year-over-year, but this was more a reflection of compositional shifts in where sales occurred than a substantive change in valuations. Benchmark prices remain largely flat since spring, a plateau that conceals persistent downward pressure in many local markets where supply is rising more rapidly than demand.

Months of inventory at 4.4 still sit slightly below the long-term average of five, a level that, in isolation, suggests modest seller leverage. Yet the trajectory tells a different story. New listings are climbing steadily, and with the seasonal surge of autumn supply we have witnessed, the leverage is already drifting toward buyers.

The policy lens

Much of the market’s trajectory in the coming months hinges on monetary policy. CREA’s economists openly speculated that a September rate cut could entice buyers off the sidelines. Yet such relief, if it arrives, will not erase the structural imbalance created by a surge in supply. Monetary easing may lubricate demand, but it cannot extinguish the additional competition sellers now face.

For governments, the lesson is sharper still. The surge of listings points toward the idea of strain. Investors under pressure from higher carrying costs, owners confronting mortgage renewal shocks, and developers actively working to clear unsold product all contribute to the current flow of listings onto the market. Urbanation recently reported that completed, developer-held condo inventory in the Greater Toronto Area reached a record high in Q2 2025. At the same time, STOREYS quoted major developers pointing to competitive pricing and incentive programs as necessary adaptations in the present market.

Policymakers should be wary of mistaking higher transaction counts for genuine affordability progress. A market that clears at lower prices due to stress-driven listings is a symptom of fragility, not a cure.

Outlook

The temptation to label August a turning point is strong. After years of volatility, Canadians are eager for signs of stability. Yet the evidence counsels caution. Sales are inching upward but remain subdued by historical standards. Listings are climbing more quickly than demand, shifting the balance of power toward buyers. Prices, meanwhile, are not rebounding; they are treading water under the weight of excess supply.

To call this a comeback is to misunderstand the mechanics of housing markets. Canada’s real estate sector is in a phase of recalibration, not resurgence, as some of my previous pieces allude to. Stakeholders who mistake volume for vitality risk misreading the very forces that will define the months ahead.

Daniel Foch

Daniel Foch is the Chief Real Estate Officer at Valery.ca, and Host of Canada’s #1 real estate podcast. As co-founder of The Habistat, the onboard data science platform for TRREB & Proptx, he helped the real estate industry to become more transparent, using real-time housing market data to inform decision making for key stakeholders. With over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, Daniel has advised a broad spectrum of real estate market participants, from 3 levels of government to some of Canada’s largest developers.

Daniel is a trusted voice in the Canadian real estate market, regularly contributing to media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CBC, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail. His expertise and balanced insights have earned him a dedicated audience of over 100,000 real estate investors across multiple social media platforms, where he shares primary research and market analysis.

The post Foch: Look closer before calling the August market a comeback appeared first on REM.

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REM Bot

Content by REM Bot has been created with the assistance of AI. Audio and video interviews, conducted by our team with real people, are transcribed and repurposed into text for those who prefer reading. REM Bot articles are reviewed by staff before publication to ensure factual accuracy and maintain editorial standards.

The post The Canadian Real Estate August Market Breakdown appeared first on REM.

But every now and then, a government program hits our business model so directly, and so unfairly, that we have no choice but to speak out. Ontario’s Blue Box Regulation, under the Resource Recovery and Circular Economy Act (RRCEA), is one of those programs.

Re/Max Canada supports environmental stewardship and the goal of a modern, efficient recycling system. We encourage our agents and offices to reduce waste, embrace digital tools, and adopt sustainable practices. But the way the Blue Box program is structured today is punishing Ontario’s real estate businesses and the thousands of independent agents who work under franchise brands like ours.

Ontario’s Blue Box Regulation

The Blue Box Regulation, formally known as Ontario Regulation 391/21, was introduced under the previous government to shift the province’s recycling system to a full Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model. This means that the brand owner of printed paper products, plastic or other designated materials is fully responsible for collecting and recycling those materials at end-of-life. 

The program replaces the old, municipally run system with one funded and operated by the “producers” themselves, with oversight from the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA). The stated goal is to create a more efficient, standardized recycling framework across the province, improve diversion rates, and ensure the costs of recycling are borne by those who generate the waste. 

While the intent is sound, the transition has created significant financial and administrative burdens for many small and service-based businesses. 

Under the regulation, the RPRA has broad enforcement powers, including imposing administrative penalties and even initiating prosecutions against non-compliant parties. These penalties can reach up to $1 million per contravention.

A disproportionate and unfair cost burden

Under the current definition of “producer” in the regulation, franchisors like Re/Max Canada are deemed responsible for all paper marketing materials with the trademark owner’s mark, used by independent franchise offices and their agents. 

In Ontario, all real estate franchisors, along with other franchised brands, would be deemed producers and must comply with the requirements for registration, reporting, and cost obligations, even where the actual materials are created and distributed by independently owned franchise offices or their agents

This one-size-fits-all approach has created an enormous and disproportionate cost burden. For Re/Max Canada alone, compliance costs, including registration, reporting, consultants, and the fees charged by Producer Responsibility Organizations, are projected to exceed $1 million annually. And for what? Re/Max Canada has no way of reducing these costs or improving waste diversion because we do not control the local marketing decisions made by our agents or our brokerages. 

Re/Max Canada proposed reforms

Ontario’s real estate sector is a cornerstone of the provincial economy. In 2024 alone, the 13,000+ Ontario-based Re/Max agents facilitated over 108,000 transactions worth $89 billion, generating $3.5 billion in additional local spending and supporting jobs across construction, trades, retail, and professional services.

Yet the Blue Box regulation, as currently written, threatens to weaken one of the most cost-effective ways real estate agents connect with clients. Localized print campaigns remain an essential tool, particularly for new agents building their businesses, for communities in small towns and rural areas, and for serving clients who may not be as active online.

Thankfully, the Ontario Government is listening and considering amendments to the regulation, such as delaying mandatory recovery targets, cancelling unnecessary service expansions, and clarifying certain operational rules. These steps are welcome, but they do not go far enough to address the fundamental problems in the current framework.

Re/Max Canada is calling for deeper reforms to make the system fair, efficient, and economically sustainable. For example, the definition of “producer” must be revisited so that franchisors are held responsible only for materials they actually supply or control, rather than for every item produced by independent operators over whom they have no operational authority. 

In addition, the scope of exemptions for recyclable flyers should be expanded beyond newspaper inserts to reflect the reality that many printed materials are equally recyclable regardless of distribution method. 

Finally, the province should consider introducing temporary fee relief while the Blue Box system is still maturing, providing much-needed breathing room for small businesses as the program evolves.

Fighting for Re/Max brokerages and agents

Re/Max Canada has been part of communities across Ontario for decades. Re/Max brokers and agents have helped generations of families buy and sell their homes, and they’ve always done so with a focus on professionalism, integrity, and service.  

We are now fighting for our brokerages and agents to ensure they can keep doing what they do best: serving clients and building communities unburdened by additional regulatory expenses. Environmental progress and economic health are not mutually exclusive. With smart changes, Ontario can be an EPR leader among other provinces in Canada for reducing red tape and costs on businesses. We’re committed to working with the province to make that happen.

Don Kottick

Don Kottick is President of REMAX Canada where he oversees operations and strategy for the company-owned REMAX Canada region, which includes Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan, as well as Yukon and Northwest Territory. Don also works closely with the leaders of the independently owned and operated RE/MAX Quebec region to amplify the brand nationwide. Don joined REMAX in 2025 with more than three decades of Canadian real estate experience managing brokerage operations, leading mergers and acquisitions, driving strategic direction, and overseeing technology, products and services. Prior to joining REMAX, he served as President and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, where he increased both agent count and overall sales volume during his six-year tenure. Don previously held senior executive roles with Royal LePage, Right At Home Realty and Peerage Realty Partners. A Toronto native, Don is a graduate of the University of Toronto and a Fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (FRI). He is a former Director-at-Large for both the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), where he also served as Chair of the Broker Involvement Committee and on the Global, Technology and Director Selection committees, and the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB). Additionally, Don is a Past President of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC).

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In a statement to Real Estate Magazine, RECO CEO Brenda Buchanan said: “With the support of RECO’s board of directors, I have acted and effective August 22, 2025, Mr. Joseph Richer, the Registrar appointed under the Trust in Real Estate Services Act, 2002, has left RECO.”

“RECO took action to protect consumers and agents when issues arose with iPro Realty Ltd. RECO’s priority is to ensure that Ontarians can have confidence in the agents and brokerages they work with,” Buchanan added.

Buchanan said she has undertaken a review of this matter, and she is “committed to working closely with RECO’s board to provide transparency, oversight and accountability on this matter.”

“This is my top priority,” she said.

Mississauga-based iPro Realty shuttered its 17 branches on Tuesday after being found to have mishandled millions of dollars, affecting 2,400 Ontario agents.

The closure follows the discovery of a $10.5-million shortfall in the company’s consumer deposit and commission trust accounts during a scheduled inspection. The amount has since declined to less than $8 million, RECO has said.

Richer joined RECO in 2012. As registrar, his responsibilities included education, enforcement (complaints, audits, inspections, investigations), and regulatory policy.

Why now?

The news of Richer’s exit was made following RECO’s decision not to lay charges against iPro Realty’s co-founders, which is being highly scrutinized by the real estate community. 

Prior to RECO’s announcement on Friday, Ottawa Real Estate Board (OREB) CEO Nicole Christy released a statement calling for “accountability and transparency” from RECO.

“When the public trust is breached, especially in a significant way, the consequences should be swift, significant and public,” she wrote.

While there are no iPro Realty offices or agents within OREB’s jurisdiction, OREB members and their clients may still be impacted if they are involved in transactions with iPro Realty, she noted.

 Myers weighs in

In a statement provided to REM, Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) CEO Janice Myers said, “We urge the regulator to be as transparent as possible in order to provide confidence to affected parties, as well as the public.”

“In Ontario, RECO has a legislated mandate that includes protecting consumers and their deposits. We hope that as RECO exercised its authority in this case, they centred the best interests of Ontario’s homesellers and buyers,” said Myers.

(UPDATE: This story was updated on Aug. 23 at 5:30 a.m. to include comments from Nicole Christy and Janice Myers. Further background information about Richer was also added).

Courtney Zwicker

Courtney Zwicker is a digital reporter and associate editor for REM. Based in Atlantic Canada, she has over a decade of experience covering daily business news.

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