Following RECA’s Residential Real Estate Broker Industry Council’s undertaking to review the RMS, the Industry Council has made the following revisions to the RMS, taking effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
- Row and semi-detached style homes will be measured using exterior measurements.
- There is a new Below Grade Measurement Standard (BGMS) when advertising below-grade square footage.
What does this mean for members?
All the changes discussed below will be for listings that take effect on or after Jan. 1, 2024. If a listing takes effect on Dec. 31 or earlier, the existing principles must be adhered to.
Change for how row and semi-detached properties are measured
If listing a row style or semi-detached property and that contract will take effect on or after Jan. 1, 2024, please double-check your RMS measurements before activating the listing. Listing agents and brokerages should ensure that measurements taken from the property's exterior foundation are included in the MLS® listing and other advertising.
Introducing Below Grade Measurement Standard (BGMS)
Should a seller want their REALTOR® to advertise below-grade square footage on the MLS® listing or in other advertising, it must comply with the BGMS.
While it’s not mandatory to advertise below-grade square footage, if your seller chooses to reveal the below-grade area, it must be measured using the BGMS. There are four principles to the BGMS:
- It’s used to measure developed space below grade.
- Measurements are taken from the exterior or the foundation.
- Can only include area that has a ceiling height of 60 inches/ 1.52 meters/ 5 feet.
- Diagrams must show below-grade measurements.
To dive more deeply into the 4 principles of the Below Grade Measurement Standard, you can visit RECA.ca.
Are you using a measurement company to adhere to the RMS & BGMS?
Some members might engage a measurement company to measure their property. While we hope that measurement companies stay updated with changes to the RMS and the introduction of the BGMS, it would be wise for listing agents to double-check that the measurement company uses the proper measurement principles.
Change can take time, so it is recommended to get it in writing from the measurement company that their processes are up to date and aligned with RECA’s measurement standards.
What isn’t changing?
- Detached properties will still be measured using measurements taken from the exterior of the foundation.
- Apartment-style condos will still be measured using paint-to-paint measurements.
- All residential properties listed on the MLS® System will still be required to upload an RMS supplement before activating the listing and must include the following:
- Listing agent’s name;
- Date it was measured;
- Property address;
- Diagram of the residential dwelling being listed, including perimeter measurements; and
- Total RMS square footage.
We’ll continue to keep members updated on any new information that becomes available.
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