I was also honoured to represent a family in the estate sale of a home that had been owned for over 60 years by an extraordinary woman. She raised four children as a single mother in a modest space, did much of the carpentry work herself, and lived there well into her 90s.
And then, of course, there were the usual: relocation clients moving in and out of Calgary, couples starting families, families needing more space, couples separating, empty nesters downsizing, and investors seeking opportunities in the Calgary market.
Every transaction required sensitivity to each client’s—and often their family’s—unique situation. It meant listening carefully, sometimes digging a little deeper to uncover what truly mattered to them, and ultimately presenting them with the best options for their circumstances.
In most real estate transactions, there’s a REALTOR® representing the seller and another representing the buyer. In addition to advocating for our clients, we must also navigate the interaction with the REALTOR® on the other side. These interactions can make a real difference. How we engage with one another can either strengthen or weaken our client’s position.
Most times, those interactions are smooth; other times, they can be challenging—especially if the other REALTOR® has a different business style, philosophy, level of experience, or understanding of the market. Our approach is often shaped by whether we’ve worked with them before, what we’ve observed in past interactions, and—these days—how they conduct themselves on social media.
In my role as chair of CREB® I have recently had conversations with the chairs of many of the other real estate boards in Alberta and, like CREB®, they have included increasing the level of professionalism within their strategic plans. How is this to be accomplished? Our industry leaders in Alberta will continue to have solution focused conversations leading to creating a structure for professionalism in the future, but we already have our REALTOR® Code.
Our CREB® Bylaws require that CREB® members must abide by the REALTOR® Code.
Within the preamble of the REALTOR® Code it is stated that; “The REALTOR® Code of The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is universally recognized by real estate professionals and consumers alike as the measure of professionalism in real estate. The REALTOR® Code is intended to define the high standard of performance the public has a right to expect from those licensed to display the REALTOR® trademark.”
There are 30 articles contained in the REALTOR® Code. The articles concerning how members interact with each other are:
• Article 30. Duty of Cooperation, which states: “A REALTOR® has an obligation to cooperate with other REALTORS® in the provision of professional real estate services.”
• Article 26. Avoid Controversies, which states “The business of a REALTOR® shall be conducted so as to avoid controversies with other REALTORS®.”
• Article 19. Discrediting another Registrant, which states: “The REALTOR® shall never publicly discredit any other Registrant. If the REALTOR®’s opinion is sought, it should be rendered with strict professional integrity and courtesy.”
The interpretation of Article 19.1 goes further, “The REALTOR® shall not comment in a derogatory manner in any communication or medium, including social media, as to the capacity, integrity, or competence of any other Registrant.”
Many of us have witnessed breaches of the REALTOR® Code in social media posts. I wonder if the authors of those posts even realize that they have breached the Code.
Recently, our CEO at the Calgary Real Estate Board, Alan Tennant, addressed the issue of professionalism in a CREB®Talk article, following concerns raised about the actions of a former member.
While CREB® cannot comment on matters that are ongoing, we can all agree that when any REALTOR®’s actions harm consumers or fellow members, the damage goes beyond the individual—it impacts the entire industry. Many of our members have been impacted, and I’ve seen firsthand how others in our community have rallied around them as they consider what comes next in their careers.
Thankfully, incidents like these are very much the exception of our members’ activities. So instead of focusing on the past actions of past members which we cannot change, let’s consider that we have over 8,600 current members of CREB®, most of whom serve clients and colleagues with integrity, skill, and respect.
Let’s celebrate those REALTOR®s who go above and beyond for their clients and who every day treat our colleagues with respect.
I invite you to share the positive. What interactions and experiences have you had with exceptionally professional members?
And in general, what can we do to elevate the CREB® REALTOR® brand?
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