<rss xmlns:a10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title>CREBTalk RSS Feed</title><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/RSS</link><description>CREBTalk</description><language>en</language><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{FB0F063D-E5AD-4248-9D04-ED6200AD4C4B}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/spring_5050_winner_2026</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>Spring 50/50 raffle supports housing initiatives across Calgary and area</title><description>Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket for the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation&amp;rsquo;s Spring 50/50 raffle.&amp;nbsp;&lt;p&gt;With the support of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members and our broader community, this year&amp;rsquo;s raffle raised a total jackpot of $6,620.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Through the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation, the remaining proceeds will help support housing and shelter initiatives across Calgary and area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;And now, we&amp;rsquo;d like to congratulate our winner: &lt;strong&gt;Cheryl Roy.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you again to everyone who purchased tickets, shared the raffle and helped make an impact in our community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As the Foundation continues investing in housing and shelter initiatives across Calgary and area, eligible non-profits are encouraged to explore current grant opportunities through the &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/Community_Investment/Grants" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Be sure to keep an eye out for your next chance to win during our Summer 50/50 raffle!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:30:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Hello_Spring_5050_CT_Bannerwinner.png" type="image/png" length="173043" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{0C49902C-CB7B-4F46-9C80-3BAF0B5E7474}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/crebcast_derek_thistle</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>From duty to deals</title><description>As we recognize men&amp;rsquo;s mental health month this June, our newest CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Cast episode features Derek Thistle. After a 17-year career with the Calgary Police Service and experiencing depression and PTSD, he earned his real estate license during medical leave and ultimately committed to the switch from cop to real estate.&lt;p&gt;In this conversation, Derek breaks down how policing skills such as communication, de-escalation, an investigative mindset, stress tolerance, and deep neighborhood knowledge have translated into client trust, sharper negotiations and safer showings.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He also talks candidly about the &amp;ldquo;golden handcuffs&amp;rdquo; of policing, shifting definitions of success, and why real estate wins through empathy, relationships, and consistent follow-up.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Listen to the full episode on &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/4d3kfXClohdVlFKSZPQ3MG?si=6c20893cc6534432" target="_blank"&gt;Spotify&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/ep-13-from-duty-to-deals-how-one-officer-found-his/id1469982079?i=1000770773575 " target="_blank"&gt;Apple Podcasts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01989983-fe40-438c-a338-f0d6766a3079/episodes/37c021eb-6080-44a4-95a1-d55ddf43ffa4/creb%C2%AEcast-ep-13-from-duty-to-deals-how-one-officer-found-his-calling-in-real-estate-with-derek-thistle" target="_blank"&gt;Amazon Music&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/n6dV3kpAp2o" target="_blank"&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"&gt;&lt;iframe width="580" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n6dV3kpAp2o?fs=1&amp;amp;modestbranding=1&amp;amp;autohide=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:24:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/CREBcastCT_BannerEP13.png" type="image/png" length="488098" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{BED199A7-CDA6-400A-8386-F465B0020AA8}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/crcf_one_month</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>One month left to apply for CREB&amp;#174; REALTOR&amp;#174; Community Foundation grants</title><description>CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation grant applications for Community and Transformation Grants close end of day on June 30.&lt;p&gt;A total of $360,000 in funding is available to support housing- and shelter-related initiatives across Calgary and area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you know of a charitable organization working to keep people housed or improve housing and shelter quality, please encourage them to apply before the deadline.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Applications can be found &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/Community_Investment/Grants" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:24:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/2026_CFGrantsOPENCT_Banner_820_x_300_px.png" type="image/png" length="442921" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{059292EB-EBCE-4883-9918-0AD4C9039F0A}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/printing_contest_at_creb_campus</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>Print and win a lockbox—this June at CREB&amp;#174; Campus</title><description>Make the most of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus printing services this June and get entered to win.&lt;p&gt;Whether you&amp;rsquo;re setting up your printing account or producing your next set of feature sheets, every member who prints&amp;mdash;or creates a printing account&amp;mdash;will be automatically entered into the contest.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Weekly prizes will be drawn throughout the month, along with a grand prize lockbox at the end of June.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Printing is a simple, practical way to support your day-to-day business needs&amp;mdash;while making the most of everything Campus has to offer. From marketing materials to listing sheets, it&amp;rsquo;s all available in a convenient, professional setting designed to help you work, learn and connect.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Members receive:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; $5 monthly print credit&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Fast, high-quality printing&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Convenient and easy to use&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To get started, visit Campus staff at the front desk to set up your printing account.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:23:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/Printing_Giveaway_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="169946" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{A161E1C1-E711-405C-9BB0-7859C0D99DBD}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/headshots_at_creb_campus</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>Put you best face forward with updated headshots at CREB&amp;#174; Campus</title><description>&lt;p&gt;A strong first impression matters &amp;mdash; and updated professional headshots can help associates strengthen their brand across websites, social media, business cards and marketing materials.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On June 25, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus will host a one-day-only Headshot Pop-up, offering members professional photography sessions designed specifically for REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;
Each $100 (plus GST) booking includes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;A private 20-minute photography session&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Five professionally edited digital images&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Image delivery within approximately three weeks&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Event details&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Date: June 25, 2026&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Location: CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus Auditorium&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Participants are encouraged to review the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/Campus/Campus_Headshot_Prep_Guide.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;headshot preparation guide&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for tips on outfit selection, styling and how to achieve the best results on camera.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Space is limited and advance booking is required.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/event/260625HPCC" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="REGISTER Logo" style="height:35px; width:134px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CF/REGISTER_Logo.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 08:52:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/Campus_Headshot_Pop-upCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="345959" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{E1CA872D-0FB0-47F9-AC1C-A080D9647C3B}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/faq_updates_exploring_a_joint_future_with_rae</link><category>CREB News</category><title>FAQ Updates: Exploring a joint future with RAE</title><description>When we announced that CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and the REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Association of Edmonton (RAE) have begun exploring whether members would benefit from a merger of the two organizations, we created the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions" target="_blank"&gt;Exploring a Joint Future with RAE hub on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to serve as a central location for up-to-date information on the discussions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;p&gt;Since the announcement on May 21, we&amp;rsquo;ve received questions and comments from a range of members and we encourage you all to continue giving us feedback through the Ask a Question link on the hub&amp;rsquo;s main page.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Feedback has been largely positive, with interest in understanding potential opportunities to strengthen service, representation, and support for REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; moving forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Members have also asked why this exploration is happening, how the process will work, what opportunities they will have to participate, and how future decisions will be made.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Whether you&amp;rsquo;ve been a member for a few months, a few years, or a few decades, your feedback is important. If you have a question, chances are other members do as well.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based on feedback we received since we updated&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions/FAQs" target="_blank"&gt;the FAQs&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; last week,&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions/FAQs" target="_blank"&gt; three new questions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; have been added:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Why is this happening now?&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Who from CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; is taking part in the discussions with RAE?&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Operationally, how would a merger with RAE affect specific services and infrastructure?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As the&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions/Announcements_and_Updates" target="_blank"&gt; announcement on May 21&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; said, RAE invited CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg; &lt;/sup&gt;to discuss the possibility of a merger, and the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Board of Directors decided it would be in members&amp;rsquo; best interest to explore a merger&amp;rsquo;s potential to deliver greater value to members. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The discussions are in the beginning stages and we don&amp;rsquo;t yet know whether a merger would benefit members and, if so, what that would look like. That&amp;rsquo;s what the discussions with RAE are meant to explore.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No decisions have been made. If the discussions lead to a comprehensive merger proposal that would benefit CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members, the final decision of whether to merge or not would be made in around a year&amp;rsquo;s time by members of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and RAE through votes at each organization.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:44:07 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2024/November/CREB_Laptop_M_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="126554" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{A98C3715-83FE-4A5B-B7DE-8983EB35B47C}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/June/May_2026_Stats</link><category>Housing Market</category><title>Apartment prices ease as inventory remains elevated</title><description>&lt;p&gt;In line with seasonal trends, inventory has risen from the start of the year, reaching 6,752 units in May. While these levels are consistent with last May, they remain 11 per cent higher than longer-term trends for the month, thanks to higher supply levels of apartment and row-style homes. Meanwhile, inventory levels for detached homes are down three per cent compared with both last year and long-term trends.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the same time, sales activity has been slowing. Calgary sales in May were 2,162 units, 16 per cent lower than last year&amp;rsquo;s levels and similar to sales reported in April. While new listings also slowed by 13 per cent compared with last year, it was not enough to offset the pullback in sales, causing the sales-to-new-listings ratio to ease to 51 per cent. The lower ratio also contributed to some of the inventory build, causing the months of supply to rise. However, conditions do vary across the market, with a range of two-and-a-half months of supply in the detached market to more than five months of supply in the apartment condominium market. &amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The shift in supply is being felt in the market. More supply choice in the new and rental markets has created a more competitive environment for potential buyers. At the same time, concerns over rising cost of living and slower migration are also weighing on consumers,&amp;rdquo; said Ann-Marie Lurie, Chief Economist at the Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB&amp;reg;). &amp;ldquo;While this has caused the overall resale market to shift to a balanced state, the supply pressure is having a more prevalent impact for apartment-style units, where conditions are favouring the buyer. This is also impacting price movements, with apartment prices continuing to trend down and other property types reporting a seasonal lift over the winter months.&amp;rdquo; &amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The unadjusted total residential benchmark price in May was $570,500, up over April&amp;rsquo;s levels and the $554,400 reported in January, but still three per cent lower than last May. Most of the unadjusted monthly gain was driven by detached homes, which rose from $724,000 in January to $747,800 in May. Apartment prices remain lower than January levels and are nine per cent lower than levels reported last May. Overall, when adjusting for seasonality, total residential prices have remained relatively stable, as detached improvements have offset pullbacks for apartment-style homes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To read the full stats release on May&amp;rsquo;s housing market for Calgary and surrounding areas, &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/News/Media_Releases/2026/June/May_2026_Stats"&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="Sales" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_Housing_Stats/Sales.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="New Listing" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_Housing_Stats/New_listings.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="Months of supply" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_Housing_Stats/Months_of_Supply.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="Inventory" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_Housing_Stats/Inventory.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="Days on Market" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_Housing_Stats/Days_on_Market.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="Benchmark" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_Housing_Stats/Benchmark.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Find sharable monthly stats from CREB&amp;reg; on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/Housing_Statistics/documents/05_2026_Calgary_Monthly_Stats_Package.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt; to view the full City of Calgary monthly stats package.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="text-decoration: underline;"&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/Housing_Statistics/documents/05_2026_Regional_Monthly_Stats_Package.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt; to view the full Calgary region monthly stats package.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:42:37 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/June/May_2026_Stats_CT_Banner820_x_300.png" type="image/png" length="259248" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{7827018C-EE89-4D60-A8F8-5E9859499088}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/Volunteers_needed_for_CRCF_casino_fundraiser</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>Volunteers needed for CRCF casino fundraiser</title><description>The CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation is seeking volunteers for its upcoming casino fundraiser on June 4 and 5, 2026 at Elbow Casino.&lt;p&gt;As the Foundation&amp;rsquo;s largest annual fundraiser, the casino plays an important role in supporting local organizations providing housing, shelter and essential services across Calgary and area. It&amp;rsquo;s also a great opportunity to connect with fellow REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; while giving back to the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thursday daytime shifts are now full, but volunteers are still needed for remaining evening, count room and Friday shifts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To view volunteer roles, shift details and volunteer requirements, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBcom/Community_Investment/CRCFCasinoVolunteerOverview.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;How to sign up&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To volunteer, email &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;'&gt;kendra.varoney@creb.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; by May 29 with:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;preferred role(s)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;preferred shift(s)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;full name&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;contact information&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Volunteers may be asked to adjust their preferred role or shift, or be placed as backup based on event needs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you for supporting the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation and the important work being done across our community.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 10:21:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Casino_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="321782" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{D8613A2A-55AD-4BEA-83D1-48D73DF29A16}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/creb_rae_recap</link><category>CREB News</category><title>ICYMI: Exploring a joint future with RAE</title><description>On May 21, 2026, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Board Chair Susanita de Diego and President and CEO Alan Tennant announced in an all-member email that CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and the REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Association of Edmonton (RAE) have begun exploring whether members would benefit from a merger of the two organizations.&lt;p&gt;As&lt;strong&gt; &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/News_and_Updates/2026/May/creb_rae_discussions" target="_blank"&gt;the announcement on May 21&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;said, these discussions are in the beginning stages. No decisions have been made. The Boards of Directors of the two organizations are looking at whether a merger would benefit members. If they find that members would benefit, a comprehensive proposal of what a merger would look like would be developed. The final decision of whether to merge or not would be made by members of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and RAE through votes at each organization.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The next step is for CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and RAE to select a consultant that specializes in this area to put structure around the discussions. This will ensure that both organizations do the proper due diligence and conduct meaningful member consultation throughout. We expect to be able to provide an update on the results of the selection process in a month. Should the consultation and discussions lead to a proposal worthy of a vote by members, the entire process will take around a year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the meantime, we&amp;rsquo;ve created the &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Exploring a Joint Future with RAE&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;hub on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link to serve as a central location for information on the discussions. This includes FAQs that we&amp;rsquo;ll add to as we have new information for members. In fact, based on a suggestion from a member (thanks!), we&amp;rsquo;ve already updated the answer to the question &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions/FAQs" target="_blank"&gt;&amp;ldquo;Why is direct membership in CREA part of this?&amp;rdquo;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, we&amp;rsquo;d like to know. You can send them to CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; President and CEO Alan Tennant through the Ask a Question link on the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/creb_rae_discussions" target="_blank"&gt;hub&amp;rsquo;s main page.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 08:48:27 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2024/November/CREB_Laptop_M_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="126554" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{7E727091-9908-466E-8444-B8007587FDB9}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/discovery_house_suites_2026</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>Discovery House suites ready to welcome families</title><description>Families staying at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://discoveryhouse.ca/" target="_blank"&gt;Discovery House&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; now have access to newly renovated shelter suites thanks in part to ongoing support from Calgary and area REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;.&lt;p&gt;As a 2025 Community Grant recipient, Discovery House received funding through the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation to help support upgrades within the shelter, creating safe, welcoming spaces for women and children rebuilding their lives after domestic violence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to the financial support, REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; volunteers Lori Nitah, Tom Davis, Arnav Bhalla and Komal Singh spent Feb. 25, 2026, at Discovery House assembling furniture for the renovated spaces, helping prepare the suites for incoming families and contributing directly to the final stages of the project.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more than 40 years, Discovery House has supported women and children leaving domestic violence through shelter, childcare, counselling and community support services. The organization serves approximately 600 individuals each year, most of them children.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The completed suites reflect the impact of REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; giving back through both financial contributions and hands-on volunteer support, helping create spaces where families can feel safe, supported and at home during a difficult transition.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 08:37:39 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Discovery_House_CT_Banner_820_x_300_px.png" type="image/png" length="487563" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{E09E7240-B8C4-497A-AE68-E40123E537BA}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/diamond_gala_2026</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>Celebrate your REALTOR&amp;#174; Community at Diamond Gala</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Prepare your best outfit and dancing shoes! The Diamond Gala is coming up soon on June 20 at Spruce Meadow's Congress Hall.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s most prestigious event of the year, Diamond Gala honours excellence in real estate through the Long Service and Honourary Life Member awards, as well as the REALTOR&amp;reg; of the Year - T.W.H. (Bill) Saunders Memorial Award, the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Volunteer of the Year &amp;ndash; Marilyn Jones Memorial Award, and Rookie Volunteer of the Year - Glenna Marshall-Roth Award.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With a delicious dinner, entertainment, and the incredible company of the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; community, this is an event you won&amp;rsquo;t want to miss!&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tickets are $89 per person and are on sale until June 5 while quantities last. Every year, this event sells out, so make sure you grab your tickets on time!&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Event agenda:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;5 p.m. &amp;ndash; Registration &amp;amp; Cocktail Hour&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;6 p.m. &amp;ndash; Dinner&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;7 p.m. &amp;ndash; Awards Ceremony&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;9 p.m. &amp;ndash; Networking &amp;amp; Entertainment&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;11 p.m. &amp;ndash; Event ends&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Dress code:&lt;/strong&gt; Dress to impress! Black tie optional.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Events/Registration/?eventKey=260620GALA" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="REGISTER Logo" style="height:35px; width:134px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CF/REGISTER_Logo.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Check out last year's highlights!&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"&gt;&lt;iframe width="580" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mHPEBit5ATM?fs=1&amp;amp;modestbranding=1&amp;amp;autohide=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="embed-responsive-item"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Please note:&lt;/strong&gt; When registering yourself and others, use the dropdown to choose who you want to sit with, and we will do our best to accommodate your request. Out of respect for the seating preferences of those who register early, table reassignments may not be possible.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For questions about the event, please contact &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;'&gt;events@creb.ca.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 08:36:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Diamond_GalaCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="107985" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{1D9F7FD1-7FB0-4154-A9DA-C52E2874018D}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/creb_rules_quiz</link><category>Practice Advice</category><title>Reminder: Take the CREB&amp;#174; Rules quiz for a chance to win!</title><description>There&amp;rsquo;s still time to take CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s short, practice-focused &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Quiz/CREB_Rules_Part_I_Quiz/" target="_blank"&gt;quiz&lt;/a&gt; on MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System rules and compliance.&lt;p&gt;The five-question multiple-choice quiz takes less than five minutes to complete and is designed to help members test their knowledge of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Rules related to MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System use. Quiz results will not affect your compliance history.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Member feedback and results will help inform future articles, resources and member support related to compliance and professional practice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Chance to win&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a thank you for participating, members who complete the quiz by May 28 will be entered into a draw to win one of three $50 Amazon gift cards.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The draw will take place on June 3, and winners will be contacted by Member Practice staff using the phone number or email linked to their CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; account.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you have questions, contact &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:advice@creb.ca"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;advice@creb.ca.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Quiz/CREB_Rules_Part_I_Quiz/" target="_blank"&gt;Take the quiz&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 14:59:34 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Member_Practice_Quiz_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="135044" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{9836AA96-74C3-4DE1-92CA-C6436087AC0A}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/insights_from_the_ms_survey</link><category>CREB News</category><title>Gain insights from the 2025 CREB&amp;#174; Member Satisfaction Survey</title><description>The 2025 CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Member Satisfaction Survey reflected the highest member satisfaction levels since 2010, with strong perceptions of value, service quality and member support.&lt;p&gt;Join Alec Milne of Framework Analytics, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s third-party research partner, on &lt;strong&gt;June 1 from 1 to 2 p.m. via Zoom Webinar&lt;/strong&gt; for an in-depth review of the survey findings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/event/Registration/?EventKey=260601CMSR" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="REGISTER Logo" style="height:35px; width:134px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CF/REGISTER_Logo.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;
&lt;p&gt;During the session, Alec will share key insights, trends and context behind member feedback, highlighting what matters most to members and where opportunities exist for continued improvement. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly in discussion about the results and their implications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The session offers valuable insight into member priorities, evolving expectations and the experiences shaping the profession today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;About the speaker&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Alec Milne has more than 20 years of experience delivering economic valuations, market assessments and member satisfaction research across a wide range of industries. His work focuses on translating complex data into practical, actionable insights that support strategic decision-making for public sector organizations, corporations and not-for-profits.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 14:56:31 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/February/2025_Member_Satisfaction_Survey_ResultsCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="85710" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{6A6606BA-1572-4784-BD24-08C022DC9B48}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/lockboxes_in_central_alberta</link><category>Tools and Technology</category><title>Accessing lockboxes in Central Alberta</title><description>Need access to a lockbox in Central Alberta? Whether you&amp;rsquo;re working with a client relocating to the region or showing a property outside Calgary, there are two ways to access Central Alberta REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Association (CARA) Supra lockboxes.&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option one: Coordinate directly with the listing agent&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The quickest and easiest option is to work directly with the listing agent, who can provide access to the property at no cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additional resources:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Accessing Supra lockboxes for the first time as a non-member &amp;ndash; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COqgykDekhI" target="_blank"&gt;Video &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;| &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/MISC/First_Time_Non_Member_Access_Supra.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;PDF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Accessing Supra lockboxes as a returning non-member &amp;ndash; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/35DNg31RH4A" target="_blank"&gt;Video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; | &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/MISC/Returning_User_Non_Member_Access_Supra.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;PDF&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Option two: Request temporary non-member access&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If direct access through the listing agent is not available, temporary access to CARA Supra lockboxes can be requested by completing the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/Member_Support/Sentrilock/2026_Non_member_access_form.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;CARA Non-Member Access Agreement&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; form and submitting it to CARA by email at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;'&gt;cvirtucio@carassociation.ca.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please note that access will not be activated until payment has been processed.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Forms must be submitted to CARA&amp;rsquo;s office at least 24 hours in advance, no later than 3 p.m., to ensure activation the following day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you have additional questions about key management system access in regions outside of Calgary, please contact the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Help Desk at 403-781-1379 or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;support@creb.ca.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;More information is also available on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link under the &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Member_Support/Help_Desk/SentriLock_and_SentriKey/Lockbox_Access_For_Other_Boards" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lockbox Access for Other Boards&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;page.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 14:48:24 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2024/May/Lockbox_Etiquette_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="208133" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{85A8A6F1-9492-4CFF-840F-309E0468235A}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/governance_series_3</link><category>CREB News</category><title>We need to hear from you</title><description>&lt;em&gt;In a series of articles, we&amp;rsquo;re discussing aspects of our governance that are of interest to you. If you have any suggestions for topics we should cover, email or text me using my contact information at the end of this article.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the last article, I talked about how the operation of your brokerage is a form of governance. Over my 26-year career as a REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, I worked in a variety of brokerages and learned a lot by observing and contributing to improvements in how the brokerage operated. Oh yes, I was very &amp;ldquo;helpful&amp;rdquo; and I readily acknowledge I have worked at learning to receive as well as to give advice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It has been my experience during my time as a REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; that I learned the most from brokers who were extremely good listeners and even better at welcoming suggestions. These brokers had some of the best run brokerages and when groups of agents talked about what they liked about the office, they would say things like: &amp;ldquo;The broker really listens. He/she can&amp;rsquo;t do everything we suggest, but they&amp;rsquo;ll talk to us and explain what we can do.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One of the narratives that I hear when I listen to members is that we don&amp;rsquo;t listen. In fact, we need to hear from you; we work hard at seeking member feedback! An example is the discussion I initiated about turning off comments on our CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk articles. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I started the discussion not because I wanted them turned off, but because members told us they were frustrated by some of what they read and they questioned the value of allowing comments. Based on this member feedback, we determined that we needed to check in on how this tool is being used. You confirmed that it may not be perfect but it&amp;rsquo;s of value, and we heard you. We&amp;rsquo;ll keep an ear open for ways this form of listening can be improved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I introduced the comments section to our articles many years ago as a way for members to engage and ask follow-up questions. Some of the most valuable dialogue has been member-to-member. My father, Jack Tennant, was the page 5 featured columnist in the Calgary Albertan and then the Calgary Sun. He simultaneously operated a successful chain of weekly newspapers in communities surrounding Calgary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Journalists like my dad valued the opinions of people who signed their names to letters to the editor. He may not have agreed with them, but it mattered that someone would take the time to share their thoughts. These lessons formed some of my core beliefs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s the same simple logic I applied to our articles. When I started my career as a REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; in 1985, we didn&amp;rsquo;t have CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Talk. It was introduced later, as a print publication, without a letters to the editor section. About a dozen years ago we moved to the online version of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk, but it struggled to establish solid readership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Based on member feedback, we introduced the comments below the articles and required members to log-in to make their posts. We quickly learned that comment guidelines were needed, and those were published and administered soon after.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Now, let&amp;rsquo;s focus some attention on our approach to listening &amp;ldquo;to&amp;rdquo; members and talking &amp;ldquo;with&amp;rdquo; you. When someone hears what you are saying, but doesn&amp;rsquo;t do the thing you are asking for, the conclusion is not that they did not listen. There is a difference between not being heard and not getting what you asked for that is confirmed with a conversation.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One of the realities at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, like any other organization, is that we have limited resources. A lot of what we do is manage scarcity. I&amp;rsquo;m not suggesting we are a &amp;ldquo;have not&amp;rdquo; organization, but we do not have unlimited resources.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This becomes evident when we offer one of our many very popular training classes. There are only so many seats available, so we manage the registration process so members who commit to attending have a place to sit. This is something we explain, but it doesn&amp;rsquo;t always turn into a conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s the same with our events. Each has a limited capacity, so we manage those limitations by setting and maintaining policies on block ticket purchases to avoid having empty seats. We do our best to advise members in advance and we listen hard when questions arise. We note the timing and root cause of the questions, and sometimes these interactions evolve into conversations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Like you in your business, we&amp;rsquo;ll always respond best to the constructive ideas that focus on issues and not people. Listening and talking&amp;mdash;having a conversation with members&amp;mdash;is a key aspect of our governance culture, so it felt like the place to start this series.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Since we just had our Annual General Meeting (AGM), where we heard a lot from our members, the next installment in this series will explore the ABCs of AGMs and other ways we engage with our members. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Governance has many levels, and the focus in this article was more on operational governance or management levels of governance.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
In the next article we&amp;rsquo;ll go deeper into strategic governance; the connection between the members and the delegation of authority to the board of directors.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I look forward to continuing to explore the question: &amp;ldquo;What the heck is governance&amp;rdquo; with you, in the comments below, at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, at our events, on the phone, or you can pop by my office in the SW corner of the main floor at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;Alan.Tennant@CREB.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
403-461-2987&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 12:56:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2025/March/CREB_ChatAlan_TennantCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="414504" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{971CF9CC-8538-4C8D-A347-9F8A7B86BFFB}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/dos_and_donts_URAs</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>Unlicensed assistants: Dos and don&amp;#39;ts </title><description>&lt;p&gt;Unlicensed real estate assistants (URAs) are an important asset to many real estate businesses.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From entering listings and managing communications to coordinating schedules and handling administrative tasks, they&amp;rsquo;re the quiet force that helps keep businesses running smoothly.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s natural to depend on unlicensed assistants, but that can also make it easy to lose track of the tasks they&amp;rsquo;re permitted to handle. To help support compliance and professional practice, review the following &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/Member_Support/Membership/URA/URA_Dos_and_Donts.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Unlicensed Real Estate Assistants Dos and Don&amp;rsquo;ts guide.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For future reference, the guide has been added to the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Member_Practice/Practice_Toolkits" target="_blank"&gt;Practice Toolkits page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; under the Member Practice section on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; also offers a specialized two-day &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Registration/?EventKey=260604UREA" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Unlicensed Real Estate Assistant course&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to confidently support real estate businesses.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information or to register, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Registration/?EventKey=260604UREA" target="_blank"&gt;click here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 10:13:30 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/URA_Dos_and_DontsCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="46597" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{535475B3-2B41-4BD9-8414-85F74BC28938}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/REALTORS_Care_Day_Recap</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>REALTORS Care&amp;#174; Day brings CREB&amp;#174; members together at the Calgary Dream Centre</title><description>&lt;p&gt;There was no shortage of generosity at this year&amp;rsquo;s REALTORS Care&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Day at the Calgary Dream Centre. On May 12, 66 CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members volunteered their time at the Dream Centre, with many other members contributing donations in the days and weeks leading up to the event.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Together, REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; helped collect an overwhelming amount of clothing, food and hygiene items while supporting projects throughout the facility.&lt;/p&gt;
More than anything, the day was a powerful reflection of what happens when REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; come together in support of their community. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Members rolled up their sleeves, connected with one another and spent the day giving back to an organization doing important work to support vulnerable Calgarians through housing, recovery and community programs. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
REALTORS Care&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Day builds on the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation&amp;rsquo;s ongoing partnership with the Calgary Dream Centre, which received the Foundation&amp;rsquo;s $1 million three-year Legacy Grant in 2025 to support safe, accessible housing in Calgary. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The event also continued the momentum from a previous REALTORS Care&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Day held at the Dream Centre in November 2025, where CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; volunteered sorting donations, preparing meals, organizing the food pantry and helping prepare transitional housing units for repair. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; would like to thank the Calgary Dream Centre for welcoming volunteers into their space, as well as representatives from CREA for joining volunteers throughout the day and helping make the event even more special. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Most importantly, thank you to every CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; member who contributed &amp;mdash; whether through volunteering, donating or supporting the initiative behind the scenes. Seeing so many REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; represented and coming together to make a tangible impact in the community was something truly special.
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 10:12:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Realtors_Care_CT_Banner_820_x_300_px.png" type="image/png" length="313758" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{F2F941C1-1060-428C-BE04-E8616AF4F3C0}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/Help_shape_the_future_of_housing_in_Alberta</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>Help shape the future of housing in Alberta</title><description>&lt;p&gt;What does the future of housing look like in Alberta&amp;mdash;and what do Albertans want from their neighbourhoods?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A new Alberta Real Estate Foundation-funded research project from the University of Calgary is exploring those questions through a study on housing and neighbourhood preferences. Led by Dr. Jason Hawkins, assistant professor at the Schulich School of Engineering, the project aims to better understand how Albertans balance competing priorities such as affordability, access to amenities, commute times, housing type and neighbourhood character.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The research comes at a time when conversations around housing diversity, affordability and blanket rezoning continue across Alberta municipalities&amp;mdash;including in Calgary, where CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; has advocated for responsible growth strategies that increase housing supply, while safeguarding infrastructure capacity, affordability objectives and the vitality and character of our communities.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While existing market data can show what housing people are purchasing today, it cannot fully capture demand for housing types or neighbourhood designs that may not currently exist or be widely available. This study will use statistical modelling and AI-generated visualizations to help participants react to different housing and neighbourhood scenarios, providing deeper insight into what Albertans value most.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Insights gathered through the project are intended to support future housing policy, land-use planning and development strategies aimed at creating a broader range of housing options aligned with consumer preferences.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As part of the research, Dr. Hawkins and his team are seeking industry participation through a series of focus groups that will help inform the development of a larger provincewide survey.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Focus group details&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Participants will be asked to discuss residential and neighbourhood scenarios, including reactions to sample images and urban design features.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Duration: &lt;/strong&gt;Approximately 45 minutes&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Format:&lt;/strong&gt; In person (University of Calgary) or online&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Register to participate&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calendly.com/jfhawkin/housing-focus-group-eng?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;In-person focus group (Main campus)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calendly.com/jfhawkin/housing-focus-group-sapl?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank"&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;In-person focus group at the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape (SAPL)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calendly.com/jfhawkin/housing-focus-group-online?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank"&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Online focus group&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Questions can be directed to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Azin Dinarvand &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;azin.dinarvand@ucalgary.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Dr. Jason Hawkins &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;jfhawkin@ucalgary.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Participation from members will help ensure industry perspectives are reflected in future conversations around housing choice, neighbourhood design and the evolving needs of Alberta consumers.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 10:05:47 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/AREF_Housing_ResearchCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="372191" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{B4900532-BDC6-469B-A964-6B58BD3FF1C1}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/myeforce_realtor_app</link><category>Tools and Technology</category><title>New updates to the my-eforce REALTOR&amp;#174; Safety app</title><description>The my-eforce REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Safety app, available to all CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members at no cost, has introduced several updates designed to help members access safety tools faster and more discreetly while working.&lt;p&gt;The app allows members to quickly connect with emergency support services directly from their phone or smartwatch if they find themselves in an uncomfortable or unsafe situation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;New updates recently added to the app include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Silent alarm updates&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The silent alarm feature has been updated to provide more discreet ways to alert designated safety contacts when assistance may be needed, without escalating the situation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"&gt;&lt;iframe width="580" height="325" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nVNKzfx0TSk?fs=1&amp;amp;modestbranding=1&amp;amp;autohide=1" class="embed-responsive-item"&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 116%;"&gt;Widgets for quicker access&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 116%;"&gt;New home-screen widgets allow members to access key safety features more quickly and conveniently from their device.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 10:02:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2024/September/my-eforece_app_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="65454" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{529BC860-7E3C-46EB-9A19-D7D0C647E525}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/spring_50-50_last_chance</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>Time is running out to win big in the Spring 50/50</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Your chance to win half the jackpot is almost gone! Ticket sales for the 2026 Spring 50/50 raffle close May 27 at 11:59 p.m., and once they&amp;rsquo;re closed, they&amp;rsquo;re closed.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Every ticket purchased supports the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation, which awarded $1,298,695 to deserving non-profit organizations in 2025 alone, including a three-year, $1 million commitment to the Calgary Dream Centre.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ticket sales close:&lt;/strong&gt; May 27 at 11:59 p.m.&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Draw date:&lt;/strong&gt; May 28&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t miss your shot at the pot!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/creb-spring-2026" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="Order Tickets Orange" style="height: 50.2222px; width: 334px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBcom/Housing_Statistics/Buttons/Buy_Tickets_Buttonorange.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 08:55:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/2026_Hello_Spring_5050_CT_Banner_green.png" type="image/png" length="168394" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{6B36071E-326E-478F-8F52-D0915FB2D9E4}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/buzz_conference_2026</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>Buzz with excitement at BUZZ Calgary AMPLIFY 2026, The Professional Standards Summit</title><description>This year, the BUZZ Calgary Conference will once again feature a number of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; leaders and members as speakers, including CEO and President Alan Tennant and Chief Economist Ann-Marie Lurie.&amp;nbsp;&lt;p&gt;New this year are the first BUZZ Calgary awards, which recognize Top Performers, Top Brokerages, Top Proptech Innovators, and Association Executive Leaders who are having a significant impact on the real estate industry and elevating professional standards.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You&amp;rsquo;ll also hear keynote speaker Don Inouye, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Canada (REIC), touch on professional standards and the future of the industry, and leave with tips on how to better deliver the services your clients expect in 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The conference will take place June 18, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre in Calgary.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Learn more about the conference &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://thebuzzconference.com/events/buzz-calgary-2026-amplify/" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/buzz-calgary-2026-tickets-1987542126002" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="Order Tickets Orange" style="height: 51px; width: 354.111px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBcom/Housing_Statistics/Buttons/Buy_Tickets_Buttonorange.jpg?h=51&amp;amp;w=354.111" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 12:36:47 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/BUZZ_Conference_Rock_N_Real_Estate_2026_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="83992" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{9FFB7BCD-6B88-4ADE-AEA6-C1F39CC6A781}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/office_closure_may_18</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>Office closure: Monday, May 18</title><description>CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; will be closed for the Victoria Day statutory holiday on Monday, May 18.&lt;p&gt;This closure extends to all of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, including the Member Services Centre. Pillar 9&amp;trade; Help Desk will also be closed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Please note:&lt;/strong&gt; The CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/sup&gt;Help Desk will be open on Saturday, May 16, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Regular hours will resume on Tuesday, May 19. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Member_Support/Help_Desk" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s hours of operation and here for CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; statutory holidays.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Happy May long weekend!&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 12:22:03 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Victoria_Day_2026CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="137671" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{2925BB8C-9CD8-4BF5-946E-BD3D9B9A5BC3}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/city_of_calgary_training_programs_2026</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>City of Calgary updates that matter to REALTORS&amp;#174;</title><description>The City of Calgary continues to support CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; through practical, timely education that connects municipal processes to everyday real estate work.&lt;p&gt;Over the past several years, City teams have delivered sessions on topics including tax assessments, subdivisions and development processes, permits, short-term rentals and secondary suites. These updates are designed to help REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; stay informed, understand evolving requirements and navigate regulatory changes with greater confidence.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By breaking down complex municipal processes into practical guidance, these sessions help reduce uncertainty, support professionalism and contribute to smoother transactions for REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and their clients. CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; appreciates the City of Calgary&amp;rsquo;s ongoing partnership and commitment to member education.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Learn directly from the City of Calgary&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Members can access City updates and educational resources through:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;City of Calgary &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.calgary.ca/property-owners/maintenance-webinars.html?redirect=/webinar" target="_blank"&gt;home and small business webinars&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; recordings.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/c/thecityofcalgary/streams" target="_blank"&gt;City of Calgary YouTube channel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Professional_Development/Webinar_Library/The_Municipal_Connection/" target="_blank"&gt;The Municipal Connection&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; webinar series available through the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; webinar library.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Upcoming City of Calgary session&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commercial Multi-Family Application Process (online) &lt;/strong&gt;&amp;ndash; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Registration/?eventKey=260521CMAP" target="_blank"&gt;Register here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Date:&lt;/strong&gt; Thursday, May 21 | 10 a.m. &amp;ndash; 11 a.m.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Navigating the commercial multi-family building permit process can be complex. This session will provide Calgary real estate professionals with an overview of the application process, including key review stages, common causes of delays and the information required for a complete submission. Participants will also learn how to avoid common application issues, access City resources and navigate municipal requirements more effectively.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Other sessions coming soon&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Short-Term Rentals&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;ndash; Coming this July&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Clean Energy Program&lt;/strong&gt; &amp;ndash; Coming this October&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;City Partners in Planning &lt;/strong&gt;&amp;ndash; Coming this fall&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Watch &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Professional_Development/Upcoming_Courses/" target="_blank"&gt;Upcoming Courses&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for additional City of Calgary sessions and updates.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 12:02:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/City_of_Calgary_Training_Sessions/1.png" type="image/png" length="351131" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{2D4B3320-9657-467B-A271-C7C18BD9F44D}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/boots_buckles_and_bbq</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>CREB&amp;#174; Boots, Buckles &amp;amp; BBQ returns July 7</title><description>Dust off your boots and bring your best western flair&amp;mdash;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Boots, Buckles &amp;amp; BBQ is back on July 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.&lt;p&gt;Join your fellow CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus for one of the summer&amp;rsquo;s most anticipated events. This high-energy afternoon brings together connection, celebration and Stampede spirit in a relaxed, outdoor setting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Whether you&amp;rsquo;re catching up with colleagues, making new connections or simply soaking in the atmosphere, Boots, Buckles &amp;amp; BBQ is your chance to step away from the day-to-day and enjoy Calgary&amp;rsquo;s favourite time of year&amp;mdash;together.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What to expect&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This year&amp;rsquo;s event features something for everyone:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Live music and a lively outdoor atmosphere&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The Saloon, serving cold drinks&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;A hearty western menu, plus dessert, candy and ice cream stations&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Interactive games and activations throughout the event&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;A rodeo ticket draw for the Stampede finals, along with additional prizes&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Sip for a cause&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Every drink makes a difference.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One dollar from each drink purchased at the Saloon will be donated to the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation, supporting initiatives that strengthen our community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Dress to impress&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bring your western A-game&amp;mdash;this is your moment to shine!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Best of Boots &amp;amp; Buckles competition celebrates standout style, with fun nods to both Stampede and REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; flair. Whether you&amp;rsquo;re classic cowpoke, modern western chic or full Stampede glam, come dressed to showcase your personal curb appeal.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Wrangle your compadres for a chance to win a team prize. Non-member friends can join the fun for $30.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Events/Registration/?eventKey=260707STAM" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="REGISTER Logo" style="height:35px; width:134px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CF/REGISTER_Logo.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Spots are limited, so secure your place and join us for an afternoon of connection, community and Stampede fun!&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 09:05:48 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/2026_StampedeCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="170628" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{4FF509BC-07D6-4D37-B306-9C0AB6A5325D}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/Asian_Heritage_Month_2026</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>Asian Heritage Month</title><description>&lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s Asian Heritage Month! This May, we acknowledge and celebrate the diverse culture and history of Asian communities in Canada and their many achievements and contributions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;The theme for Asian Heritage Month 2026 is: &amp;ldquo;Honouring Asian Canadians: Stories that Built Canada&amp;rdquo;.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This recognizes the essential contributions Asian Canadians have made to Canada&amp;rsquo;s social, cultural, and economic life across generations.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In addition, this theme highlights the numerous ways in which Asian individuals, families and communities have helped build Canada and how their stories are a foundational part of our national history.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
We encourage all members to learn more about Asian Canadian communities and how they continue to help shape Canada. Here are some &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.calgary.ca/events/asian-heritage-month.html" target="_blank"&gt;events &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;to check out around the city.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Educational resources&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/about.html" target="_blank"&gt;About Asian Heritage Month&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/list/share/812525088/944421507" target="_blank"&gt;Books recommendations from the Calgary Public Library&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/noteworthy-figures.html" target="_blank"&gt;Noteworthy figures&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Significant events in the history of Asian communities in Canada&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/resources.html" target="_blank"&gt;Organizations and educational resources&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 15:12:25 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Asian_Heritage_MonthCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="301047" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{109FAACF-3B27-4F6D-881C-C6C8D45DB791}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/affinity_program_2026</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>Save on client gifts this Spring</title><description>The CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Affinity Program offers numerous discounts and savings from over 30 businesses. Check out the newest additions, deemed ideal for clients this spring and summer season.&amp;nbsp;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://spartamovers.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Sparta Movers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Sparta Movers offers &lt;strong&gt;10% off local services and starter packing boxes kit. &lt;/strong&gt;The company also provides local and long-distance relocations, commercial and office relocations, packing and custom crating, and vehicle and pet relocation.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Rest easy knowing their services include a secure, climate-controlled warehouse for both short-term and long-term storage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Visit their &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://spartamovers.com/" target="_blank"&gt;website &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;or call 587-848-4178 for more information.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://theurbanpainter.com/" target="_blank"&gt;The Urban Painter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members &lt;strong&gt;receive 10% off professional painting services&lt;/strong&gt; from The Urban Painter.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With over 15 years serving Calgary and area, The Urban Painter offers high-quality interior and exterior painting for residential and commercial properties. Their services also include professional finish spray work such as kitchen cabinets, bannisters and other detailed surfaces.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To access your discount, please contact Michaela Lundquist at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:michaela@theurbanpainter.com"&gt;michaela@theurbanpainter.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or via phone at 403-999-9082. Don&amp;rsquo;t forget to mention you&amp;rsquo;re a CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; member!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.venti3.ca/" target="_blank"&gt;Venti3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Venti3 offers &lt;strong&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members 25% off all products and services&lt;/strong&gt;, including custom graphic apparel such as tee shirts, hoodies, aprons, and branded merchandise.&lt;br /&gt;
By choosing Venti3, you can create personalized designs featuring your own logo, slogan, or unique graphic idea. Custom apparel can also be a thoughtful gift option for clients as a thank-you or closing gift.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Use discount code &lt;strong&gt;CREB25&lt;/strong&gt; when ordering on their website. Alternatively, contact &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;'&gt;info@venti3.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or call 403-620-4798.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 15:02:36 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2023/July/AffinityProgramCTvisit.png" type="image/png" length="308461" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{BF901FCE-CEE5-4EF3-B0E2-7A30FD938E43}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/Heritage_Calgary_25_anniversary_report</link><title>Heritage Calgary marks 25 years with new report</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Heritage Calgary is marking its 25th anniversary with the release of a new report, Heritage Calgary at 25: From Vision to Impact, exploring the organization&amp;rsquo;s history and the evolution of heritage conservation in Calgary.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Established under the Calgary Heritage Authority Act in 2000, the organization has played an ongoing role in identifying, evaluating, and promoting Calgary&amp;rsquo;s historic places. In 2019, the Calgary Heritage Authority rebranded as Heritage Calgary and now serves as a civic partner, advising city council on matters related to heritage and maintaining Calgary&amp;rsquo;s Inventory of Evaluated Historic Resources. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Commissioned with support from the Alberta Real Estate Foundation and Chalmers Heritage Conservation, the report examines how heritage conservation has developed in Calgary, including the policies, partnerships, and community efforts that have shaped the city&amp;rsquo;s built environment over time. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
For CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members, the report offers valuable insight into heritage properties and the communities they&amp;rsquo;re part of. A stronger understanding of Calgary&amp;rsquo;s built history can support more informed conversations with clients, particularly when working with older or historically significant homes. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The full report is now available on &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.heritagecalgary.ca/publications" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Heritage Calgary&amp;rsquo;s website&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Learn more about the ins and outs of listing heritage properties:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/N6DFzFo8254?si=VV4MTTCbIKCQI9Mm" target="_blank"&gt;Selling Heritage 101&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/zMMpqWxrHzE?si=k0lIRANf821WQ0OH" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Selling Heritage 201&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 09:45:50 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Heritage_Calgary_25CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="101125" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{23B64AC0-C4D7-44F7-B7D9-2C81F8FA2FED}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/2026_AGM_highlights</link><category>CREB News</category><title>2026 CREB&amp;#174; AGM Highlights</title><description>Thank you to all members who attended CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;'s 2026 annual general meeting on April 28. Participation at the AGM is an important opportunity for members to participate directly in CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s governance. If you missed the meeting, here are some of the highlights.&lt;h3&gt;Bylaw amendments&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Members voted on and approved all four of the bylaw amendments that were proposed:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull; 6.2 Election and Term:&lt;/strong&gt; The voting window in board elections was extended from 24 hours to 72 hours.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull; 6.4 Composition of the Board: &lt;/strong&gt;The brokerage representation limit on the board of directors was increased from two directors from the same brokerage to three.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull; 6.4 Composition of the Board: &lt;/strong&gt;The franchise representation limit on the board of directors was increased from three directors from the same franchise to four.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull; 2.4 Bylaw Amendment: &lt;/strong&gt;Reference to a position at Service Alberta was updated from &amp;ldquo;Director&amp;rdquo; to &amp;ldquo;Registrar.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/About_CREB/Administration_and_Governance/AGM/Proposed_Bylaws/CREB_AGM_April_28_2026_Propsoed_Bylaw_changes.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to read more about the bylaw changes that members voted on.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Recognition of retiring directors&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;At this year&amp;rsquo;s AGM, we recognized two CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; directors whose terms have come to an end. We thank them for their service and commitment and wish them the best.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; Lori Olijnyk, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Director from 2020 to 2025&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Marco De Iaco, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s first Public Director from 2024 to 2026&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;2025 Annual Report&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you haven't already, we encourage you to read &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/About_CREB/Administration_and_Governance/AGM/Annual_Reports_and_Financials/2025_Annual_Report.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s 2025 annual report &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;for a full review of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;'s, CIBS&amp;rsquo; and the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation&amp;rsquo;s achievements last year.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For past AGM meeting minutes, audited financial statements and other important AGM documents, visit the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/Annual_General_Meetings" target="_blank"&gt;AGM page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Online Q&amp;amp;A&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We thank all attendees who asked questions. Due to time constraints, some questions from online attendees were not answered before the AGM closed. We are pleased to provide answers to those questions below.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: Who are the scrutineers for board of director elections?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A:&lt;/strong&gt; Associate CEO Lisa Latchford and Chief Corporate Services Officer Tammy England are serving as election scrutineers. They were selected based on their skills, experience, and arm&amp;rsquo;s length position from the election cycle and its associated processes. This helps ensure an objective review of all stages of the election, including verification of notice, nomination, and voting outcomes. As it relates to election matters, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; has strong internal controls including a member-led Audit &amp;amp; Finance Standing Committee. Election processes are also regularly reviewed by our Governance Standing Committee and Board Development &amp;amp; Leadership Standing Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: Can the board share if there is evidence or data to support that extending the voting window to 72 hours may increase member participation? Has that work been done?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A: &lt;/strong&gt;At this time, there is no data indicating that extending the voting window to 72 hours will increase member participation. The proposed bylaw amendment was brought forward to provide members with additional flexibility and opportunity to participate in the voting process.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Board Development and Leadership Standing Committee (BDLSC) deliberated on the extension of the voting window on multiple occasions and ultimately determined that the extension from 24 hours to 72 hours was an appropriate balance.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Along with this recommendation, the BDLSC outlined the importance of reviewing this change to measure the impact of the extended voting window on voter engagement. A communications strategy will also be developed to raise awareness and continue supporting member participation in future votes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: What resources or evidence has the board presented to indicate that the composition rules have caused a reduction in participation?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A: &lt;/strong&gt;At this time, the Board does not have quantitative or statistical evidence demonstrating that the composition rules directly caused a reduction in participation. It is not possible to conclusively measure this impact, as members who were ineligible under the existing rules may have self selected not to seek nomination based on those eligibility requirements. As a result, the Governance Standing Committee&amp;rsquo;s assessment was informed by observed outcomes and experience rather than formal participation data.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Recent election cycles provided practical examples of these limitations. The November 2025 election presented challenges due to the number of eligible candidates from a single franchise competing for a limited number of Board positions. Similarly, the December 2025 by election did not receive any eligible candidates, as those who had expressed interest were ineligible under the existing composition restrictions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Further information on this bylaw amendment can be found &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/bylaw_amendments_april_28_2026" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/bylaw_amendments_april_28_2026"&gt;.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We have also seen several occasions in the past five years where a candidate receiving a higher number of votes had to be set aside due to bylaw restrictions. The board and standing committees felt this was an important change to embrace a best-person philosophy. As always, we remain committed to ongoing improvement and evaluating how these changes are working in practice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: Can you share why directors are leaving?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A: &lt;/strong&gt;Directors resign and are very occasionally removed from roles for many reasons, and those reasons are private information to that individual. CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; respects the privacy of directors who choose to step away from volunteer service and does not disclose their reasons.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To minimize director turnover, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; has a number of processes in place to ensure potential new directors are fully aware of the expectations and requirements of the director role. Plus, we have an extensive onboarding program that includes peer support and professional development investments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: How does increasing brokerage/franchise concentration on the board address member concerns about transparency, director resignations, litigation, and lack of trust? Is this solving participation, or avoiding a failure in governance?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A: &lt;/strong&gt;We see these as separate issues, and it&amp;rsquo;s important not to conflate them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The proposed amendment to the brokerage and franchise limits was intended to ensure that qualified and capable members are not excluded from board service solely because a numerical threshold has been reached. Broadening eligibility supports stronger participation and helps ensure the board benefits from the best available talent, regardless of brokerage or franchise affiliation. This change is about inclusion and representation&amp;mdash;not avoiding scrutiny or accountability.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;From time to time, questions arise about director resignations or legal matters. These circumstances do not, on their own, signal a failure in governance. Board decisions are made thoughtfully, in good faith, and with appropriate advice where required. As these matters reach their natural conclusions, and where disclosure is permitted, members will have the opportunity to review the outcomes directly. Directors also step down or very occasionally are removed for a variety of reasons, and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; respects their privacy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; values transparency and trust. While questions have been raised by a small number of members, we believe it is important to respond thoughtfully. Transparency means sharing the right information at the right time particularly when legal processes are ongoing. Good governance also means listening to all perspectives, following established policy and process, and making decisions that serve the long term interests of the entire membership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In short, expanding eligibility for board service is meant to strengthen participation and access to leadership, while maintaining accountability. Strong governance relies on both fairness and oversight, and this amendment is designed to support the board&amp;rsquo;s effectiveness in service of all members.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The fact that litigation has been initiated does not, on its own, confirm a problem with governance. In Canada, the legal process exists to allow claims to be tested, responses to be provided, and decisions to be made based on the facts. Once that process has begun, it must be allowed to run its course. If the outcome identifies areas where governance should evolve, we welcome that guidance as part of our ongoing commitment to improvement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Q: What is behind all these legal and governance challenges?&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A: &lt;/strong&gt;We cannot speculate on how these legal and governance matters may be connected. That determination is best left to the appropriate legal processes, and we trust that greater clarity will come in due course.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If we missed any questions, or you have something you wish to ask, you can post it here or email it to: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:Susanita.deDiego@gmail.com"&gt;Susanita.deDiego@gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; or &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;'&gt;Alan.Tennant@creb.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 09:14:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/March/AGM26CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="47485" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{467B63AC-98B8-4FC0-B873-44243E7C5E2A}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/celebrating_mental_health_awareness_month</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>Celebrating Mental Health Month with CREB&amp;#174;&amp;#39;s Health and Wellness Resources</title><description>May is Mental Health Month, so we thought we&amp;rsquo;d do a round up of some of the health and wellness resources that are available to CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members.&amp;nbsp;&lt;h3&gt;Health and wellness resources on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Last year, we introduced a new Health &amp;amp; Wellness section on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link to connect you with the many CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and community resources available to you, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Community supports you can access for mental health and substance use issues&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; resources such as videos and webinars on anxiety, burnout and more&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Assistance Program that&amp;rsquo;s available to members and their families&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Workplace safety for REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, including information from CREA, NAR and the my-eforce REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Safety App that CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; provides to all members at no cost&lt;br /&gt;
RAW: REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and Assistant Wellness Peer Support Program&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Earlier this year, the Connecting Members Standing Committee launched the REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and Assistant Wellness (RAW) peer support program. Safe, confidential and facilitated by CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members for CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members, RAW meetings are held the first Thursday of every month (&lt;strong&gt;the next one is this Thursday, May 7&lt;/strong&gt;) at the CREB&lt;strong&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Campus.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;re experiencing anxiety, depression, other mental illnesses, alcohol use or any form of addiction, or any of a number of issues, we invite you try out a meeting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Member_Support/Health_and_Wellness/REALTOR_and_Assistant_Wellness" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to find out more about RAW on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Mental Health Month events&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Calgary section of the Canadian Mental Health Association has a number of events and activities planned for Mental Health Month that are centred around health, wellness and connection. Check out the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://secure.cmha.calgary.ab.ca/civicrm/mailing/url?u=6009&amp;amp;qid=490373" target="_blank"&gt;calendar of events&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to discover everything from a river walk to RAIN meditation, pot painting to poetry, and drumming to drama games.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 08:39:24 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2024/May/Mental_Health_Awareness_Month_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="343134" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{70633866-F44A-42FC-AFBB-50E5D5B4FAB3}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/crebcast_greg_houston</link><category>Etcetera</category><title>Investment, Resilience, and Innovation: Lessons from Greg Houston</title><description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Cast, Sam Randhawa interviews broker-owner and former CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; President, Greg Houston, who shares his 1972 start in real estate, early experiences and the launch of his own brokerage.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Greg reflects on market booms and busts, the oil embargo and early-80s crash, and how real estate investing helped him build stability. He discusses serving on the Calgary Real Estate Board, including as president in 1989, industry changes from paper listings to modern tech, and the need to be discerning amid AI and misinformation.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Highlights include his long-term ownership philosophy, community involvement, and being the first donor to the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Listen to the full episode on &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6jz5K1IEx9jv98SsIORr80?si=3eb553b6243d4c72" target="_blank"&gt;Spotify&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/creb-cast/id1469982079" target="_blank"&gt;Apple Podcasts&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/01989983-fe40-438c-a338-f0d6766a3079/episodes/4c1d7cd2-e32e-41ce-b1b3-e5b9fce32122/creb%C2%AEcast-creb%C2%AEcast-ep-12-%E2%80%93-investment-resilience-and-innovation-lessons-from-greg-houston" target="_blank"&gt;Amazon Music&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://youtu.be/MWs-I4TeWKg" target="_blank"&gt;YouTube&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 08:37:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/CREBcastCT_BannerEpisode_12.png" type="image/png" length="505616" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{89AFAAAF-1FB5-499D-981B-1187122F5E2C}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/governance_series</link><category>CREB News</category><title>What the heck is governance, really?</title><description>While talking with a long-term member recently, I had an &amp;ldquo;a-ha&amp;rdquo; moment when the discussion turned to the topic of governance and he said, &amp;ldquo;I love being a REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, but I don&amp;rsquo;t get all this talk about governance; what the heck is governance, really&amp;rdquo;?&lt;p&gt;At member-driven organizations such as CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, governance is a word that is often mentioned at meetings, in strategic plans and in member communications. What we don&amp;rsquo;t often hear are discussions about what the heck governance is, what it isn&amp;rsquo;t, and what good governance looks like. Most importantly, not much is said about why it matters to you, a busy REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; out there earning a living.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the next several weeks, we&amp;rsquo;ll answer those questions and more in this series as we explore aspects of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s governance and how they affect you.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To break this down, we&amp;rsquo;ll start with something we all know and see. Naturally, when we hear the word &amp;ldquo;governance&amp;rdquo; our first thoughts go to how the government works (or doesn&amp;rsquo;t, but that&amp;rsquo;s another article). However, the term governance also applies to many different types of non-government organizations, from private companies to professional organizations such as CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; to the charities that the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation funds and even the Foundation itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The CREA Leadership courses that are available to all members define governance as &amp;ldquo;the rules and practices by which the board of directors ensures accountability, fairness, and transparency in its decision making&amp;hellip;.The rules for governing are defined in the association&amp;rsquo;s by-laws and other governance documents.&amp;rdquo; At CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, the board of directors is elected by members, so you all have a direct role in the organization&amp;rsquo;s governance, too.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As an analogy, let&amp;rsquo;s take your brokerage. A good brokerage has strong, focused leadership whose vision aligns with the agents and staff who all call it &amp;ldquo;their&amp;rdquo; brokerage. The key right from the start is that you won&amp;rsquo;t have a strong culture and viable long-term outlook if the leadership is going in one direction and everyone else in another. There may not be elections, but agents and staff can and do vote with their feet.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The next thing you observe about great brokerages is that they have strong systems, policies and processes to keep things organized and efficient. You could say these govern how the operational affairs of the brokerage are managed or overseen by the people who are accountable. Although most people wouldn&amp;rsquo;t refer to this as brokerage &amp;ldquo;governance,&amp;rdquo; that is essentially what it is. Various levels of government also have oversight of the brokerage in the form of financial and other filings, which in effect measure whether the brokerage&amp;rsquo;s governance meets required standards in these areas.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Just like there isn&amp;rsquo;t one right way to run a brokerage, there is no definitive right or wrong way to do governance at an organization such as CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;. Understanding how an organization&amp;rsquo;s governance works&amp;mdash;and why it works that way&amp;mdash;is the first step towards ensuring it is delivering what you need, whether it is your brokerage, your real estate board or any other organization in your life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over my 26-year career as a REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, I was a broker and I had brokers work for me. I always had the approach that I worked &amp;ldquo;at&amp;rdquo; a brokerage, and the broker was there to work for the agents. In the short time I was a broker, I quickly learned the importance of not only listening, but being open about the limitations our tiny brokerage had in serving our agents. Managing expectations is a challenge in every business and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; is no different.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Some of the offices I worked at in Airdrie were small, some medium sized and for a time, I was at one of the largest Calgary brokerages&amp;mdash;believe me, I had thoughts on how well each was run or governed. The brokers I learned the most from, and who had the best operations, were extremely good listeners and even better at welcoming suggestions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Listening is a key part of effective governance, as well as operations, and that will be the topic of my next article. In the meantime, does the analogy to brokerage operations help explain what the heck governance is, really?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I look forward to exploring the question: &amp;ldquo;What the heck is governance&amp;rdquo; with you in the comments below, at our events, on the phone or you can pop by my office in the SW corner of the main floor at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus. Let&amp;rsquo;s get the conversation started!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:Alan.Tennant@CREB.ca"&gt;Alan.Tennant@CREB.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
403-461-2987&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 08:27:01 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2025/March/CREB_ChatAlan_TennantCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="414504" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{AB976323-E9ED-4F97-8C99-57889F2FFB37}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/2026_Foundation_Grants_now_open</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>2026 Community and Transformation Grants are now open</title><description>&lt;p&gt;The CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation (CRCF) has opened grant applications for 2026, supporting housing- and shelter-related initiatives across Calgary and area. The foundation is awarding a total of $360,000 in funding this year through its Community and Transformation Grants.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The Foundation is awarding a total of $360,000 in funding this year to support housing- and shelter-related initiatives across Calgary and area. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The two grant streams are designed to support projects of varying scales and help organizations keep people housed and improve housing quality for those who need it most. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Access to safe and stable housing is essential for strong communities,&amp;rdquo; said Christian Twomey, Chair of the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation. &amp;ldquo;These grants allow the REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; who belong to the Calgary Real Estate Board the ability to support organizations that are making a meaningful difference for vulnerable Calgarians.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Since 1987, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;nbsp;REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; have collectively invested more than $9.8 million into communities across Calgary and the surrounding area through the Foundation, supporting over 165 non-profit organizations focused on housing and shelter.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community Grants&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The Community Grant funds major repairs or renovations to existing housing or shelter spaces to help keep people housed in the community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Transformation Grants&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The Transformation Grant provides funding&amp;nbsp;for minor renovation projects to existing infrastructure to improve housing quality for the community's most vulnerable residents.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Organizations in Calgary and surrounding areas are encouraged to review the &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/Community_Investment/Grants/Funding_guidelines"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;grant funding guidelines&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;and &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/Community_Investment"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;apply&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;before the June 30, 2026 deadline.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 07:30:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/2026_CFGrantsOPENCT_Banner_820_x_300_px.png" type="image/png" length="442921" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{8D8E125B-CE5A-4058-AFE3-315E0EEED70A}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/spring_5050_2026</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>The pot is growing: Increase your impact with the Spring 50/50</title><description>Every Spring 50/50 raffle ticket helps the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/Community_Investment/" target="_blank"&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg; &lt;/sup&gt;Community Foundation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; invest in housing and shelter initiatives across Calgary and area.&lt;p&gt;Led by local REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, the Foundation has invested more than $9.8 million in local communities since 1987, supporting over 165 local non-profits.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2025 alone, the Foundation awarded $1,298,695. This includes a three-year, $1 million commitment to the Calgary Dream Centre.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When you buy a ticket, you are not just taking a shot at half the pot. You are also supporting housing and shelter initiatives across the community.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The raffle is open to both CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members and the public, and it only takes a minute to get involved.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Ticket sales close May 27 at 11:59 p.m.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Draw date: May 28&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Get in while the pot &amp;mdash; and the impact &amp;mdash; keeps growing.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 15:56:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/2026_Hello_Spring_5050_CT_Banner_green.png" type="image/png" length="168394" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{EC0604C2-4926-4D77-954A-3FFF6FF3F60D}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/REALTORS_Care_Day__Last_call_for_registrations</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>REALTORS Care&amp;#174; Day – Last call for registrations</title><description>There&amp;rsquo;s still time to take part in REALTORS Care&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Day on May 12 at the Calgary Dream Centre, but registration closes May 7.&lt;p&gt;This hands-on volunteer day brings CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg; &lt;/sup&gt;members together to support spring clean-up projects that help keep the Dream Centre&amp;rsquo;s facilities and program spaces ready to serve those who rely on them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Calgary Dream Centre is a recipient of the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation&amp;rsquo;s $1 million three-year Legacy Grant, supporting the development of safe, accessible housing for vulnerable Calgarians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;re able to join us, we encourage you to secure your spot before registration closes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Can&amp;rsquo;t attend? You can still help make an impact by donating clothing, non-perishable food items, and personal hygiene products to support Dream Centre residents. Donations can be dropped off at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s member desk until May 11 or brought directly to the Dream Centre on May 12.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We hope you&amp;rsquo;ll join us for this meaningful day!&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 15:52:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/Realtors_Care_Day_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="273735" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{0F691B10-D794-4E0E-897F-B28C9A24787C}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/Clean_Energy_Improvement_Program</link><category>CREB News</category><title>Clean energy improvement program</title><description>The Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) is a financing program run by Alberta Municipalities that loans residential property owners up to $50,000 of the upfront costs of energy-efficiency and renewable energy upgrades. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ceip.abmunis.ca/residential/upgrades/" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to see the complete list of eligible home upgrades.&lt;p&gt;Participants repay the loan over time through a Clean Energy Improvement tax added to their property tax bill. The financing is tied to the property&amp;mdash;not the owner&amp;mdash;and may be transferred to a new owner if the property is sold.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Don&amp;rsquo;t get caught off guard by the financial responsibilities that come with a property that has participated in CEIP. Know where to look for this information to help prepare your client for a smooth transition.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact the City of Calgary at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:ceip@calgary.ca"&gt;ceip@calgary.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; to determine whether a CEIP loan is attached to a property before listing or writing an offer.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Payment terms&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Owners have up to 20 years to pay back CEIP loans, based on the lifespan of the upgrades chosen. View the program&amp;rsquo;s full Terms and Conditions &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ceip.abmunis.ca/wp-content/uploads/CEIP-Residential-Permanent-Program-Terms-And-Conditions-Calgary.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;here&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Things to consider when selling a property with a Clean Energy Improvement loan attached to it:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The seller must disclose the Clean Energy Improvement agreement to their REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and prospective buyers.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The Clean Energy Improvement tax appears on the property&amp;rsquo;s tax certificate and as a line item on the annual property tax bill.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The tax can be transferred to the new owner or paid off in full.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Before listing a property or making an offer on a property outside of Calgary, check with the municipality to confirm whether CEIP loans are offered.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;When purchasing a property with a Clean Energy Improvement tax:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The seller should provide the buyer with a copy of the Clean Energy Improvement Agreement, which outlines the upgrades made to the property.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The buyer should decide whether to assume the repayments or require the seller to pay the balance in full.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;To assume the payments, the buyer and seller must sign the Assignment, Novation and Release form (Schedule E in the Clean Energy Improvement Agreement), available on the City of Calgary website, and submit it to the city.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Buyers should be aware that any outstanding repayments may remain on the property after possession, regardless of whether the required paperwork has been completed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The City of Calgary has created a helpful resource for buying or selling a property with a CEIP loan: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/www/uep/esm/documents/esm-documents/ceip/selling-or-buying-a-home-info-sheet.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Buying or selling a home info sheet.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With demand for energy-efficient homes on the rise, and programs such as the CEIP available to support upgrades, be sure to look for signs of financial obligations tied to the property. These may include liens and caveats on title, as well as amounts shown on the property tax bill.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you would like to learn more, the City of Calgary provides additional information on Clean Energy Improvement taxes in the &amp;ldquo;Resources&amp;rdquo; section of its webpage,&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.calgary.ca/environment/climate/clean-energy-improvement-program.html" target="_blank"&gt;Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP).&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2026 15:33:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/Clean_Energy_Improvement_ProgramCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="345195" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{FE89CBC6-7C55-499C-B455-034519F46070}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/May/April_2026_Stats</link><category>Housing Market</category><title>Balanced conditions in the city, except for apartment-style units  </title><description>&lt;p&gt;In line with seasonal expectations, both sales and inventory levels trended up relative to March&amp;rsquo;s activity. Despite this typical monthly rise, April sales totalled 2,104 units, six per cent lower than levels reported in 2025.&lt;/p&gt;&amp;ldquo;Sales were expected to ease this year as our market transitioned away from strong demand that was driven by previously rapid migration growth. Improved supply choice across the entire housing spectrum has reduced the urgency among potential purchasers, helping our market shift away from seller&amp;rsquo;s market conditions to more balanced conditions,&amp;rdquo; said Ann-Marie Lurie, CREB&amp;reg;&amp;rsquo;s Chief Economist. &amp;ldquo;However, the trend of limited supply choice in the detached market continues, while conditions favour the buyer in the apartment condominium market.&amp;rdquo; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
With 3,829 new listings in April, the sales-to-new-listings ratio remained at 55 per cent, supporting a modest monthly gain in supply. Inventory levels reached 5,973 units, nearly two per cent higher than levels reported last April. Overall, the months of supply remained just below three, representing relatively balanced conditions. However, this ranged from just over two months for detached homes to over four months for apartment-style homes. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The unadjusted total residential benchmark price trended up compared with March, reaching $568,800. The monthly gain was mostly associated with seasonal improvements, which is expected heading into the spring market. Monthly gains were higher in the detached and semi-detached segments. Overall, compared with the previous year, prices remain three per cent lower, with modest year-over-year declines in the detached and semi-detached sector, while declines neared nine per cent for apartment-style units.   &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
So far in 2026, conditions have varied, ranging from seller&amp;rsquo;s market conditions and price growth for detached homes in some parts of the city to buyer&amp;rsquo;s market conditions and price adjustments in the apartment condominium sector.
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;To read the full stats release on April&amp;rsquo;s housing market for Calgary and surrounding areas, &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/News/Media_Releases/2026/May/April_2026_Stats"&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt="Sales April 2026" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Housing_Stats_April/2.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="New Listings April 2026" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Housing_Stats_April/3.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="MOS April 2026" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Housing_Stats_April/5.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;img alt="Inventory April 2026" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Housing_Stats_April/4.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="DOM April 2026" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Housing_Stats_April/6.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;img alt="Benchmark Price April 2026" style="width:250px; height:313px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/Housing_Stats_April/1.png?h=313&amp;amp;w=250" /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;Find sharable monthly stats from CREB&amp;reg; on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/Housing_Statistics/documents/04_2026_Calgary_Monthly_Stats_Package.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt; to view the full City of Calgary monthly stats package.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.creb.com/Housing_Statistics/documents/04_2026_Regional_Monthly_Stats_Package.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt; to view the full Calgary region monthly stats package.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 11:00:49 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/May/April_2026_Stats_CT_Banner820_x_300.png" type="image/png" length="259621" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{ABEAB1B4-D550-4563-9DA8-101918BEAB87}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/agm_2026_today</link><category>Courses and Events</category><title>Join us for the AGM today!</title><description>How did CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; perform in 2025? What&amp;rsquo;s the financial situation at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;? Get answers to these and other questions you may have at the Annual General Meeting today,&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus or &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/Annual_General_Meetings/" target="_blank"&gt;online&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;h3&gt;Why attend the AGM?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Learn organizational highlights and financial updates from 2025&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Engage in the decision-making process and vote on bylaw changes at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Discover our strategic direction for 2026 and beyond&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Make your voice heard and ask questions/provide feedback to the board&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Network with fellow CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members and industry professionals&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;AGM Agenda&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;1:00 p.m. &amp;ndash; Meeting kick-off and welcome remarks&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt; 1:05 p.m. &amp;ndash; Critical Illness Benefit Society AGM&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt; 1:40 p.m. &amp;ndash; CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation AGM&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;2:15 p.m. &amp;ndash; CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; AGM&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;3:15 p.m. &amp;ndash; CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Member Satisfaction Survey Results: Alec Milne, Framework Analytics&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;3:45 p.m. &amp;ndash; Networking reception begins&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;4:30 p.m. &amp;ndash; Event ends&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Proposed Bylaw Amendments&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Your active involvement is essential in shaping the future of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;'s governance. By participating in the AGM, you have the opportunity to influence bylaw amendments.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This year, the proposed amendments include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6.2 Election and Term:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;Extending the voting window from 24 hours to 72 hours&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6.4 Composition of the Board:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Increasing the brokerage representation limit from two to three&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6.4 Composition of the Board:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;Increasing the franchise representation limit from three to four&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.4 Bylaw Amendment:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;A housekeeping change to update the reference to a position at Service Alberta&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/About_CREB/Administration_and_Governance/AGM/Proposed_Bylaws/CREB_AGM_April_28_2026_Propsoed_Bylaw_changes.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;Click here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;to review the current bylaws and the full details of the proposed amendments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For further information on the event details and proposed bylaw amendments, please visit the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Administration_Governance/Annual_General_Meetings"&gt;AGM page CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please note that registration is complimentary, and all members who join the meeting in person or online will be able to vote and make comments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Events/Registration/?eventKey=260428AGM" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="REGISTER Logo" style="height:35px; width:134px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CF/REGISTER_Logo.jpg" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:48:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/March/AGM26CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="47485" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{6D28786C-662A-453C-8F80-A0A9D5186744}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/AREA_condominium_form_updates</link><category>Practice Advice</category><title>AREA condominium form updates</title><description>&lt;p style="background: white; margin: 10.5pt 0cm; line-height: normal;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #5e6e66;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;AREA recently updated provisions within its condominium contracts and schedules, as described in the table below.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The table uses Clause 8.2 from the Residential Resale Condominium Property Purchase Contract as an example; however, the complete list of affected forms and the applicable clause numbers is provided below the table.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The changes are shown in red in the middle column, with a brief explanation in the right-hand column.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;table style="width: 592.556px; height: 375.667px;"&gt;
    &lt;tbody&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;
            &lt;h3&gt;&amp;nbsp;Original Clause&lt;/h3&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;
            &lt;h3&gt;&amp;nbsp;Updated Clause&lt;/h3&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;
            &lt;h3&gt;What this means&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h3&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td&gt;
            &lt;p style="margin: 10.5pt 0cm; line-height: 14.4pt; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #5e6e66;"&gt;(4) copies of the following, to the extent that they exist:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p style="margin: 10.5pt 0cm; line-height: 14.4pt; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="color: #5e6e66;"&gt;h. a statement from the condominium corporation setting out the criteria used to determine unit factor allocation (if not already addressed in the information statement);&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;(4) copies of the following, to the extent that they exist:
            &lt;p style="margin: 10.5pt 0cm; line-height: 14.4pt; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;s&gt;&lt;span style="color: #ee0000;"&gt;h. a statement from the condominium corporation setting out the criteria used to determine unit factor allocation (if not already addressed in the information statement);&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/s&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;This statement has been removed and is no longer required, if applicable, as part of the Condominium Documents.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;(6) copies of reports prepared for the condominium corporation by professionals since the date of the most recent reserve fund study, including professional engineers but excluding reports requested and obtained by the corporation&amp;rsquo;s legal counsel in relation to actual or contemplated litigation;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;(6) copies of reports prepared for the condominium corporation by professionals since the date of the most recent reserve fund study, including professional engineers but excluding &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%; color: #ee0000;"&gt;documents that are subject to legal privilege &lt;s&gt;reports requested and obtained by the corporation&amp;rsquo;s legal counsel in relation to actual or contemplated litigation;&lt;/s&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;Clarifies the exclusion of documents that are subject to legal privilege.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;New content&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%; color: #ee0000;"&gt;(10) any technical analysis prepared under section 21.2 of the &lt;em&gt;Act&lt;/em&gt; and Part 3.2 of the &lt;em&gt;Condominium Property Regulation&lt;/em&gt;;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%; color: #ee0000;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
            &lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;Added to include documents not previously covered.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
        &lt;tr&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;New content&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%; color: #ee0000;"&gt;(11) any Notice of Proposed Chargeback or Statement of Chargeback served on the seller, if applicable;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
            &lt;td style="text-align: center;"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;span style="line-height: 115%;"&gt;Added to include documents not previously covered.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/td&gt;
        &lt;/tr&gt;
    &lt;/tbody&gt;
&lt;/table&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Forms affected&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; Exclusive Seller Representation Residential Condominium Schedule (clauses 4 to 11)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Residential Resale Condominium Property Purchase Contract (Clause 8.2)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Country Residential Condominium Property Schedule (Clause 3.1)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Agricultural Purchase Contract Condominium Property Schedule (Clause 3.1)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; Commercial Purchase Contract Condominium Property Schedule (Clause 3.1)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Join us for upcoming condo courses&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s always good practice to stay current on the complexity of condominium listings. Attend the following upcoming courses to keep up to date:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull; June 9, 2026 &amp;mdash; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Registration/?eventKey=260609CCS3" target="_blank"&gt;Certified Condominium Specialist&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull; June 23, 2026 &amp;mdash; &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Registration/?eventKey=260623CDEI" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Condo Documents Essentials&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Click the course title to find out more about what you&amp;rsquo;ll learn and to register.&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:36:26 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/AREA_Condo_Form_UpdatesCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="484722" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{C44C5978-F21A-442F-99A4-24FAAE33D412}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/new_series_on_governance</link><category>CREB News</category><title>Introducing our new series: What the heck is governance?</title><description>Governance can sound like the kind of word that belongs in a boardroom&amp;mdash;or a textbook. At CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, governance is simply the framework that helps us make decisions, stay accountable to members, and keep the organization moving in a clear, consistent direction.&amp;nbsp;&lt;p&gt;And because it quietly shapes so much of what members experience, it deserves a plain-language conversation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We will get into this more in next week&amp;rsquo;s article, but for now think of governance as ensuring that the bylaws and policies the Board of Directors approves are translated into workplace practices and procedures that must be followed. It&amp;rsquo;s the CEO&amp;rsquo;s job to make sure this happens. As CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s President and CEO, one of my responsibilities is to ensure that appropriate governance practices are in place and effective.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thus, I am excited to launch &lt;em&gt;What the heck is governance . . . &lt;/em&gt;because it gives us a chance to slow down and explore a topic that&amp;rsquo;s often mentioned but rarely explained. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Rather than trying to squeeze a complex subject into a single update, we&amp;rsquo;re going to take a series approach&amp;mdash;one idea at a time&amp;mdash;so it&amp;rsquo;s easier to follow and helps you see how governance connects to your work.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What we&amp;rsquo;ll cover&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;What governance is (and what it isn&amp;rsquo;t)&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;How decisions are made at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;mdash;and who is accountable for what&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;How member input is gathered, considered, and used&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Transparency: what you can expect to see, and why some things look the way they do&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;The role of listening vs. talking (and why that balance matters)
    &lt;ul&gt;
        &lt;li&gt;How governance evolves over time while staying grounded in consistent policies and processes&lt;/li&gt;
        &lt;li&gt;Anything else that strikes our fancy&amp;hellip;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;/ul&gt;
    &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Where and when you&amp;rsquo;ll see it&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;New articles will appear weekly under the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Chat banner in CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk. Each piece will build on the last, but you&amp;rsquo;ll also be able to read them as standalone articles&amp;mdash;so you can jump in at any time.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;An intentional, well-paced conversation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Our goal isn&amp;rsquo;t to rush to conclusions or talk past one another. It&amp;rsquo;s to create space for a thoughtful, member-focused conversation&amp;mdash;one that respects your time and acknowledges that not everyone starts with the same context.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
As you read along, we invite you to reflect, share questions, and stay with the series as it unfolds. The best governance conversations are the ones that are clear, curious, and grounded in how we serve members.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Feel free to reach out with your suggestions for topics or if you have anything you want to discuss. You can pop by my office on the main floor, in the SW corner of the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg; &lt;/sup&gt;Campus, or contact me directly at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:alan.tennant@creb.ca"&gt;Alan.Tennant@CREB.ca&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;or&amp;nbsp;403-461-2987.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:17:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2025/March/CREB_ChatAlan_TennantCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="414504" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{B32CEC93-4467-4A59-AC21-44A1E65FC9B0}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/respectful_professional_dialogue</link><category>CREB News</category><title>Supporting respectful, professional dialogue on CREB&amp;#174;Talk and CREB&amp;#174;Link</title><description>In last week&amp;rsquo;s edition of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk, we shared the results of the poll on whether comments in CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link should be left on or turned off. The message from the poll was clear: members value the ability to comment, ask questions, and share perspectives on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link&amp;mdash;and we are committed to keeping that space available.&lt;p&gt;After taking time to reflect on the feedback shared&amp;mdash;both through the comment function and from members who reached out directly&amp;mdash;it is clear that open dialogue is valued.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; Providing a place for discussion on topics that affect members is ultimately the reason comments were enabled in CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link. As we move forward, it&amp;rsquo;s equally important that we are clear about the shared role we all play in protecting the quality and professionalism of those conversations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Why comment guidelines matter&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link are professional platforms intended to support open, respectful conversation among REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;. Commenting is not about agreement, it&amp;rsquo;s about contributing perspectives in a way that advances understanding, dialogue, and trust within our membership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To facilitate these discussions, we have comment guidelines that are designed to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Encourage diverse viewpoints shared respectfully&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Ensure conversations remain constructive, professional, and relevant&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These guidelines apply consistently&amp;mdash;whether a comment is supportive, critical, or questioning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What our comment guidelines say (and what they mean)&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In practical terms, comments should:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Focus on ideas, issues, or decisions&amp;mdash;not individuals&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Be professional in tone and language, even when expressing disagreement&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Avoid assumptions about motives, character, or intent&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Contribute meaningfully to the topic being discussed&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Comments do not need to be complimentary or supportive&amp;mdash;but they do need to be respectful, factual, and appropriate for a professional audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Occasionally, comments may be removed. This is not about silencing dissent&amp;mdash;it is about upholding shared professional standards. A comment may be removed if it:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Is personal, derogatory, or accusatory&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Discredits or targets identifiable individuals or groups&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Contains inflammatory, defamatory, or harmful language&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Moves from expressing an opinion into speculation or allegation&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Undermines respectful dialogue or the credibility of the forum&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The decision to remove a comment is made with great care and with the goal of maintaining a space where all members feel safe to participate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These expectations are not new. They are grounded in existing professional obligations:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Rule 5.01 &amp;ndash; Member Communication&lt;/strong&gt; requires members to be solely responsible for the content they transmit and prohibits communications that are unlawful, harassing, defamatory, abusive, misleading, or harmful in nature.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Article 21 of the REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Code &lt;/strong&gt;&amp;ndash; Conduct Unbecoming establishes that REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; must not engage in conduct that is unprofessional or unbecoming of the profession&amp;mdash;even outside the direct provision of real estate services.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Together, these standards reinforce the importance of professionalism, accountability, and respect in all member communications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;A practical example: Questionable vs. constructive&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The example below shows how framing and word choice can help ensure comments are constructive, professional, and aligned with our shared expectations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Questionable comment:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;ldquo;This rule change is stupid and clearly shows that the people making these decisions don&amp;rsquo;t understand how we actually work.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Why this is problematic:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;While the comment reflects frustration, it shifts from critiquing the rule itself to attacking the intelligence and competence of those involved. Labeling the rule as &amp;ldquo;stupid&amp;rdquo; and questioning intent or capability personalizes the issue and can shut down productive dialogue.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Reframed constructive comment:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;ldquo;I&amp;rsquo;m concerned that this new rule may create unintended challenges in day to day practice. I&amp;rsquo;d appreciate more insight into the rationale behind it and whether practical day to day impacts were considered.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Why this works:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This version raises the same concern but does so in a respectful, issue focused way. It avoids inflammatory language, invites explanation, and creates space for discussion&amp;mdash;supporting a more productive and professional exchange.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Our shared responsibility&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The strength of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link depends on all of us. Open dialogue and professionalism are not competing values&amp;mdash;they are mutually reinforcing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We encourage members to:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Speak up&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Ask questions&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Share perspectives&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Challenge ideas respectfully&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By doing so, we maintain a forum that reflects the professionalism of REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and supports healthy, productive dialogue for the entire membership.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Our industry reflects a wide range of perspectives, and it&amp;rsquo;s natural that members will not always agree with every decision or direction taken by CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;. A key responsibility of the organization is to thoughtfully balance these diverse views in its decision-making.&amp;nbsp; All viewpoints are valued and carefully considered, even when the final decision ultimately takes a different path.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thank you for continuing to engage thoughtfully and respectfully.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 09:05:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/CREBChatLisaLatchford820x300.png" type="image/png" length="393045" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{6C7645FA-7BF0-4D85-B36B-2289573C0A99}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/amendments_to_the_condominium_property_act</link><category>Practice Advice</category><title>Key takeaways from amendments to the Condominium Property Act</title><description>The Government of Alberta has announced amendments to the Service Alberta Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, introducing significant changes to the &lt;em&gt;Condominium Property Act&lt;/em&gt;. Below are key takeaways.&lt;h3&gt;A new Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A new Condominium Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) began operations on April 1, 2026, providing condominium owners and boards with an alternative to court for resolving disputes.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The CDRT provides dispute resolution support through a streamlined process that may include mediation or adjudication, where required.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For more information on the CDRT, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.alberta.ca/condominium-dispute-resolution-tribunal" target="_blank"&gt;click here.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Chargeback process&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Chargebacks are now treated like condominium contributions if allowed by the condominium corporation&amp;rsquo;s bylaws. This means you can be billed for costs, such as for damages or rule violations, and those charges are as enforceable as your monthly condo fees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The amendments establish requirements for issuing a chargeback, including due diligence by condominium boards to determine responsibility for costs. A board must pass a resolution to issue a chargeback to a unit owner and must provide notice within 90 days of the board becoming aware of the chargeback. Unit owners then have 30 days to respond.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Voting&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The amendments introduce a simplified voting framework for condominium corporation meetings, although the condominium bylaws still dictate the voting method to be used.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1.&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Owner vote: &lt;/strong&gt;Each owner gets one vote per unit they own. You can use this voting method if the condominium bylaws allow it or don&amp;rsquo;t say anything about voting. IF the bylaws already set a different voting method, then you must follow that method instead.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2.&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Unit factor vote:&lt;/strong&gt; Replaces the term &amp;ldquo;poll voting&amp;rdquo; and refers to voting based on unit factors assigned to each unit.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Technical analysis&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All new condominium builds will require a technical analysis to be completed within four years of the first unit being occupied.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This requirement does not apply to buildings occupied before Feb. 26, 2026.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Additional protections to board members&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If someone sues a board member personally for something they did (or didn&amp;rsquo;t do) while acting for the condominium, and the case is unsuccessful, the court may now order that person to pay the board member&amp;rsquo;s legal costs.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Looking for more details?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To learn more about the amendments, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.alberta.ca/supporting-albertas-condominium-communities" target="_blank"&gt;click here&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Check out these courses to learn more about condominiums:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://learning.crea.ca/creb/learn/courses/1217/condo-basics" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Condo Basics eLearning (CREA&amp;rsquo;s online learning portal)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/Education_and_Compliance/Registration/?eventKey=260609CCS3" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Certified Condominium Specialist (June 9 to 11, 2026)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:36:03 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/Condominium_Property_ActCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="366461" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{2958E708-CC83-4805-9482-3BC24CEBD646}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/virtual_staging_vs_virtual_enhancing</link><category>Practice Advice</category><title>Virtual staging vs. virtual enhancing: How to avoid misrepresenting a property</title><description>&lt;p&gt;With an abundance of powerful staging tools available, it&amp;rsquo;s easy to get creative and unintentionally push image edits beyond what accurately reflects a property.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To avoid misrepresentation, it&amp;rsquo;s important to understand the difference between virtual staging and virtual enhancing, and how to elevate property photos without making material changes.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What is virtual staging?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Virtual staging means adding virtual unattached goods (chattels) of realistic size to property photos in order to give perspective on room dimensions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Examples of acceptable virtual staging include:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Staging a master bedroom with a queen- or king-size bed and nightstands that would realistically fit the space&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Staging a dining room with a table suited to the room size, chairs that don&amp;rsquo;t crowd walkways, and a simple centerpiece&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When virtually staging a property, ensure the items included would realistically fit the space to avoid unintentionally creating the impression that an area is larger than it is.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tip: &lt;/strong&gt;Disclose the use of virtually staged images in the public remarks (refer to CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Rules Part III, 2.04(g)).&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What is virtual enhancing?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Virtual enhancing means virtually changing, adding, or augmenting features on property photos that would materially affect the property value. This may include walls, or changing the layout, locations, size, or type of windows.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Virtually enhanced images, or any images that may misrepresent a property, are not permitted on the board&amp;rsquo;s MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Examples of virtual enhancing include:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Replacing carpet with hardwood flooring&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Moving appliances, sinks, or plumbing fixtures&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Adding windows, skylights, beams, fireplaces or built-ins that do not exist&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Altering a property to show it in a better state of repair than its current condition&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reminder: &lt;/strong&gt;While it can be helpful to illustrate potential renovations, these images must not be used to advertise the property in the listing photos. If shared, they should be uploaded to the supplements section and clearly identified as renovation concepts.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;The risks of using AI to edit listing photos&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Using AI to virtually stage property photos may appear simple, but it introduces important risks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Once an image is uploaded to an AI tool and altered, ownership of the resulting image becomes unclear. To upload images to Pillar 9&amp;trade;, you must confirm you have the right to grant ownership of those images. If copyright becomes unclear, this representation cannot be made.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;AI tools may also make unintended changes. For example, they may alter house numbers, replace appliances or remove an entire room, as the tool may interpret these changes as enhancements. These changes can be difficult to detect.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To avoid misrepresenting a property, avoid using AI to edit listing photos.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Case study:&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In one instance, a real estate agent posted digitally altered photos on the MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System by adding furnishings not present in the property, without disclosing the photos were digitally modified, and showing the property in a better state of repair than it was. This resulted in $1,000 in regulator fines under the Real Estate Services Act.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
While this penalty was not a result of violating the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Rules, this example demonstrates that consumers and industry members rely on MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System images to meet reasonable standards and maintain trust and credibility.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Have questions?&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact the Member Practice team at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:advice@creb.ca"&gt;advice@creb.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/div&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:50:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/Virtual_StagingCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="271292" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{D7D09827-1B0F-41DD-B53A-3A0DAD84AA21}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/2026_Foundation_Grants_opening_soon</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>2026 Foundation Grants opening soon</title><description>&lt;p&gt;The CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation (CRCF) is set to open grant applications for its Community and Transformation Grants on May 1, 2026. This year, the Foundation will award a total of $360,000 in funding.&lt;/p&gt;Each of the grant streams supports projects of varying scales and funds local housing- and shelter-related initiatives for those who need it most.
&lt;h3&gt;
Community Grants&lt;/h3&gt;
The Community Grant funds major repairs or renovations to existing housing or shelter spaces to help keep people housed in the community.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;
Transformation Grants&lt;/h3&gt;
The Transformation Grant provides funding&amp;nbsp;for minor renovation projects to existing infrastructure to improve housing quality for the community's most vulnerable residents.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; are deeply connected to the communities they serve,&amp;rdquo; said Christian Twomey, chair of the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation. &amp;ldquo;Through these grants,&amp;nbsp;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members&amp;nbsp;are proud to support local organizations working every day to keep people housed and improve housing conditions for those who need it most.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Non-profit organizations in Calgary and surrounding communities are encouraged to review the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; grant funding guidelines and&amp;nbsp;determine eligibility.
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Applications are open from May 1 to June 30, 2026, and can be found&amp;nbsp;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/Community_Investment" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 09:41:14 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/2026_CFOPENINGSoonCT_Banner_820_x_300_px.png" type="image/png" length="445622" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{5280D030-12F7-47D1-A622-E9F32C30A98E}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/realtors_care_day_2026</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>Roll up your sleeves for REALTORS Care&amp;#174; Day</title><description>CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members are invited to take part in REALTORS Care&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Day on May 12 at the Calgary Dream Centre, a hands-on volunteer opportunity that supports an organization working to strengthen housing and community programs in Calgary.&lt;p&gt;During the event, members will support spring clean-up projects that help keep the Dream Centre&amp;rsquo;s facilities and program spaces ready to serve those who rely on them.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This REALTORS Care&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Day builds on the Foundation&amp;rsquo;s partnership with the Calgary Dream Centre, which received the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg; &lt;/sup&gt;Community Foundation&amp;rsquo;s $1 million, three-year Legacy Grant in 2025 to support the development of safe, accessible housing for vulnerable Calgarians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Members who are unable to attend the volunteer day can still take part by donating clothing, non-perishable food items and personal hygiene products to support the Calgary Dream Centre and its residents. Donations can be dropped off at CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s member desk until May 11 or brought directly to the Dream Centre on May 12.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;By volunteering or donating, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members continue to demonstrate the leadership and community commitment that REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; bring to Calgary and area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Help strengthen our impact &amp;ndash; sign up &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/About_CREB/Events/Registration/?eventKey=260512RCD" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt; by May 7 to secure your spot!&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:47:35 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/Realtors_Care_Day_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="273735" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{99325831-9FB0-4871-B70B-045C33D9BB90}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/crebtalk_poll_results</link><category>CREB News</category><title>What members told us about comments on CREB&amp;#174;Talk</title><description>Thank you to all members who took the time to share their perspectives&amp;mdash;whether through the comments function on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk or by reaching out to us directly. We appreciate your engagement and the thoughtful input provided over the past week.&lt;h3&gt;Poll participation&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;133 responses&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;49 responses were received before a technical fix to the poll was made on April 8, and 84 after the fix&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Poll analysis&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Responses were received both before and after a technical fix was implemented, which required careful review to assess the reliability of the results. Analysis of the pre&amp;nbsp; and post fix responses shows consistent overall support for keeping comments enabled.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Overall results&lt;/strong&gt; (133 completions):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Leave comments on: 125 (94%)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Turn comments off: 8 (6%)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pre technical fix results &lt;/strong&gt;(49 completions):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Leave comments on: 41 (84%)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Turn comments off: 8 (16%)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Post technical fix results (84 completions; fix implemented just before noon on Wednesday, April 8):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Leave comments on: 84 (100%)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Turn comments off: 0 (0%)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A clear majority of responses were received after the technical issue was resolved, lending additional confidence to the results. Credibility is further supported by the consistently low number of responses favouring turning comments off, both before and after the fix.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Overall, the results send a clear and consistent message: members strongly support keeping the comment function enabled.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What we&amp;rsquo;re doing&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We heard you. &lt;strong&gt;Comments will remain enabled &lt;/strong&gt;on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk and CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Link articles.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Members consistently told us that they value the ability to share perspectives, ask questions, and engage in dialogue through comments. That feedback matters.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
What we heard from you&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Beyond the poll results, some members took the time to comment or contact us directly. While not every comment is reflected below, we want to play back the key themes we heard clearly and respectfully.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;High level themes included:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Turning comments off is seen as limiting communication rather than improving it&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Fair and consistent moderation matters more than silencing discussion&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Members value diverse perspectives even if they differ from their own&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Open commenting is viewed by many as important to transparency, accountability, and good governance&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;Talk is seen as a rare and valuable forum for open member dialogue&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;There is a strong desire for more member engagement&amp;mdash;especially during times of organizational change&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Concerns were raised about poll integrity and clarity, particularly around technical issues and process transparency&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Respectful, professional discourse is essential; unmanaged behaviour can undermine dialogue&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Some members emphasized personal responsibility and self regulation to maintain constructive discussion&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;What happens next&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We are taking the time to carefully digest what you&amp;rsquo;ve shared. There&amp;rsquo;s a lot to consider&amp;mdash;some feedback reinforces what&amp;rsquo;s working well today, some highlights opportunities for improvement, and some may warrant deeper thought and further engagement.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Honouring member input means taking it seriously, reflecting on it thoughtfully, and being willing to evolve where it makes sense.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Our goal remains the same: to create a safe space where all members feel comfortable sharing their perspectives professionally and respectfully.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 13:03:31 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2024/November/CREB_Laptop_M_CT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="126554" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{27B61030-87D5-42C5-84CC-8BA2843F2CCC}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/results_crea_agm_2026</link><category>CREB News</category><title>CREA motions and regional director election results</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Regional delegates from across the country gathered today at the Canadian Real Estate Association&amp;rsquo;s (CREA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) to vote on two recommendations affecting member dues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The results of the vote were as follows:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The recommendation to introduce a two per cent annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to member dues beginning Jan. 1, 2027, was approved by delegates, with 58.6% voting in favour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;The recommendation to implement a $30 per member annual special assessment for two years to rebuild the Legal Defense Fund was approved by delegates, with &lt;span style="white-space: pre;"&gt;	&lt;/span&gt;55.5% voting in favour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s voting delegates were Board Chair Susanita de Diego and Chair-Elect Matt McBean, as directed by the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/About_CREB/Administration_and_Governance/CREB_Governance_Manual.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Governance Manual, Section 4.1.3 Relationship and Engagement Policy. &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;(Click the link to go to the full CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Governance Manual or scroll down to read the policy at the end of this article.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In deciding to vote in favour of these motions, Board Chair de Diego and Chair-Elect McBean considered a number of factors, ranging from internal CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;nbsp;matters, emerging issues in the Canadian real estate industry, and various forms of member feedback.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The latter includes the March &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/March/CREA_recommendations_poll_results" target="_blank"&gt;poll that was used as a temperature check of member sentiment&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, discussions with CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;'s volunteer leaders at the board and standing committee levels, and conversations with members.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;ldquo;It&amp;rsquo;s an honour to represent CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and our members at this annual gathering of the Canadian real estate industry,&amp;rdquo; said Board Chair de Diego. &amp;ldquo;When I connect with REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; and our industry partners from across Canada, I can&amp;rsquo;t help but feel proud to be part of a community that is working together to strengthen the profession and deliver meaningful value to the members we serve.&amp;rdquo;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;ldquo;As one of Canada&amp;rsquo;s larger real estate boards, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; has a strong voice at the CREA AGM,&amp;rdquo; said Chair-Elect McBean. &amp;ldquo;Ultimately, the voting on the motions represents the collective voices of REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; across Canada, which makes the entire industry stronger.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;New Alberta/NWT Regional Director&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The CREA AGM also included an election for the Alberta/NWT Regional Director on its board. Congratulations to Jennifer Lucas on being elected the Alberta/NWT Regional Director on the CREA Board of Directors.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Details of CREA recommendations and other AGM updates can be found at: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://member.crea.ca/resources-compliance/2026agmresources/" target="_blank"&gt;https://member.crea.ca/resources-compliance/2026agmresources/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/About_CREB/Administration_and_Governance/CREB_Governance_Manual.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Governance Manual, Section 4.1.3 Relationship and Engagement Policy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The Board and its Directors will foster robust dialogue, encouraging an environment which invites multiple perspectives from all Directors and generates innovative and strategic conversations leading to the best possible decisions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In advance of CREA meetings, every effort will be made to anticipate potential amendments and discussion. Where this is not possible or discussion on the floor generates new information, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s representatives may act or not act as long as the decision is consistent with CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s Mission, Objectives and Policies.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;In the absence of a stated position by CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, or in the event of new information coming to light, the&amp;nbsp;representatives of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; are empowered and encouraged to take positions and/or vote on behalf of&amp;nbsp;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; at events, such as AGMs, provided such a decision is consistent with CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s Mission, Objectives and Policies.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 12:11:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2022/October/CT_ARTICLE_BANNER_-_CREAlogo.png" type="image/png" length="78288" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{1C345B81-F914-4CDE-AB84-1010240E5313}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/exclusive_leasing_at_campus</link><category>CREB News</category><title>Be part of the REALTOR&amp;#174; community: Exclusive leasing at CREB&amp;#174; Campus</title><description>CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; is offering a limited number of lessee opportunities within CREB&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt; Campus&amp;mdash;inviting businesses that complement and enhance the member experience to become part of the Campus community.&lt;p&gt;Located at the heart of CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, Campus is more than a place to work. It is a hub where members can work, learn and connect&amp;mdash;between appointments, during professional development and while engaging with peers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;A space designed for members&amp;mdash;and supporting businesses&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; is focused on curating a mix of lessees who add meaningful value to members through real estate-related products and services. Ideal partners will align with CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s values and contribute to a professional, collaborative environment that supports members in their day-to-day business.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lessees gain access to a professional setting that supports both their business and connection to the broader real estate community, including:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Dedicated workspace within CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Access to bookable meeting rooms for client meetings and collaboration&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Reliable wi-fi, printing and on-site amenities&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;A central location aligned with the REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; brand&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is an opportunity for businesses to establish a consistent, polished presence while being directly connected to the members they serve.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Staying connected to the REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; community&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Leasing space at Campus means being part of CREB&amp;reg;&amp;rsquo;s active member environment. With regular events, training sessions and networking opportunities taking place on-site, lessees are positioned to engage with members in meaningful and relevant ways.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Eligibility considerations&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To maintain a professional, collaborative environment and avoid potential conflicts of interest, leasing opportunities are intended for businesses that complement&amp;mdash;rather than compete with&amp;mdash;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; services.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Please note, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members are ineligible to lease an office (even for non-real estate businesses they own).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Learn more about &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/About_Us/Our_Services/CREB_Office_Leasing" target="_blank"&gt;eligibility requirements.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;Recommend a lessee&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Do you know any businesses that would align with CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s values and be interested in supporting the member experience, send them to the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creb.com/About_Us/Our_Services/CREB_Office_Leasing" target="_blank"&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Office Leasing page&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; on creb.com.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Contact the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Campus team at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="mailto:campus@creb.ca"&gt;campus@creb.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for more information on availability, pricing and next steps.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lessee spaces are limited (three available) and expected to fill quickly.&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:48:17 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2025/August/Office_LeasingCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="31070" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{6C2B7501-B4D4-4BF8-B89B-2E0D92FEC03F}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/Council_approves_repeal_of_blanket_rezoning</link><category>CREB News</category><title>Council approves repeal of blanket rezoning</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Calgary City Council has approved bylaw amendments to repeal blanket rezoning and restore land use districts and property designations to their pre-2024 state.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The changes reverse the citywide residential rezoning that came into effect in August 2024 and will take effect on Aug. 4, 2026, allowing time for system updates and application intake.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Certain properties will be exempt, including those with approved or in-progress development, building permit or subdivision applications.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://newsroom.calgary.ca/council-approves-repeal-of-blanket-rezoning-land-use-bylaw-1p2007-amendments-implementing-citywide-residential-rezoning/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Learn more.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s advocacy efforts&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; advocated for the repeal of blanket rezoning, reflecting feedback from members brought forward by the Government Relations Standing Committee (GRSC) and approved by the Board of Directors.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As part of these efforts, CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; met with policy analysts from the Office of the Mayor, hosted two meetings with councillors in advance of the public hearing, collaborated with a community coalition of planning and development experts and community association leaders, and presented at the hearing to ensure the voice of members was represented.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Members of the GRSC also wrote to their city councillors to advocate on CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s position. This work is foundational to the committee&amp;rsquo;s scope of responsibility and to deepening our relationship with local elected officials.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To view the Calgary Housing Market Analysis presentation shared at the public hearing by CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;rsquo;s Chief Economist, Ann-Marie Lurie, click &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' href="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Members/CREBLink/About_CREB/Industry_Issues/CalgaryHousingMarketAnalysis-CREB-March2026.pdf" target="_blank"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;nbsp;
&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:44:00 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/March/Citywide_RezoningCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="323126" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{91CEC39A-8A65-4D5D-956A-036D62E53666}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/home_buyers_tax_rebate</link><category>Practice Advice</category><title>First-time home buyers&amp;#39; tax rebate on new homes</title><description>The Government of Canada implemented the GST rebate in 1991, but new to our industry is the &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/gst-hst-rebates/first-time-home-buyers-gst-hst-rebate/what-rebate.html" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First-time home buyers&amp;rsquo; rebate&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; (FTHB rebate). This article provides an overview of the new rebate and outlines the requirements for listing a new home on the Board&amp;rsquo;s MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System.&lt;h3&gt;First-time home buyers&amp;rsquo; rebate&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To qualify for this rebate, you must:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Be at least 18 years of age&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Not have lived in a home that you, your spouse or your common-law partner owned or jointly owned, whether in or outside Canada, as your primary residence at any time during the calendar year or in the previous four calendar years&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Not have previously received an FTHB GST/HST rebate, and nor has your spouse or common-law partner&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This rebate applies to new or substantially renovated homes intended as the individual&amp;rsquo;s primary residence. Depending on the value of the home, the individual could recover up to 100 per cent of the GST paid, to a maximum of $50,000.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;For homes valued at $1 million or less, the rebate is up to 100 per cent (maximum $50,000)&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;For homes valued Between $1 million and $1.5 million, the rebate is gradually reduced&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;For homes valued at $1.5 million or more, no rebate is available.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Eligible home buyers may benefit from both the FTHB rebate and the GST rebate on a new home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;h3&gt;New home listings on the MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System&lt;/h3&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When working with a new home builder and listing a property on the MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; System, the same guidelines apply as those for the GST Rebate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As outlined in the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Rules, GST, where applicable, must be included in the list price on all MLS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; listings for residential property. The list price for a new home must include GST before any FTHB and GST rebates are applied.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Once the purchase agreement has been signed, and before marking the listing as sold, you must complete the following steps in order:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1.&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Enter the following in the Private Remarks:&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;Sold price reflects purchase price before FTHB (and GST rebate, if applicable).&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2.&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Enter the final selling price, including any applicable tax rebates, in the Close Price field.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Example&lt;/strong&gt;:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A property listed for $750,000 and sold for $750,000:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Step 1&lt;/strong&gt;: Add the following to the Private Remarks field:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;ldquo;Sold price reflects purchase price before FTHB (and GST rebate, if applicable).&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Step 2:&lt;/strong&gt; Enter $750,000 in the Close Price field when updating the listing status to sold&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
If you have any questions about listing or reporting requirements for a new home, contact the Member Practice team at &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;advice@creb.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:01:26 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/First_Time_Home_Buyer_RebateCT_Banner.png" type="image/png" length="215018" /></item><item><guid isPermaLink="false">{E8CEC737-3016-4731-AEA1-BF4DCEF63B09}</guid><link>https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/Articles/2026/April/Spring_into_big_wins</link><category>Community Investment</category><title>Spring into big wins!</title><description>Our &lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/creb-spring-2026" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Spring 50/50 raffle&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; is back April 13! This spring, grab your tickets, give back, and you could win half the pot.&lt;p&gt;The CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation&amp;rsquo;s spring 50/50 raffle is now live, supporting non-profits like the Calgary Dream Centre and Highbanks Society that deliver critical housing and shelter-focused programs and initiatives across Calgary and area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Every ticket purchased helps fund initiatives that create housing, keep people housed, and improve housing and shelter quality for those who need it most. In 2025 alone, the foundation awarded $1,298,695, which included a three-year, $1 million commitment to the Calgary Dream Centre.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This raffle is open to CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; members and the public, so help us spread the word!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Ticket sales close: &lt;/strong&gt;May 27 at 11:59 p.m.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&amp;bull;&lt;span&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Draw date:&lt;/strong&gt; May 28&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Powered by Calgary and area REALTORS&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt;, the CREB&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; REALTOR&lt;sup&gt;&amp;reg;&lt;/sup&gt; Community Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting local non-profits that deliver housing and shelter solutions for vulnerable Calgarians.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Get your tickets today and be part of the impact &amp;mdash; and good luck.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a style='color:#f57e20;' rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/creb-spring-2026" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;img alt="tickets button" style="height:50px; width:251px;" src="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/Forecast2023/Web_Elements/Get_your_tickets.png" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:56:15 -0600</pubDate><enclosure url="https://www.creblink.com/crebtalk/-/media/Public/CREBTalk/Article_Images/2026/April/2026_Hello_Spring_5050_CT_Banner_green.png" type="image/png" length="168394" /></item></channel></rss>