Is it Time to Rethink REALTOR.ca?

January 17th, 2011

Dear RE/MAX Broker-Owners, Managers and Sales Representatives:

RE: Rethinking REALTOR.CA

Some of you may have seen my recent letter in the January issue of Real Estate Marketing Magazine with regards to rethinking realtor.ca. The communication was the first step in a nationwide campaign to create an open environment through the co-operative advertising of each other’s listings, with the ultimate goal of allowing any member of organized real estate to participate in the data share-big or small.

The status quo simply must change for the good of the industry, its stakeholders and consumers, who quite frankly, are well aware of the existing shortcomings. This is an issue that has put the industry at a competitive disadvantage at a time when for-profit businesses-designed to compete with REALTOR.ca, local boards, and real estate company sites-are establishing a foothold.

The time has come to challenge CREA and the local boards to release their stranglehold on listings and take a leadership role in exacting positive change through a truly co-operative system.

Realtor.ca is far from leading edge-a home-search system that is antiquated and difficult to maneuver. The lone Canadian system pales in comparison to innovative websites south of the border and around the world that are now taking listings to the next level, including REALTOR.com-the American counterpart of REALTOR.ca. Offering exceptional mapping capabilities, enhanced image display for listing photos, more in-depth property information, neighbourhood profiles (including property history, school districts and amenities etc.), as well as the ability to develop a vast array of interactive mobile applications, these sites are light years ahead of the Canadian standard.

While the tech-savvy U.S. market grows in leaps and bounds, Canada is slowly dropping off the radar of the progressive new real estate world. Our closed system has stifled creativity. The investment that any real estate organization makes in an over-the-top website is undermined by its inability to display all product. It would be virtually impossible for any brand or independent brokerage to be competitive, given current restrictions on Canadian listing data. Ultimately, the lack of cutting-edge technology hurts the real estate industry and greatly impedes the consumer experience.I believe that the move to free the listing data would introduce Canadians to real estate in the 21st century, a world with unlimited technological potential. Our future depends on a one-stop shopping option for consumers. The possibilities are real and would enhance the existing real estate experience tremendously. Imagine driving through a neighbourhood, while an application lists homes for sale in proximity to your location. Consumers could then access listing data, browse information, take a virtual tour, calculate carrying costs and even contact the listing agent-on site, on demand, at the touch of a button. Greater exposure, streamlined process, more efficient for buyers and sellers in every respect-and that’s the tip of the iceberg in terms of what a genuine shared listings system can do.

We’ve been working towards a collaborative agreement with CREA and the real estate boards, but the process has been long and difficult. We need your support to move the issue of a co-operative system to the forefront. Find out more about this issue which I will address at Kick Start on January 25th an event you will not want to miss. In the meantime, if you are in agreement, please let your broker know. Please let CREA know. Complacency and progress simply cannot continue to co-exist. The bar must be raised. I welcome your feedback - Reply Here

 

Yours truly,

Michael Polzler
Executive Vice President, Regional Director
RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada Inc.

 

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