Editor’s note: REM reached out to MREB for more information on the SGM and outcome. We’ll update this article as we hear back and learn more.
On January 31 this year, Mississauga Real Estate Board (MREB) members voted to amalgamate with the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB), the Waterloo Region Association of Realtors (WRAR) and the Simcoe & District Real Estate Board (SDREB) to become Cornerstone Association of Realtors on July 1, 2024.
However, due to large concerns, last month, some MREB members, with the support of several past presidents of MREB, requested the board call a members-only special general meeting (SGM) to rescind the vote to amalgamate.
The request was granted, and a meeting was held on June 26.
‘Consensus was unanimous … It’s all about MLS data and access. That’s what we need as working realtors’
“An overwhelming majority of the membership was in the room, and the membership’s consensus was unanimous,” Tehreem Kamal, broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage, reports about rescinding the vote to amalgamate.
Kamal notes there were more members present than at the earlier SGM in January, where the amalgamation was voted in favour. “However,” she points out, “As cited before, the landscape was different and things have changed rapidly.”
Kamal also highlights that a key factor swaying the vote transpired over the past two weeks: “The Oakville, Milton and District Real Estate Board (OMDREB) decided they would be leaving ITSO (Information Technology Systems Ontario) once their contract comes to an end, and joining Cornerstone wouldn’t be an option.
Basically, it’s all about MLS data and access to data, because that’s what we need as working realtors.”
OMDREB’s decision
Initially, the proposed amalgamation had MREB and other Ontario boards being part of one board and one MLS system: ITSO’s Matrix. MREB, OMDREB, London and St. Thomas Association of Realtors (LSTAR), Niagara Association of Realtors (NAR) and WRAR all use this system.
Kamal explains that OMDREB’s decision plays a key role as there’s a lot of business crossover from Mississauga to Oakville and vice versa, and that Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) statistics support this.
About the upcoming change for OMDREB, Anthony Danko, OMDREB president, says:
“Realtors can see for themselves how fast things are changing in organized real estate. Local boards are amalgamating, how we access and receive our MLS data is changing and, perhaps most importantly, the push for province-wide data is becoming stronger than ever.
OMDREB’s goal has always been to ensure our members have access to the most comprehensive data set possible, culminating in one province-wide MLS. Additionally, reviewing and considering your options when contracts approach renewal is good business practice. Knowing that the ITSO contract was approaching renewal, OMDREB’s board of directors did its due diligence by exploring all avenues to provide our members with the best data set possible.
Based on our extensive consultations and the feedback we received from members, along with the fact that it holds nearly all of the data within our jurisdiction, OMDREB decided to move forward with using PropTx as our MLS services provider, which will happen later this year.”
The MREB membership directed its board of directors to immediately stop the process, terminate the amalgamation and, if there’s any need, seek an injunction.
Emma Caplan-Fisher is an editor and writer for REM. She has over a decade of experience in various content types and topics, including real estate, housing, business, tech, and home & design. Emma’s work has also been featured in Cottage Life, the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, the Chicago Tribune, Narcity Media, Healthline, and others. She holds a Certificate in Editing from Simon Fraser University.
Short term gain with long term pain when the industry wakes up in three years to find its solely reliant on the technology owned by the largest real estate board and they have no say.
Then what? No lesson it seems has been learned about the complaints over Stratus and past iterations, or the complaints of the control already employed over the industry in Ontario, but now they endorse an outright monopoly.
Rather than take bold steps for long term gain, it will ultimately be a short stint to when these same aggrieved characters start to whine again, this time about abuse of dominance.
They won’t give one d*mn then about they or their customers being served by one mls system.
Absolutely well said! Also, I find it strange that this article keeps the focus on the MLS provider when all of the messaging I’ve received about the amalgamation from my board is that it’s about governance & member focused leadership.
Not to mention the outright lie that “ An overwhelming majority of the membership was in the room, and the membership’s consensus was unanimous,”… 100 & change is NOT the majority of members at MDREB.
All around awful article & representation of the issues.
100% agree, it would be interesting to take a pole on existing members, “would they advise these members to jump into the fire”. It is well known that TRREB is always the big bully in the room when it comes to decision making. Short term gain for long term pain.
The plan to merge with the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® is not favored by MREB membership in the recent SGM due to the rapidly changing market conditions around us. It seems that the MREB wanted to merge for a few reasons, including gaining more voting power with other boards to have a strong voice. However, during the SGM held on June 26, it was revealed that the new board would have fewer votes when dealing with CREA | OREA. Additionally, the boards covering the western region that were expected to join the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® decided to join Proptx instead, which was unexpected. This meant that the goal of having more boards join the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® to negotiate data sharing with Proptx did not materialize. With more boards choosing to join Proptx, it seems that REALTORS® prefers having a single Ontario-wide MLS system to avoid paying fees to multiple boards for MLS access. The new approach aims to maintain the MREB’s proud history and provide MLS data that supports members in navigating challenging market conditions. Consequently, the MREB membership decided to reverse the course during the recent SGM on June 26, giving power to the board to immediately terminate the amalgamation process and seek an injunction if necessary. As of now, no decision has been communicated to membership by the board to members, which is concerning.
….so you weren’t informed that there would be fewer votes in TOTAL for all OREA & CREA voting? Yes we loose some, but we lose zero ground overall… because there are fewer votes allocated out total. Did the board even investigate the cost to file an injunction? Because MDREB members will be paying for an expensive cost since the board already signed on to amalgamate. And why didn’t our leaders do their due diligence the first time round? Why didn’t they do their due diligence & risk assessments BEFORE the agm? It’s literally the job description of board members. I see this as the end because like my OMDREB friends, I’ll just join TREB since it’s cheaper.
Proptx’s owner board commands not a vote count but a stat vote percentage at 49. Whether or not there are 29 other boards with a numbered vote totalling say, 76, or twenty others equalling 61, their share as a percentage is still 51.
Consequently, it improves the chances of fewer boards to counter a hegemoniacal move by the ownership of the mls tech platform.
That another amalgamation of several boards to the east is under consideration, is a good thing as long as these mergers do not deliver up the dominant situation.
Consider how convenient it was deemed for all realtors when OREA took the role of producing all the forms and clauses. Reflect on how difficult it has now become for a board, if it wanted major changes or to cut ties and go direct to CREA, precisely because dependence and control that was ceded.
Be smart and proactive about your future instead of once again being reactive.
A Canada-wide MLS system must be the goal for every board. Realtors need data to effectively serve their clients, and it doesn’t matter if we access the data through Proptx or any other MLS provider. The key is to have all the data in one system, and this needs to happen now. This will eliminate the need for us to be members of multiple boards to access the necessary information. Each jurisdiction can still maintain its own board to serve local realtors, as long as we all draw from the same data source.
Agree!
One Data provider is all we need with Multiple Real Estate Boards to take care of the local realtors needs. That’s it, very simple.
Keeping data from other realtors just does not work.
It should be a DATA source that we own, not subcontracted out.
When the members vote “no” the board needs to listen and act accordingly
CREA needs to take a lead to create data sharing across Canada so its members can access it without joining multiple boards. Due to jurisdiction issues, to practice real estate each province must have one data sharing platform which allows members to stay with local board and enjoy data sharing. Unfortunately, MREB’s 70 years proud history became victim of this struggle.
For decades I’ve heard Canadians across the country complain they’re being ruled by the country of Toronto. Joining TRREB is a mistake. We don’t need them. They need us and the country bumpkins have bought the bill of goods.
This is all too typical i find, dominance is the key here. It seams to me that maybe us realtors need a voice a collective voice across the province. Its all about data access and serving the client, but hands are tied, doesn’t make sense. I find this industry too tight its time we opened it up and broke down the barriers to what is our right as a real estate agent. Get rid of this the data is mine mind set, they need to listen to us but when in most boards we have no say but yet we are the collective and we are the ones who drive this industry on the front lines. Its really time to shack it all up. Happy Canada Day
Mississauga is a small association and does not bring much to the table. Realtors Association of Hamilton and Burlington has cash and assets exceeding 10 million dollars. KWAR is also a flush association. It is too bad that MERB and Oakville Milton do not unit into Cornerstone. That would create an association that could not be bullied by TRREB. And then the province may make some headway into sharing data across the province. TRREB only wants the data. Data has value. Once TRREB sells Proptex who gets the profits? Whose money was used to create Proptex? Who is the only benefactor of Proptex? And what assocition would sign a 10 contract with an mls provider? Is that serving your members best interests?
Tt”s time we heard from from the Brokers of record of each Brokerageand the owners. Let them speak with their Realtors and see how they see the future and the needs . relating to One MLS in Ontario and the importants of the Real Estate boads and past history of members.
CREA that control the trademarks of REALTORS and Realtor.ca Their constitution and bylaws must mandate to all boards to listen to the voice of its members and not take decision contrary to their mandate. It forfeit the purpose of democracy.
I attended the June 26th highly emotional SGM. There was anger in the room. Some of the key Board members were absent. Several prominent, long-time members have voiced their disappointment in having been deceived by their elected officials. It was upsetting, that Board members ignored their oaths they gave, upon entering office, to serve the members’ best interest and be honest and transparent.
Since the January 31st meeting, when the amalgamation terms, were approved by the membership, much has changed, the relevant changes were not communicated to the membership. Four examples (and there are many).
1. As a member of Cornerstone, more votes in OREA.
In fact, the opposite is true.
2. As a Cornerstone member, only 3 MLS regions will be accessed.
ITSO, provided many more.
3. The loss of local representation.
4. The loss of ties to the community.
Consequently, the members voted to terminate the amalgamation contract. By terminating the contract our board will survive and continue its success, and its 70-year involvement with the community.
In summary, the members provided a clear mandate for the Board to follow. It’s the Board’s fiduciary duty to the membership, to carry out the member’s instructions.
It is a pity that both CREA and OREA do not provide at least some form of direct Member involvement and not rely on the judgement of well-meaning but often misguided or misdirected Board Voting Delegates. I suppose with MREB at least interested members got involved in this decision reversal and that counts in the overall picture. Good luck to them in their future endeavours.
I guess I don’t understand the point of having any “local” real estate board. If all of the boards are going to become subjects of TRREB’S fiefdom, why do we need OREA? TRREB already controls organized real estate in Ontario, because of the ridiculous method of governance we employ. They are now going to be in control of the data too with PROPTX. Ya’ll don’t get it. This was the goal of the ORWP all along. The ORWP was just the vehicle used by TRREB to gauge compliance. They knew that if they could mandate 100,000 people to buy into a worthless health plan, they could control everything regarding the real estate industry AND therefore, the people. Talk about wearing blinders. Maybe if OREA had half a spine, they would have actually stood up to the bullies on the playground so that each and every one of us had input into our industry. As it stands – goodbye autonomy! Idiots, bumbling idiots!
False information again by REM. I guess they don’t think they need to verify any information before printing it. Consensus was unanimous. ( Not true) I was one of the member who said No to this vote. But all the venom coming out who wants to put their name in front of the MOB who was there at the MREB SGM.. it was suppose to be for the members to ask questions instead of few of these people they think they know it all controlled the whole meeting and did not even give the other members a chance to ask any questions or give the board to present anything to the membership. Shameful behaviour by these seasoned Past Presidents.
You are correct, the consensus was not unanimous, BUT it was an overwhelming vote to stop the amalgamation. I was at that meeting.
REM isn’t what it used to be. Sadly