August 2023 – What’s Happening With RECA  

RECA’s modernized governance model consists of a Board of Directors and four Industry Councils representing each industry RECA regulates.   
 
This general summary includes the key activities of the Board and all Industry Councils over the last quarter.   

Run for a Position on your Industry Council this Fall 

This Fall, the current Industry Council Member terms will close, and the nominations and elections for those wishing to serve as Industry Council Members for the next term will take place. All eligible RECA licensees are encouraged to consider running for a position on their respective Industry Council. 

The Nomination Period will open at the end of September and run to the end of October. Voting will occur in November.  Candidate and endorsement forms will become available when the nomination period opens. 

Get more information on Industry Council elections, including candidate eligibility.

Rules Drafted for Phase 2 of Rules Review  

The Rules Review Committee is pleased to announce they have developed several proposed Rule changes based on the feedback received in Phase 1. Phase 2 of the review will be broken into three parts. The first part of Phase 2 of the review will focus on further aligning the licensing structure with the current governance structure, and licensee notification requirements.  
 
As a valued stakeholder, we will seek your opinion on these Rule changes this Fall. RECA’s Stakeholder Engagement Team will host town halls and presentations, and send out a comprehensive discussion paper and survey. 
 
Phase 3 will be a final stakeholder consultation on potential issues that could arise should the final proposed Rule changes come into force. The Rules Review consultation will continue until Fall 2024.  
 

Graduated Licence Model for Condominium Managers Launches October 1 

The Residential Property Manager Industry Council has approved a Graduated Licensing Program for condominium managers. This will allow licensees in the Graduated Licensing Program to perform certain restricted activities, as they complete their pre-licensing education. 
 
Condominium managers have told RECA about the difficulty in attracting new condominium managers to the industry, and that the length and cost of the pre-licensing education required before they can begin work are a major obstacle. Under the Graduated Licensing Program, new managers can join a condominium management brokerage with a graduated licence, allowing them to be hands-on in the industry for certain tasks and with heavy supervision, and make a living as they complete their required education. 
 
The Graduated Licensing Program will also be available to existing conditionally licensed condominium managers who do not complete their required education before September 30, 2023. These individuals will have their licence downgraded into the Graduated Licensing Program. 
 
Learn more about the Graduated Licensing Program.

RMS Committee Update 

After careful consideration, a meaningful review of industry experience with the RMS, and discussions with various trade associations, the RMS Committee has made recommendations to the Residential Real Estate Broker Industry Council for minor improvements to how semi-detached and townhouse properties are measured using the RMS, and to introduce a standard for measuring below grade. The Residential Real Estate Broker Industry Council has accepted the recommended improvements, and they will take effect on January 1, 2024. 
 
These improvements include: 

• beginning January 1, 2024, licensees will measure semi-detached and townhouse properties using the exterior wall at the foundation. If the thickness of the demising wall(s) cannot be determined, the thickness of an exterior wall should be used.
• beginning January 1, 2024, and to help consumers and licensees compare properties more accurately, the Industry Council accepted the recommendation from the Committee to set a Below Grade Measurement Standard (BGMS). The BGMS is not a mandatory measurement, nor part of the RMS, but it will be the standard by which licensees must measure below-grade space should their client agree to advertise it in addition to the RMS.  
   
  Please familiarize yourselves with the details of both of these measurement improvements on reca.ca. The changes do not take effect until January 1, 2024.

  Renewals Upcoming 

  A reminder that we are approaching the end of another fiscal year for RECA, which means it is time for licensees to renew their licence by the September 30, 2023 deadline. The myRECA system is currently open for renewals for all licensees, but a reminder that brokers need to review the licence of the brokerage before associates of the brokerage can begin to renew their licence. There is no increase in renewal fees for the 2023/2024 licensing year.   
  

  What else do you want to know?   

  What work or projects are you interested in hearing more about from your Board and/or Industry Councils? Let us know at communications@reca.ca.