The June issue of Mortgage Rate Forecast is now available on BCREA Online. Highlights:
Send questions and comments about Mortgage Rate Forecast to: Cameron Muir, Chief Economist, cmuir@bcrea.bc.ca; Brendon Ogmundson, Deputy Chief Economist, bogmundson@bcrea.bc.ca.
Additional economics information is available on BCREA's website at: www.bcrea.bc.ca. To sign up for BCREA news releases by email visit click here. Mortgage Rate Forecast is published quarterly by the British Columbia Real Estate Association. Real estate boards, real estate associations and REALTORS® may reprint this content, provided that credit is given to BCREA by including the following statement: "Copyright British Columbia Real Estate Association. Reprinted with permission." BCREA makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Copyright© British Columbia Real Estate Association 1420 - 701 Georgia Street West, PO Box 10123, Pacific Centre Vancouver, BC V7Y 1C6 Phone 604.683.7702 Fax 604.683.8601 www.bcrea.bc.ca bcrea@bcrea.bc.ca To subscribe to receive BCREA distributions such as this one, or to update your email address or current subscriptions, click here. Vancouver, BC – June 15, 2018. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) reports that a total of 8,837 residential unit sales were recorded by the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) across the province in May, a 28.7 per cent decrease from the same month last year. The average MLS® residential price in BC was $739,783, down 1.7 per cent from May 2017. Total sales dollar volume was $6.54 billion, a 30 per cent decline from May 2017. “BC home sales continued to slow in May because of more stringent qualifications for conventional borrowers,” said Cameron Muir, BCREA Chief Economist. “The changes in mortgage policy are taking their toll on housing demand, not only in British Columbia, but across the country by reducing household purchasing power and housing affordability.” While the decline in consumer demand has lifted the inventory of homes for sale, total active residential listings in the province are still relatively low by historical comparison. Year-to-date, BC residential sales dollar volume was down 13.8 per cent to $26.4 billion, compared with the same period in 2017. Residential unit sales decreased 16.6 per cent to 35,976 units, while the average MLS® residential price was up 3.4 per cent to $733,616. For more information, please contact:
Cameron Muir, Chief Economist Direct: 604.742.2780, Mobile: 778.229.1884 Email: cmuir@bcrea.bc.ca The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) is the professional association for about 23,000 REALTORS® in BC, focusing on provincial issues that impact real estate. Working with the province's 11 real estate boards, BCREA provides continuing professional education, advocacy, economic research and standard forms to help REALTORS® provide value for their clients. To demonstrate the profession's commitment to improving Quality of Life in BC communities, BCREA supports policies that help ensure economic vitality, provide housing opportunities, preserve the environment, protect property owners and build better communities with good schools and safe neighbourhoods. For detailed statistical information, contact your local real estate board. MLS® is a cooperative marketing system used only by Canada's real estate boards to ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale. To subscribe to receive BCREA publications such as this one, or to update your email address or current subscriptions, click here. Vancouver, BC – June 14, 2018. On June 15, 2018, changes to Rules under the Real Estate Services Act that dictate how REALTORS® work with consumers will come into effect. The Rules, mandated by the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate (OSRE) and finalized on April 27, 2018, have been amended to ensure consumers have a thorough understanding of their relationship with their REALTOR®, particularly when it comes to conflicts of interest and remuneration. “Since the new Rules were finalized six weeks ago, BCREA has been hard at work to update our Applied Practice Courses for new licensees, continuing education courses and nearly two dozen standard legal forms that have been impacted by the changes,” said British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) CEO Darlene Hyde. “The new rules governing real estate practices mark a significant shift in how REALTORS® in BC work with their clients. It’s important that consumers know what to expect when the changes come into effect.” REALTORS®, consumers and conflicts of interest One of the changes is a ban on limited dual agency. Limited dual agency occurs when a REALTOR® represents more than one party in a real estate transaction. That can be a buyer and a seller, two or more buyers, or a landlord and a tenant. The ban was recommended by the Real Estate Council of British Columbia’s (RECBC) Independent Advisory Group in 2016. Exemptions will be possible in limited circumstances. As part of the Rule amendments, a REALTOR® will inform a consumer at the beginning of their working relationship that the REALTOR® may be required to stop representing the consumer mid-transaction if a potential conflict of interest arises. A conflict of interest can occur, for example, when a buyer who the REALTOR® has previously represented makes an offer on a property belonging to a seller the REALTOR® is currently representing. In such instances, the REALTOR® may be required to refer the seller to another REALTOR®. REALTORS®, consumers and compensation From June 15, consumers can expect that REALTORS® will make more disclosures on the commissions they receive on transactions. Consumers are most likely to notice the impact of this Rule change when it comes to multiple offer scenarios. Once the amendment comes into effect, every time an offer or counter-offer is made to a seller, the seller’s REALTOR® will be required to present the seller with a completed disclosure form that explains exactly how much remuneration the REALTOR®’s brokerage will receive. This form will also explain how the commission will be shared with other brokerages involved in the transaction (the buyer’s brokerage) and any other payments the REALTOR® expects to receive as a result of the transaction. BCREA and the 11 member boards have been working with RECBC and OSRE to make these changes as seamless and as transparent as possible. We are actively working to educate REALTORS® on the implications of these changes so they can continue to serve consumers with integrity and professionalism when the Rule changes come into effect. “These changes will profoundly alter for the foreseeable future the way consumers initially interact with their REALTOR®,” said Hyde. “BCREA has done its utmost to facilitate the transition to the new Rules and we stand behind a strong regulatory regime, informed and knowledgeable customers and professional REALTORS®.” For more information on the Rule changes, visit Council’s Knowledge Base. - 30 - BCREA is the professional association for about 23,000 REALTORS® in BC, focusing on provincial issues that impact real estate. Working with the province’s 11 real estate boards, BCREA provides continuing professional education, advocacy, economic research and standard forms to help REALTORS® provide value for their clients. To demonstrate the profession’s commitment to improving Quality of Life in BC communities, BCREA supports policies that help ensure economic vitality, provide housing opportunities, preserve the environment, protect property owners and build better communities with good schools and safe neighbourhoods. For more information, please contact:
April van Ert, Communications Manager Direct: 604.742.2797 Email: avanert@bcrea.bc.ca To subscribe to receive other BCREA publications such as this one, to unsubscribe, or to update your email address or current subscription list, click here. |
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