On July 1, the Cornerstone Association of Realtors launched. As Ontario’s second-largest real estate board, it brought together almost 9,000 realtors from the Realtors Association of Hamilton-Burlington (RAHB), Mississauga Real Estate Board (MREB), Simcoe & District Real Estate Board (SDREB) and Waterloo Region Association of Realtors (WRAR).

Cornerstone will have offices in Mississauga, Hamilton, Waterloo and Simcoe (Norfolk County) to ensure accessibility and local representation for all members.

‘Enhanced professional development opportunities, best possible tools and services and a unified voice’

Last fall, talks began and RAHB and WRAR announced their intent to pursue amalgamation, with SDREB and MREB following afterward. Memberships of each board approved the amalgamation at separate special general meetings (SGMs) on November 23, 2023, and January 31, 2024.

“This amalgamation represents a pivotal moment in real estate,” says Julie Sergi, chair of the Cornerstone Association of Realtors. “Members will benefit from enhanced professional development opportunities, the best possible tools and services and a unified voice advocating for the interests of realtors and homeowners alike”.

The organization says it sets itself apart by “being a more assertive and aligned voice for realtor members. Joining together magnifies, solidifies and unifies our individual strengths, creating a more influential, capable and member-centric organization.”

“We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead,” says Bill Duce, CEO of Cornerstone. “Cornerstone will be about listening, being transparent and responding to the evolving needs of our local realtor members.”

Will accept inter-board MLS listings at no charge

Cornerstone acknowledges the amalgamation does not solve the MLS data access issue that realtors are deeply concerned about.

“While we are witnessing a lot of flux in organized real estate,” says Sergi, “Cornerstone is committing to safeguarding and protecting the investment its realtor members have made over many years in creating a strong and stable MLS system. To address some of the data gaps in the short term, we want to be part of the solution, not the problem. We’re excited to share that Cornerstone happily accepts inter-board listings within its market areas at no charge.”

“We strongly believe that all Ontario realtors should have access to all Ontario MLS® information, and we’re open to collaborating with other systems to make this happen,” Sergi adds.

In the meantime, she says the association encourages all realtors to ensure they place any MLS listings on the MLS system for the area of that listing so that local consumers will find them and the realtors who regularly practice in the area can work together for the benefit of sellers and buyers. “This cooperation is the foundation upon which the MLS® System was built.”

Image: Cornerstone.inc