“I didn’t know the pay structure, I didn’t know the day-to-day, I didn’t know anything,” she says. “I wasn’t one of those people who got into real estate thinking it was easy money. I just… didn’t know.”

Her first deal came quickly, a Kensington Market investment property owned by her mother, but it wasn’t a handout.

“They treated me like any other agent,” she says. “I had to know the answers, handle the tenants, manage PPE showings in peak COVID. And then my first actual deal came off a sign call on that property.”

That early start was followed by a long, quiet stretch. Six months passed before she closed another transaction.

Cold calls, clause manuals and a team

To fill the gap, Ettinger pulled up her LinkedIn and cold-messaged every single connection. She ran Facebook ads and called the leads herself. Without support at her first brokerage, she learned the paperwork by reading through the clause manual and piecing offers together line by line.

It was exhausting and not especially fruitful. “I was 20. None of my friends were buying or selling. I didn’t have anyone feeding me business.”

The answer, at the time, was joining a team. “I wanted business, but I also needed mentorship,” she says. 

For nearly a year, she learned from watching listing appointments and buyer consultations. It gave her experience she wouldn’t have had otherwise, but eventually the numbers didn’t make sense. Her own business was starting to grow, and she found herself giving away half of what she earned.

By late 2021, she was ready to move on.

Three TikToks a day

Around that same time, Ettinger’s fiancé pushed her to try TikTok. “I thought it was silly. I didn’t want to dance on camera. But he kept telling me it was important, so I started posting.”

For nearly a year, she posted three videos a day. “It was very basic at first; down payments, land transfer tax, what Humber courses cost. I tried everything to see what would stick.”

It worked. Within six months, she was getting clients from social media.

“Viral videos don’t convert. They boost engagement, sure, but business comes from value. Every piece of content I put out has to teach something…something you didn’t know before.”

Live videos were especially effective. “I’d go live for an hour almost every day. Most of the comments weren’t useful, but every so often, someone would ask about buying in a specific neighbourhood. I’d talk to them, screenshot their username, and follow up afterwards. That’s how I started to really convert business.”

The viral snowfort

Her most widely shared video, a mock listing for a snowfort during Toronto’s overheated 2022 market, reached nearly two million views on TikTok and was picked up by outlets like BlogTO.

“It didn’t bring me clients,” she says plainly. “But it catapulted my engagement for future videos and expanded my reach. The people who hire me come from the stories, the value, the proof that I’ll fight for them.”

‘I’m not a creator’

One line Ettinger repeats often is that she doesn’t see herself as a content creator.

“Where some Realtors get mixed up is that they go from being Realtors to being content creators. I’m not that. I’m a Realtor. I create content to get clients. If the apps went away tomorrow, I’d still be a Realtor. I’d just adapt.”

That mindset has shaped her approach. She treats her TikTok and Instagram accounts as ways to meet people, but pushes them toward her website, where contact forms feed into her CRM. She writes a weekly newsletter that mixes market updates with anecdotes from her life.

“By the time people reach out, they’ve already decided they want to work with me,” she says. Her conversion rate is much higher than most agents report – in her words, “substantially higher, probably like 75 per cent.”

Systems and consistency

By 2023, the challenge wasn’t getting attention – it was keeping up. “I was busy with clients and didn’t have time to film. My pipeline dried out.”

Her solution was hiring a content manager to edit, post, and help her batch-produce clips from a podcast she records in her home studio. About three-quarters of her current content comes from those podcast clips; the rest are real-time updates and short advice videos.

It’s a system designed to keep her business steady, even when she’s busy.

Looking ahead

Now five years into the business, Ettinger says she still enjoys creating content but only because it connects her with clients.

“I’ve always been open with sharing parts of my life. People feel like they know me before they meet me, and that makes it easier to work together.”

The consistency shows. Nearly half of her clients today come directly from her online presence. The rest come through referrals and her growing sphere.

She has no plans to stop posting, but she makes it clear she’d still be fine if the platforms disappeared tomorrow.

Andrew Fogliato

Andrew Fogliato – The G is silent –  is the owner of Real Estate Magazine and Just Sell Homes. He mostly talks about marketing but sometimes ventures into other topics in the real estate world. Sometimes he also writes bios in the 3rd person.

The post Realtor first, creator second: Anya Ettinger talks winning business online appeared first on REM.

When listings are incomplete or misleading, it isn’t just agents who lose. It’s the consumers who make life-changing decisions based on flawed information. It’s time we stop pretending the system works. The tools that power our listings are riddled with gaps that force even the most diligent Realtors into impossible positions.

Brokerages carry the risk, yet boards retain control. That misalignment is eroding public trust and the Realtor brand along with it.

Systems that undercut service

Realtors are not just working within flawed systems; they are compelled to. 

Under CREA’s Realtor Cooperation Policy, agents who publicly advertise a property are required to post it on the MLS. There is no true opt-out. That means if an agent markets a listing on social media, in print, or even by putting a sign on the lawn, they are obligated to input it into a system that may not be capable of capturing the full picture. 

In practice, we are forced to shoehorn listings into rigid platforms, regardless of whether the data fields reflect the property accurately.

In many regions, agents are working within platforms that do not allow them to input basic details of a property. One common issue is the restriction on the number of rooms or features that can be uniquely defined. Some systems limit descriptors, cap room types, or omit fields entirely. These gaps seem trivial until you list a $3-million custom home and find you cannot properly describe it. Not because of negligence, but because the system itself makes full disclosure impossible.

It’s a Hobson’s choice: either comply with systems that cannot reflect the full truth of the listing or violate the policy by withholding it entirely. In either case, the agent loses, and the client is underserved.

That listing then feeds into Realtor.ca, our most visible and trusted public-facing platform. The consumer sees incomplete information on a website that claims to be powered by Realtors. They expect that it is accurate.

Who takes the hit?

Not the system vendor. Not the board. Not the national platform.

The Realtor does.

The brokerage is on the legal hook, but the agent is the face beside the listing, and the one the public holds responsible. When the data is wrong, that trust is shaken, even if every rule was followed.

The fragmented foundation

This is not hypothetical. It’s happening right now, in real markets, with real listings that bear real consequences. 

In some cases, agents are told to work around limitations. They are advised to put key details in the remarks, fudge the structure of the property, or leave important aspects unlisted. This creates a troubling contradiction. Realtors are held to the highest standard but asked to compromise accuracy because of technical limits they cannot control.

At the heart of this issue is a contradiction in organized real estate. 

We promote ourselves as a unified national profession but operate in a fragmented data ecosystem. There is no single MLS system in Canada. Each local board or regional association negotiates with its own vendor and sets out its own rules. 

The result is a patchwork of differing input fields, inconsistent property categories, and minimal national oversight.

Even Realtor.ca, which is often treated as our national standard, is not a national MLS. It is a reflection of data feeds from boards across the country, each shaped by different priorities and limitations.

Risk without authority

Who owns the data? And more importantly, who is accountable for it?

Listing data may originate with Realtors, but in practice, it’s governed by boards, housed by vendors, and syndicated nationally by CREA. Boards license its use, enforce its rules, and in some cases, restrict how it can be accessed. CREA promotes the listings and brands them with Realtor trust.

At no point does the individual Realtor retain full control over the dataset. Agents pay dues to three levels of organized real estate but often cannot access their own listing history without going through approval processes or paying additional fees. That is not sustainable. Especially when the stakes are high.

Because what boards and CREA do not carry is risk. Brokerages do.

It is the brokerage that takes on vicarious liability. It is the brokerage that ensures accuracy and compliance, that trains, audits, and disciplines its agents. It is the brokerage that absorbs reputational and legal fallout when listings go wrong, regardless of whether the error began in a system it cannot access or control.

A misalignment of power

So why are the most accountable actors given the least control?

Today, boards control the platforms that manage the most visible and valuable real estate data in the country, while brokerages, the entities legally responsible for much of what happens with that data, are often left out of governance conversations entirely. This is not a question of internal politics. It is a fundamental misalignment between responsibility and authority.

And this isn’t a governance quirk. It’s a cultural flaw that distances decision-makers from responsibility, and one that is often hardcoded into board-level vendor contracts that entrench limitations, delay reform, and prevent innovation. In many ways, Realtors have become service users of their own listing platforms, with limited ability to shape or challenge the architecture of the systems they fund. That disconnect reinforces disengagement. It limits innovation. And it weakens the voice of those doing the work on the ground.

The erosion of trust

This is a problem because data is trust. The Realtor brand is not just a logo or a code of conduct. It is a promise. When the listing platform shows incomplete or misleading information, it reflects poorly on the brand that is supposed to represent integrity and accuracy. And if the national platform cannot distinguish between a system constraint and an agent oversight, then the public sees no difference.

The result is that consumers blame the Realtor. Not the board. Not the system. Not the national feed.

This guarantees reputational risk. It also undermines the value of being a Realtor rather than a registrant. If a consumer sees inaccurate or missing information on a Realtor listing, they may ask what value the designation truly offers. If a custom home cannot be accurately marketed on Realtor.ca, why would a seller choose a Realtor when the system is built to fail them?

From awareness to action

Organized real estate has been aware of platform limitations for years, but progress toward national data standards has been slow, cautious, and largely invisible to members. The result is that frontline agents and brokerages are left to fill the gap, absorbing reputational risk while systems inch forward behind closed doors. That silence is no longer defensible.

If brokerages are held accountable by law, then they must have standing in the governance of the systems that define their risk.

If brokerages are to remain accountable, they must also be empowered. Platform governance should include brokerage representation. Data policy must be co-designed with those who shoulder the liability. Anything less is regulatory negligence by design.

CREA does not own MLS systems, but it does own the Realtor trademarks and operates Realtor.ca. That comes with responsibility. CREA should not micromanage boards, but it must set national expectations for what Realtor-level data integrity looks like. That might include minimum input standards, public disclaimers when known system limitations exist, and tools for agents and brokerages to preview how their listings will appear.

It also means working collaboratively with boards and vendors to modernize platforms in ways that reflect how real estate is practiced today. This includes eliminating arbitrary field caps, improving cross-board interoperability, and giving brokerages and Realtors more agency over the data they are responsible for.

A seat at the table

When there is no accountability for the system, the accountability falls to the agent and their brokerage. This is not just unjust; it’s structurally indefensible.

We’re at an inflection point. Consumers are more data-savvy than ever. Alternative platforms are gaining traction. Realtors cannot afford to be trapped in outdated systems governed by legacy contracts or institutional politics. If we want to maintain our place as the most trusted advisors in real estate, our tools must reflect the standards we uphold.

Right now, the message to consumers is this: trust the Realtor, but not the data they are forced to work with.

That contradiction cannot stand. If we want the Realtor brand to thrive, we must stop outsourcing control and start aligning authority with accountability.

Brokerages carry the risk. It is time they had a seat at the table.

Brandon Reay

Brandon Reay brings a multifaceted background in real estate practice, policy, and governance. Before stepping into brokerage leadership, Brandon spent several years in organized real estate, contributing to strategic initiatives and advocacy efforts with CREA and OREA, and various Chambers of Commerce. His work has included shaping housing policy, supporting regulatory reform, and improving REALTOR® engagement across the country.

Brandon’s approach blends hands-on brokerage experience with a systems-level understanding of how policy, market forces, and professional standards intersect. He is known for helping professionals navigate evolving market conditions and advocating for higher standards within the industry. In addition to his leadership role at RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Group, he remains an active REALTOR® focused on agent development, business strategy, and client service.

Brandon regularly contributes commentary on market trends to media outlets and industry publications and has served as a spokesperson on housing issues in Ottawa. He is also a frequent speaker at real estate events, offering data-driven insights on brokerage strategy, professionalism, and the future of the industry.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Sprott School of Business. Brandon lives in Ottawa, where he remains closely involved in local policy discussions on housing affordability and real estate governance.

The post OPINION: Agents risk reputation while broken listing systems undermine trust appeared first on REM.

The sound of broken hearts could be heard all over his beloved city of Ottawa, in locker rooms, arenas, and in the homes and businesses of the many clients, colleagues, and friends he had. They broke clear across North America through his EXIT Realty network and echoed into the Canadian Parliament where the Honourable Mona Fortier, M.P. rose in the House of Commons to share how A.J. made Ottawa a better place calling him, “a respected entrepreneur, a community builder, a generous mentor, and a tireless force for good in the national capital region.”

We at EXIT have been so proud and fortunate to have a professional of A.J.’s calibre and influence with us for the past 21 years of his career.

In a heartfelt tribute of her own, EXIT Canadian CEO Joyce Paron spoke of how A.J. shined with his own light, bringing laughter (and his signature sunglasses and dance moves) wherever he went, saying, “You will be deeply missed A.J., and we will carry your spirit with us in all that we do in the days and years ahead. You have left a legacy of love….You demonstrated an extraordinary ability to make time for people, regardless of who they are, because you understood that your presence is the most valuable gift you can offer to another human being.”

A lasting legacy

With a natural talent for people and bringing them together, A.J. excelled in the business of real estate. He had a profound impact on EXIT’s entire national network and found success in his many roles.

Dear friend and franchisee Maggie Tessier of EXIT Realty Matrix said of him, “There will never be another A.J. He was, in every facet of his life, the true G.O.A.T.” It was at her office, and under her mentorship, where A.J. first got his start as an agent, then office manager, before taking on regional ownership, where he worked tirelessly to share the EXIT spirit, which he so aptly exemplified across eastern Ontario.

He maintained that his early real estate success came from learning from one of the best. He was a huge advocate for the importance of being coachable, a key personal ingredient he brought to every arena of his life thanks to his love of sports.

While hockey was his passion as the owner of the Flames de Gatineau in Quebec, he was involved in supporting several youth sports organizations both through coaching and sponsorships. He believed strongly in the character-building experiences found through sport, in teamwork, and in empowering the next generation.

A.J.’s eldest son and daughter both turned real estate into the family business. Francis, following his father’s path, obtained his real estate license and joined the same EXIT Realty Matrix brokerage, while Helenna joined forces with her dad as the regional administrator to assist with the many day-to-day tasks of running the business and communications with the corporate office. 

A.J. was loved by many, and he also had many loves in his life, his family, his faith, his community, philanthropy, coaching and sports, as well as real estate. His wife Chantal recently posted of the declaration of A.J. Plant Day on April 23rd by the city of Ottawa, where she and their four children, Francis, Helenna, Emillia, and Quinn attended the occasion with A.J.

She expressed her pride in her husband and his everlasting efforts, sharing a light-hearted laugh explaining, “When I met A.J. in Bonnyville, Alberta, he was part of 10 community groups. I had to join at least six of them so I could enjoy time with him.”

To Chantal and all of A.J.’s family, our hearts are with you, we mourn with you, and we thank you for sharing him with us. A.J. has left an indelible mark.

Melanie Robitaille

Melanie Robitaille is a senior staff writer and graphic designer at EXIT Realty Corp. International.

The post Real estate loses a great one: Remembering Ottawa’s A.J. Plant appeared first on REM.

She listed a three-bedroom condominium directly across from Insite, a safe injection site in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, by choosing a strategy of complete transparency.

A view of the mountains—and the safe injection site

Instead of cropping out the street encampments or glossing over gritty realities outside the building, Schlechtleitner did the opposite. Her listing video opened with graffiti, people on the street and blunt narration.

“If you’re looking for a really good deal but in a really gritty area,” she says in the opening shot, “we have a listing on Main and Hastings right across the street from the safe injection site.”

The condominium sold in just nine days. In a market where units in the same building have sat unsold for months, that’s no small feat.

“It was a wild one. Even my social media guys didn’t want to do the video,” thinking they’d get in trouble, Schlechtleitner recalls. But she knew what the situation called for.

The public’s reaction

Schlechtleitner, a managing broker at Stonehaus Realty Rethink Real Estate Group and 21-year industry veteran, feels unfiltered honesty not only works but is demanded in the current market, because consumers are very smart and have all the information they need readily available.

Her instinct proved correct. The listing video quickly gained traction online and drew media attention, but not without controversy. “I wasn’t surprised by the feedback, to be quite honest,” Schlechtleitner says. “Because there’s a lack of understanding in education, in my personal opinion.”

She notes the conversation wasn’t as much with her, about the listing, as much as it was with the public, about social issues.

Although some commenters didn’t see eye-to-eye with her, she says how nice it was to see many standing up for their beliefs and bringing some humanity to the topic. “Although maybe some didn’t see it as that. People just lock their doors and drive by (the area).”

Finding the right buyer

One of the most compelling aspects of the sale was the alignment between the property and its eventual buyer.

“Our buyer (a young couple) wanted to come from contribution on East Hastings, and the buyer’s agent has a history of family members down there. So, all parties involved were very compassionate,” including Schlechtleitner herself, who notes she’s in recovery and does charity work in the area.

A shift in industry and consumer expectations

Transparency in real estate isn’t without its challenges. But Schlechtleitner believes it’s the only sustainable approach in today’s information-rich environment.

“Honesty is the best policy,” she says. “If you harm the public by sugarcoating, misleading or lying, you will end up at the governing body in about two seconds. You will hurt your brand.”

Schlechtleitner recalls a “tainted time” for British Columbia’s industry in 2018, when she was embarrassed to say she was an actual Realtor.

“We were worse than car salesmen, because there was so much lack of transparency. The Real Estate Council of BC closed down, and BC Financial Services Authority started. In the last seven years, the industry’s levelled up,” she observes, thanks to tougher entrance requirements, more robust continuing education and mandatory courses like ethics.

Now, she’s proud to call herself a Realtor again.

Aside from industry expectations, Schlechtleitner also sees a generational shift in consumer expectations, noting that even Millennials are used to being “bamboozled” and that today’s first-time buyers want the full truth.

Still, she recognizes that honesty must be balanced with seller pride and notes there’s always a way to find an angle and your market.

How to handle tough listings

For example, “If my seller’s home isn’t very well-maintained, I would talk to them about presenting it as more of a bring-your-own-ideas or a fixer-upper (property).”

For agents working with stigmatized or difficult listings, Schlechtleitner’s advice is clear: Be creative and be fearless.

She stresses the need to stand out by offering incentives or bonuses, particularly in the buyer’s market that many regions, like Greater Vancouver, are experiencing. In May, the region had over 17,000 properties in inventory, the highest in over a decade, along with a sales slowdown of over 23 per cent from the year before.

But above all, Schlechtleitner says to protect your brand and your ethics.

“Talk to your managing broker because you might get in trouble. Don’t appear racist. Follow social cues of society,” she advises. “Your name can get jaded in this industry very quickly—it’s very small. We know who’s who and who does what. And we know who’s good and who’s not.”

Call out who it isn’t for

Toronto Realtor Julie Rutherford, of Keller Williams Referred Urban Realty, wholeheartedly agrees with Schlechtleitner’s philosophy.

“In a market where over-polished marketing is the norm, I’ve found that truth delivered thoughtfully can be one of the most effective tools we have,” she says.

For a property previously listed with multiple agents, Rutherford explains she relaunched the listing with more transparency to build trust without diminishing the property’s value. Instead of glossing over the home’s rural setting, which could be a disadvantage for many, she re-framed the location as “just 50 minutes from Toronto” to emphasize a quiet setting with accessibility.

“I avoided trying to make it a one-size-fits-all home, focusing the message instead on retirees and downsizers looking for peace without isolation. By being upfront about who the home wasn’t for, I clarified exactly who it was for.”

And so far, it’s paying off. Rutherford has seen a steady stream of showings, strong, positive feedback and inquiries from serious, qualified buyers, not just casual browsers.

Emma Caplan-Fisher

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.

The post Meet the Realtor whose brutal honesty sells hard-to-move listings appeared first on REM.

Due to “steep pullbacks” in the condo sector, total residential sales in Calgary declined by 17 per cent compared to May of last year, says CREB.

Despite the significant drop, last month’s 2,568 sales were 11 per cent higher than the long-term trend for May, and improved over the prior month.

“Compared to last year, easing sales and rising inventories are consistent trends across many cities, as uncertainty continues to weigh on housing demand,” said Ann-Marie Lurie, chief economist at CREB. 

Prior to the economic uncertainty, Calgary was dealing with seller market conditions, said Lurie, and the recent pullbacks in sales and rising inventory have “helped shift us toward balanced conditions, taking the pressure off prices.”

“This is a different situation from some of the other larger cities, where their housing markets were struggling prior to the addition of economic uncertainty,” she added.    

The benchmark price in Calgary dipped to $589,900, slightly lower than April and two per cent below May 2024 levels. 

Sales and inventory balance out

Calgary saw 4,842 new listings in May, contributing to rising inventory levels, which doubled year-over-year to 6,740.

The monthly gain in both inventory and sales prevented any significant change in the months of supply compared to April. With 2.6 months of supply, conditions are still “relatively balanced,” said CREB.  

New listings divide markets

Recent inventory gains are segmenting the market into pockets that are either oversupplied or in a listing drought, said CREB.

Both detached and semi-detached home prices remained relatively stable in May and are still higher than last year’s levels. 

Meanwhile, row and apartment-style homes have reported modest monthly price declines, and May prices remain below last year’s levels, as improved new home and rental supply weigh on resale prices.

The post Calgary home sales slide, inventory swells; CREB cites ‘balanced’ conditions appeared first on REM.

In a decision of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta dated April 24, Justice Barbara Romaine found Hare, a Realtor of more than 40-years, knew about the multi-million-dollar scheme as far back as 2022.

Last week, Re/Max announced it cut ties with Hare’s brokerage Re/Max Central amid the Ponzi scheme controversy.

Hare is the uncle of Drinkwater, who is charged with $1.9-million in alleged fraud. 

Already, $2.28-million in losses, $185,000 in interest, and $1-million in punitive damages has been awarded to four victims in a civil suit. 

Drinkwater’s criminal trial is set to begin this month.

Email exchange

The decision includes details of several email exchanges between Drinkwater and Hare, including one where Drinkwater states that he will call the Real Estate Council of Alberta, the industry regulator. 

In response, Hare said: “you do not have to call reca unless you go bankrupt [sic]. What are you going to do tell them that you stole other people’s money or put them on a Ponzi scheme [sic].” 

Ultimately, no one reported Drinkwater to RECA, reads the decision.

“Despite knowing of the scheme, Mr. Hare did not report Mr. Drinkwater’s conduct to the RECA, and in fact, advised Mr. Drinkwater against reporting himself,” says the decision.

 “Mr. Hare enabled Mr. Drinkwater to continue the scheme, and he himself received regular payments from (Drinkwater’s company) during the period that Mr. Drinkwater was continuing with the scheme.”

Managing broker also aware of Drinkwater’s activities

According to the decision, in Dec. 2021, Re/Max Central broker/manager David Lem became aware that Drinkwater was borrowing money from individuals and not paying it back.

Lem said he reported this to Hare between Dec. 2021 and Jan. 2022. 

They met with and negotiated a release with a complainant on behalf of Drinkwater and RE/MAX Central, reads the decision.

In August 2022, more of the scheme came to light, and in early 2023, the “floodgates opened,” reads the decision, and several more complaints related to the scheme were received.

In March, 2023, Lem said that he, Hare and Drinkwater met to discuss Drinkwater’s conduct. At this point a deliberate decision was made not to report Drinkwater to RECA, reads the decision.

Days later, Lem sent an email to Drinkwater and Hare stating, “In short, we’ll make every effort to diffuse any situation that comes to our attention that you make us aware of and we will leave it to an internal matter at this time,” reads the decision. “However, I will be bound by RECA’s requirement to report any further instances we have not be made aware of in advance. Thank you.” 

Lem told the courts that one of the reasons that he did not make a report to RECA was because he thought Hare was going to fix the issue, given the personal relationship between him and Drinkwater.

Judge freezes assets

Judge Romaine’s decision orders a Mareva injunction, a temporary order that effectively freezes an asset pending a future order, which was sought by four of Drinkwater’s victims.

The victims submitted that a Calgary home was fraudulently transferred from Drinkwater to Hare. 

Romaine found that Drinkwater transferred money to Hare during the period of the scheme, and the money was used to pay the mortgage on the home, to Hare’s benefit.

While there is insufficient evidence to support that claim, Romaine wrote, there is evidence that Hare has been making attempts to sell the property despite his knowledge of the claims involving the property.

The order temporarily prevents any transactions relating to the home. 

Courtney Zwicker

Courtney Zwicker is a digital reporter and associate editor for REM. Based in Atlantic Canada, she has over a decade of experience covering daily business news.

The post Former Calgary Re/Max brokerage owner kept Ponzi scheme secret from RECA, says Alberta’s top court appeared first on REM.

Sandhu was found to have made three violations of the Real Estate Services Rules stemming from an October 2021 property deal in Abbotsford. 

Realtor gave personal loan to clients

According to the BCFSA notice issued Mar. 31, Sandhu provided a personal loan of $55,000 to his buyer clients to help complete the purchase, an act regulators said positioned him to inappropriately benefit from the deal financially.

“(Sandhu) obtained commission from the subject transaction, and the loan (he) gave changed both the nature and degree of (his) interest in ensuring that the transaction would complete,” reads the decision.

The authority said Sandhu failed to take adequate steps to avoid the conflict, did not promptly disclose the conflict to the clients so that they could obtain a mortgage for the transaction, and neglected to advise them to seek independent professional advice.

Next steps

Each of the three infractions carries a $5,000 penalty, for a total fine of $15,000. 

Sandhu has 30 days to apply for a reconsideration of the decision. 

If no request is submitted, the penalties will be deemed accepted.

Courtney Zwicker

Courtney Zwicker is a digital reporter and associate editor for REM. Based in Atlantic Canada, she has over a decade of experience covering daily business news.

The post B.C. regulator fines Realtor $15,000 for conflict in client loan deal appeared first on REM.

A husband and wife who claim they were scammed by former Calgary Realtor Eric Drinkwater say roadblocks with the Real Estate Council of Alberta are adding to their strife as they seek justice.

The couple, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their reputations in the oil and medical fields, says they lost $87,000 after agreeing to invest with Drinkwater in 2022. 

Calgary police charged Drinkwater on May 8 with one count of fraud over $5,000. Investigators say Drinkwater solicited loans disguised as real estate investment opportunities, resulting in at least 16 victims and a combined loss of more than $1.9-million.

A professional history with Drinkwater

According to the pair, they met Drinkwater in 2019 after hiring him as their Realtor to buy their house. They hired him again when they sold that home in January 2022.

They allege Drinkwater approached them in May 2022 with an offer to invest in bridge loans for his real estate clients, saying they trusted Drinkwater because of his credentials as a Realtor with Re/Max Central.

“We know the secondary market exists, so it was not something that seemed so alien because it was coming from a Realtor,” they told Real Estate Magazine. 

Drinkwater held up his end of the bargain for the first number of deals, and in total, they say they invested $236,000.

Things went “sideways” when the deals started getting bigger. They say Drinkwater began having excuses and not keeping his word.

“He must have had five or six uncles die within a six-month period,” they said.

In early 2023, the couple says they learned of another person who had a judgment against him. By October 2023, they had a consent judgment against Drinkwater, obtained by their personal lawyer, according to the pair who says they’ve spent $10,000 on legal fees.

The couple says they were prepared to cut their losses and move on until more victims began to surface in 2024. 

Frustration with RECA

Despite criminal charges against Drinkwater and RECA’s own in-depth investigation, they say they are still having to fight tooth and nail for justice. 

They say they met with two representatives from RECA in late 2024 and sent over all the documentation that was requested. 

They say they’ve heard little back from RECA, and they’ve been told their consent judgment is not enough evidence to build a case for retribution. 

“There’s no process working with RECA. They control everything.” 

Waiting for justice 

The couple is part of a group of about seven victims who are hoping to be eligible to apply to the Real Estate Assurance Fund for restitution. 

Victims have been told that the prerequisite for applying is a judgment of fraud in civil or criminal court. Drinkwater is scheduled to appear in court in June to have his criminal case heard.

RECA spokesperson Shawn Howard said the association empathizes with those who bring claims forward, but there are rules it must follow.

“No one wants to be in a situation where they need to turn to the Assurance Fund, and when people do, we understand how serious it is for them,” he said.

Howard said RECA’s lawyer who administers the fund has been in contact with a number of people (or their counsel) to help them understand the application process and protect their rights.

“There are rules and procedures we must follow to assess all claims – this is set out in the legislation the fund is established under and governed by – and if there are outstanding questions, we are happy to address those with people.”

The fund is collected and issued by RECA, and protects consumers from unethical behaviour by real estate professionals. It was set up to compensate consumers who suffer a financial loss, and it covers fraud under real estate and mortgage practices.

Compensation paid from the fund since its 1985 inception totals $3.6-million, according to RECA’s most recent annual report. Over the last 10 years, the average amount paid out per year has totalled $165,000. RECA paid $54,301 in compensation from the fund in 2023-2024.

The vast majority of Drinkwater’s alleged victims do not have enough evidence and documentation to get a conviction, or they’ve chosen not to pursue justice, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

Plaintiffs in the civil case submitted evidence that included an acknowledgement by Drinkwater to RECA that victims numbered at least 71, and may have exceeded 100, according to a press release from the victim’s counsel, Loberg Ector LLP.

On Mar. 3, Loberg Ector LLP announced it had secured a judgment against Drinkwater in a civil lawsuit filed by four plaintiffs. The court awarded $2.28-million in losses, $185,000 in interest, and $1-million in punitive damages.

Regulator hearing upcoming

A virtual hearing is slated for Thursday for a panel to review allegations of Drinkwater’s conduct. 

The council suspended Drinkwater’s licence in June 2024, and the hearing will determine any further sanctions from the industry watchdog, including the possible cancellation of his real estate license.

Drinkwater did not return a request for comment. 

Courtney Zwicker

Courtney Zwicker is a digital reporter and associate editor for REM. Based in Atlantic Canada, she has over a decade of experience covering daily business news.

The post Victims of alleged Realtor scam say regulatory red tape is preventing closure appeared first on REM.

Cathy Polan, the new president of the Ontario Real Estate Association, confesses to being “nervous, anxious, and excited all at the same time” about her role.

As head of the organization, she joins a growing number of women in top leadership positions within the industry. “Over the last four years, three of OREA’s presidents have been women,” Polan notes.

“This is more than a moment—it’s a movement.”

The Belleville-based Realtor, who’s a sales rep with Royal Heritage Realty, was announced as OREA’s 2025 president following the association’s annual general meeting on March 27. She replaces outgoing president Rick Kedzior. Polan is now representing the province’s nearly 100,000 Realtors, with the aim of ensuring that they have the necessary resources, supports, and regulatory framework, with strong leadership at their back to help strengthen the real estate sector and advocate for greater housing supply and affordability.

Polan highlights OREA’s solid relationship with Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

“During such a pivotal time, it’s more important than ever that we work together to keep the dream of home ownership alive for the next generation,” she states, stressing that it will take the engagement of all levels of government to do so.

Tackling supply, affordability and CEO succession

No easy feat, of course. She admits that Ontario’s housing affordability crisis and supply issues won’t be resolved during her presidency.

“It’s not a quick fix.”

OREA is pushing for factory-built modular housing as a potential option to help relieve the province’s supply crunch. The future depends on innovative solutions, the organization asserts.

Polan faces a host of other challenges as well. “It’s been very busy.”

She feels fortunate that her husband, Bruce, also a Realtor, can fill in for her at the brokerage when necessary. “He’s my calm to the storm.”

At OREA, her undertakings include helping to find a new permanent CEO for the association (“hopefully in the next couple of months”), following Tim Hudak’s resignation last summer. Trying to ensure that housing issues don’t get sidelined now that the Ontario premier has no choice but to be laser-focused on the U.S. tariffs crisis is another pressing matter.

There’s also Toronto’s infamous condo glut. “We’re hoping it’s just a bump in the market,” observes Polan. Landlord/tenant reforms are needed as well.

Controversial issues and longstanding challenges

Other business on Polan’s radar includes the longstanding and outdated ‘auctioneer loophole,’ wherein auctioneers are permitted to sell real estate without a formal license.

And let’s not forget the Ontario Realtor Wellness Program (ORWP), the controversial mandatory health-benefit package for members introduced by OREA early last year that ruffled a lot of feathers. “The ORWP isn’t going away,” maintains Polan. “The program is working for the most part, but there are still some people not happy with it. We continue to work to improve it. We have data now which will help with that.”

It’s clear that being president of OREA is no cakewalk, and that Polan and the OREA board aren’t going to be able to make everyone happy.

“We know that,” she says.

With 16 years in the business behind her as well as an extensive background in organized real estate, which formerly included sitting on various key OREA committees and serving as president of the local real estate association, Polan is an industry veteran and seems prepared for the challenge.

Says her friend Lisa Comerford, chief public affairs officer for the Central Lakes Association of Realtors (Polan’s local association): “Cathy has shown time and again an incredible level of commitment to this industry and its advancement, whether it was a popular position or not.”

A viral TikTok moment and new strategic direction

That said, one place Polan has been spectacularly popular is TikTok, where she recently got a mind-boggling 6.5 million views.

How on earth, you ask?

It turns out that Polan—staunch OREA president and grandmother of six—is a Belieber.

She read the news that Justin Bieber is currently struggling with impostor syndrome. “I saw an article that said he felt unworthy” of his success, she explains. It nearly brought her to tears.

So she got up from a nap and posted a TikTok video of support, which she hoped would reach the singer, telling him that it’s human nature to have those feelings at times and that they don’t mean that he’s a fraud.

“You are worthy, Justin,” she said. “Not because of perfection but because of the beautiful, real person you are.”

Comments poured in from all over the world. And although Polan didn’t hear back from Bieber personally, she got a message from someone saying they were close to him and that he was grateful for her post. “I hope that’s true,” remarks Polan.

Not one to bypass an opportunity that fell into her lap, she’s now looking into leveraging some of those millions of TikTok responses into leads.

Fired up to make her own stamp on the industry, Polan met with member boards and asked for their views—“the good, the bad, and the ugly.” She and the OREA team will now start to form a strategic plan.

“If we don’t do anything, that was wasted time,” says Polan. “And I don’t like wasting anyone’s time.”

Susan Doran

Susan Doran is a Toronto-based freelance writer who has been contributing to REM since its very first issue.

The post Cathy Polan steps up as OREA president with eyes on reform and innovation appeared first on REM.

As Realtors, we’re not just selling square footage and finishes; we’re navigating the emotional terrain of lives in transition. Working with hoarders, or the families of hoarders, demands more than market knowledge. It requires deep empathy, patience, and a structured, non-judgmental approach. 

Step 1: Recognizing the reality 

Often, hoarding isn’t just clutter—it’s a manifestation of trauma, loss, anxiety or mental illness. Many hoarders don’t even realize the extent of the issue. For Realtors, the first step is recognizing when a situation goes beyond disorganization and into the territory of hoarding. This means moving from judgment to understanding. Treating the homeowner (or their family) with compassion is essential—they already feel exposed, vulnerable and often ashamed. 

Step 2: Building trust 

Before you talk about staging or selling, talk like a human. Sit down with the homeowner or their family and let them tell their story. Why are they selling? What does this move mean to them? Often, hoarding is intertwined with grief or fear—the fear of letting go, of being judged, of losing control. Your job isn’t just to facilitate a sale; it’s to become a temporary partner in an incredibly sensitive life shift. 

Step 3: Assembling the right team 

No Realtor can do this alone. Successful outcomes depend on assembling the right team, including (but not limited to) professional organizers and decluttering specialists experienced in hoarding, mental health professionals (where possible) to support the homeowner emotionally, junk removal and biohazard teams if the home poses health or safety risks, cleaners, painters and handymen to bring the property back to market-ready condition. 

Having go-to professionals means you can provide a clear plan—and options— rather than just identifying a problem. You’re offering solutions. 

Step 4: Small steps, big respect 

The clearing process must be gradual. Start with non-sentimental areas. Avoid pushing the owner to “just get rid of it all.” Respect their attachments—what looks like garbage to you may be linked to memories or identity for them. Let them be part of the process. Set small, manageable goals. 

If the client is unable or unwilling to participate, work closely with the family (with proper permissions). But always preserve the dignity of the person who lived there. Words like “disgusting” or “disaster” have no place in your vocabulary.

Step 5: The transformation and transition 

Once the space begins to open up, the emotional shift begins. Many hoarders (and their families) experience a wave of grief, relief or anxiety. As a Realtor, check in regularly—not just about timelines and contractors, but about how everyone is feeling. This shows that your commitment is to more than just the sale—it’s to the people involved. 

When the home is finally clean and repaired, you move into familiar territory: staging, listing, and marketing. But even here, sensitivity matters. Be cautious about before-and-after photos. Consider the long-term impact on your client’s privacy. 

Step 6: The sale isn’t the end

For you, the sale ends with the closing. For the former hoarder, it may be the beginning of a new chapter — or an emotional freefall. If you’ve built trust, your continued support through the transition (even just checking in) can mean more than you realize. 

Empathy is your edge 

Many Realtors wouldn’t touch a hoarder home. They see the mess, the delays, the challenge. But those who lean in — with structure, support, and heart — can change lives. You become more than a salesperson. You become a guide through a deeply human experience. 

In an industry that often celebrates speed, polish, and presentation, working with hoarders reminds us of a deeper truth: every home is someone’s story. Helping them turn the page — with dignity — is not just good business. It’s good humanity. 

The cover photo for this article was generated by AI. 

Barry Lebow

Barry Lebow, FRI, ASA, ABR, SREA, SRES, IFAS is an active Realtor and highly regarded real estate authority in Canada, who starts his 58th year in the profession in summer 2025.

Throughout his career, Barry has received numerous accolades from various real estate associations for his exceptional work in the industry. Although no longer an active appraiser, he maintains three recognized appraisal designations. Barry’s expertise extends to providing expert testimony in approximately 600 trials across North America, with his focus now on cases involving agents who are being sued.

Currently, he serves as broker of record at RE/MAX Realtron Robert Kroll Realty, Brokerage. For more information or to get in touch with Barry, visit barrylebow.com.

The post Clearing the way: A Realtor’s guide to working with hoarders  appeared first on REM.