OREB, Guide to Services - Ottawa Real Estate Board

Access all your important Board Applications
and resources from the Dashboard!
Dashboard.oreb.ca
OREB 613-225-2240
Answer Link Support 1-888-825-5472
Tech Helpline
1-877-573-5610
Supra Tech Support 1-877-699-6787
OREA 1-866-411-6732
RECO 1-800-245-6910
(for computer hardware/software issues)
G
Guide to
Board Services
A directory of services offered to
Ottawa Real Estate Board
Members
®
May 2016
Contents
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
1
BOARD SERVICES
2
USE OF TRADEMARKS AND LOGOS
11
COMMUNICATIONS
12
BROKERAGE LEADERSHIP SECTION
14
DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE TO OREB MEMBERS
17
OREB STAFF CONTACT LIST
Please feel free to contact us at 613-225-2240 or via email with any questions you may have.
Executive Office
Janice Myers, CEO
[email protected]
Sine Tait, Executive Assistant
[email protected]
Corporate Services
Wilda Brown, Director
[email protected]
Bill Jenkins, Accounting Supervisor
[email protected]
Donna Gagne Accounting Coordinator
[email protected]
Lisa Ersil, Manager Administration
[email protected]
Kelly Burke, Events Assistant
[email protected]
Isabella Castillo, Receptionist
[email protected]
Elvis Castillo, Building Operator
[email protected]
Marketing & Communications
Dave Holmes, Manager
[email protected]
Gonzalo Lazo, Multi-Media Developer
[email protected]
Valerie Hollyer, Communications Specialist
[email protected]
Member Services
Meghan Pinhey, Manager
[email protected]
Nancy Labonté, Systems Administrator
[email protected]
Debby Boisclair, Assistant Systems Administrator [email protected]
Maryse Paré, Member Services Administrator [email protected]
Mary-Ann Mayhew, Membership Coordinator [email protected]
Claire Parrott, MLS® Supervisor
[email protected]
Diana Bivolan, MLS® Assisstant
[email protected]
Professional Practice & Education
Lee Freeman, Manager [email protected]
Marcail Delahunt, Coordinator, [email protected]
Welcome to the Board!
This booklet briefly outlines the various services that the
Board offers to its Members. For more information about
any of these services, we encourage you to contact
the Board Office at 613-225-2240. Our receptionist
can put you through to the staff member best equipped
to answer your questions.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF MEMBERSHIP
Membership in the Board has both privileges and responsibilities. Some
of the responsibilities of all OREB Members include:
• Timely payment of your Board account. Late payments can
result in fines and suspension of services.
• Safeguarding your Dashboard user ID and password. Don’t
share them with anyone, not even an assistant or a colleague.
This helps ensure that the MLS® System remains a valuable
asset for Members.
• Using the REALTOR® and MLS® trademarks correctly. CREA
has a trademarks manual available on REALTOR Link® that
clarifies how to do that.
• Keeping listing information accurate and up to date, for example
reporting sales or conditional sales within 24 hours.
• Abiding by OREB’s MLS® Rules and Regulations. Not doing
so can result in a complaint being made about you to the
Professional Standards Committee.
1
BOARD SERVICES
The Board maintains the Ottawa MLS® System, and
Members use Matrix software to access it. If you have
an assistant who you would like to have access to
your account in order to make changes to your listings,
you can contact the Board to obtain access for them
through Member Assistant Access. Please refer to the
policies section of the Member Handbook on REALTOR
MLS®
System
Link®. Arrangements can also be made for access by
Administrative Staff for offices. Please refer to the policies
section of the Member Handbook on REALTOR Link®.
Once you enter a listing on Matrix, portions of the listing
data are automatically sent to the Board’s public-facing
website OttawaRealEstate.org as well as to CREA’s
website REALTOR.ca. Whenever you make changes to
listing information on Matrix, those changes are carried
over to the public websites the next time they are updated,
usually by the following day.
Matrix has many features beyond simply allowing
Members to enter and maintain listings. Please refer to
the OREB Member ToolBox within Matrix for technical
resources to explore these features.
2
The Single Sign-On Dashboard is your one-stop-shop
for access to the MLS® System and other frequently
Single
Sign-On
Dashboard
used Board Applications and Resources. You will log
in once to the Dashboard and be able to go to all your
highly utilized services such as Matrix, WEBForms®,
REALTOR Link®, etc., without having to log in again to
each application separately. Access the Dashboard at
dashboard.oreb.ca.
SafeAccess® is a complete security solution designed
to prevent unauthorized access to the MLS® System,
including password sharing. It uses an intelligent user
SafeAccess®
login monitoring system that can recognize key strokes,
IP addresses, and device identity. SafeAccess® will be
able to identify users that are at higher risk for password
sharing and unauthorized access. This security feature
is built in to the Single Sign-On Dashboard.
OttawaToGo offers a time-saving, easy-to-use,
OttawaToGo
data-rich mobile app for on-the-go access to listing
data. It gives you the power you have come to
depend on from your desktop, but right from your
iOS and Android devices. It offers an intuitive user
experience, an array of real estate tools, current
listing details and photos, detailed maps, and
much more. Download OttawaToGo in the Apple®
App Store or Google Play™ store by searching
“OttawaPropertyLocator”.
3
The Membership Director (Pay My Bill+) Application
allows you to access your Member account online.
Most importantly, it will allow you to view, print, and
Membership
Director
pay your monthly OREB account online. You will also
be able to manage personal information, add/change
website, email, and social media links, view previous
statements and invoice history for a specific year,
and sign up for auto-debit to your credit card. You
will find the Membership Director on the Dashboard.
OttawaRealEstate.org is the Board’s public-facing
Board
Website
website. Portions of all OREB Members’ active
listings appear on the site and are searchable by
members of the public. The site contains other
useful information for buyers and sellers, such as
the Membership Roster, a list of upcoming Open
Houses, and links to Realtor.ca mobile apps.
REALTOR Link® is the Board’s intranet site, and it
REALTOR
Link®
contains many great resources for Members including
current and archived monthly Ottawa sales statistics
and trend reports; links to useful information about
current issues affecting the organized real estate
industry, and an archive of Membership newsletters.
There are also links to CREA and OREA information
pages. You can access REALTOR Link® through the
4
Dashboard.
WEBForms®, is where Members can get up-to-date
WEBForms®
OREA standard real estate forms. RECO requires that
you use the most recent versions of forms, which are
always available on WEBForms®. (The Board only sells
hard copies of the No Carbon Required forms; an order
form can be found on REALTOR Link®.)
Connect is a joint venture among some of Ontario’s real
Connect
estate boards that allows Members of participating boards
to search and view the active listings, two years of sales
history for residential listings and four years of sales history
for commercial listings, of all other participating Boards.
There is a link to the Connect website on the Dashboard.
The Board holds one license to RealTrack, for use by
all Members, from a designated computer at the Board
RealTrack
Office. RealTrack collects, confirms, and publishes
information on commercial (ICI) real estate transactions
of $500,000 and over for properties located in Ontario.
To book time on the RealTrack database, please contact
the Board Office.
GeoWarehouse® is Ontario’s land registry system.
Members can view 1,000 property reports per calendar
GeoWarehouse® year at no additional charge and additional reports can
be purchased if necessary. Through GeoWarehouse®
Members can also obtain MPAC data.
5
If you are holding an Open House on one of your listings,
Open
Houses
you can input the time and date information into Matrix,
and the system will automatically pull that information
to the Open Houses page on OttawaRealEstate.org,
which includes Open Houses scheduled in the next 10
days. The list is updated every night.
If
you
would
like
your
personal
business
photo to appear in the Membership Roster on
Personal
Photos
OttawaRealEstate.org, you can do so through the
Matrix system. In Matrix, click on the Input tab, and
click “Edit Existing” in the Roster section. Add in your
REP ID, and click “Search”, then choose a photo.
If you’d like to add a new photo, click “Browse” to
choose a photo on your computer. Click “Save”.
If you have a listing you want to promote to Members of
Interboard
Listings
another board in Ontario (by having the listing added to
that Board’s MLS® database) you can do so under the
terms of the Interboard Listing Agreement. Contact the
MLS® Department for additional information.
The Board hosts several networking and business events
throughout the year, including the Tribute to Success,
Board
Networking
& Business
Events
the Annual Charity Golf Tournament in May, the Annual
Trade Show in the fall, the Annual Commercial Summit,
the Annual General Meetings of both the Board and
the Commercial Services Division, and the Christmas
Cocktail Reception. These events are a great way to meet
your fellow REALTORS® and to put a face to some of the
people you may regularly speak with on the telephone.
6
The Board has a Commercial Services Division
(CSD) for those Members who practice commercial
Commercial
Services
Division
real estate. There is no additional cost to join the
CSD but membership criteria must be met, including:
completion of commercial real estate education
courses; sales, leasing, appraisal, development
or property management experience; and an
endorsement by a Manager or Senior Member.
The Professional Practice & Education Department
promotes a high standard of professional conduct,
ethical business practices, civility and cooperation
amongst our Membership. It does this through
Professional
Development
programs and educational opportunities designed
to ensure Members adhere to the rules and the
REALTOR® Code of Ethics; and to give them the
tools and resources they need to succeed and thrive
in their businesses.
To
see
go
to
upcoming
REALTOR
educational
Link®
and
opportunities,
click
on
the
Pro Development tab.
The Board’s Professional Standards Committee deals
with complaints brought against Members involving
Professional
Standards
alleged violations of the MLS® Rules, the Board’s
By-laws, and the REALTOR® Code. The Discipline
Committee determines what penalties are levied
against Members who are found to have breached the
Rules or the By-law, or the REALTOR® Code.
7
The Board has a computer lab available for Members
to rent to conduct technology courses. The lab has 11
Computer
Training
Lab
student computer stations and an instructor station
with a computer and a projector. The software on each
computer includes Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft
Excel,
Outlook,
PowerPoint,
Publisher
and Word. No other software may
be loaded on the computers.
The Board
offers Bluetooth® iBoxes to all
of its Members. These iBoxes (aka iBox BT)
can be opened with either an ActiveKEY or an
eKEY, which you can choose upon registration.
Electronic
Lockboxes
The iBox is equipped with both Bluetooth®
and infrared technologies. Many smartphones
work
directly
with
the
iBox
BT
using
Bluetooth® and do not require any additional
hardware. The iBox BT stores activity data every
time it is opened, and allows you to track activity
with real-time information. You will always know
who has entered the property, and when. It also
has a large key container to hold multiple house
keys and gate cards, and its shackle releases in
one step for easy placement on properties. For
more information, see the iBox Basics document
8
included in your registration package.
REALTORS
Care®
Foundation
The Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation collects
funds raised by real estate Boards and Associations
across Ontario, and provides grants to shelter-based
organizations located in the communities where the funds
were raised. The Ottawa Real Estate Board fundraises
for the Foundation through a charitable golf tournament
held every spring; by collecting $2 per member per
month via Membership dues; and through a discount
partnership with local RONA stores, which provides a
yearly donation to the Foundation.
The Board offers a service called Featured Properties
and Agent Open Houses to assist members in
promoting their MLS® listings and Agent Open Houses
Featured
Properties
&
Agent
Open
Houses
to other Board members. The service costs $50 plus
applicable taxes per flyer. Design services are also
available. For further information, please contact
the Marketing and Communications department at
[email protected].
The Featured Properties and Agent Open Houses
broadcast is sent to Members every Tuesday. The flyer
file must be provided to the Board no later than 8:30
a.m. Monday to be sent out on Tuesday.
9
Depending on where you do most of your business,
Subscribing
to another
Board/
Association
you may wish to have access to all the MLS® data
of another Board or Association, not just that data
available to you through Connect. In those instances
you may be able to become a subscriber member of
their MLS® System.
REALTOR® Halls A & B at the Board office can be
rented by members when space is available. The
Meeting
Facilities &
Audio Visual
Equipment
rates per hall are $250 + applicable taxes for a half
day (3 hours) and $450 + applicable taxes for a full
day (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) which includes 50 cups
of coffee (additional cups $0.75 cup). Rates are
subject to change. No evenings or weekends. The
rooms are not available for meals or social functions.
Other restrictions may apply. Both halls have LCD
projectors and screens available.
10
USE OF TRADEMARKS AND LOGOS
COMMERCIAL
Services Division
O T TAWA R E A L E S TAT E B O A R D
The terms MLS®, REALTOR® and Multiple Listing Service® are
trademarks that are owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association,
and there are very specific rules about how they must be used. As
members of CREA, all OREB members do have the right to use
these trademarks, but they must be used correctly. The sanctions
for infringement can be substantial and may include the loss of the
member’s right to use any of CREA’s trademarks. CREA has created a
comprehensive trademark toolkit that is available on REALTOR Link®.
OREB permits Members to use a version of its logo that contains the
word “Member.” This logo is available for download on REALTOR
Link® under Member Resources.
Full CSD Members can obtain an electronic version of the CSD/
Member logo by contacting the CSD Department.
11
COMMUNICATIONS
MemNews,
our
bi-weekly
electronic
Board
newsletter, is sent out every second Wednesday to
all Members who have provided OREB with their
email address. It contains articles about issues
relevant to your business and the industry, as well
as reminders about Board services and events, and
a list of upcoming education courses.
The OREB Message Board on the Dashboard is used
by your Board to communicate important news and
information with you on a regular basis.
Senior Members and Managers receive a quarterly
e-newsletter called The Realty Leader.
OREB maintains a public presence on Facebook
and Twitter. The OREB Facebook Group is a
private group for Members only. Contact Valerie at
[email protected] to join today.
12
The Board’s Government and Community Relations
Committee is responsible for tracking issues that affect
the real estate industry at all three levels of government:
Lobbying
municipal, provincial, and federal. They lobby City Hall
on local issues such as electronic signatures, and work
with OREA and CREA to lobby on issues that affect
REALTORS® in Ontario and across Canada.
Promotion
of Members
The Board promotes its Members to the public
in various ways through a REALTOR® value
campaign every year. Some regular promotion of
Members includes participation in CREA’s radio coop campaign, billboards, digital marketing, monthly
ads in the Ottawa Real Estate Book, and other
specialized promotions.
13
BROKERAGE LEADERSHIP
If you are a Senior Member (Principal broker) or Manager
Member of the Ottawa Real Estate Board, here is some
information that pertains specifically to you.
The Board holds four Brokerage Leadership
Information Sessions per calendar year, and
Information
Sessions
brings in guest speakers to address current
issues of interest to you. There is a small fee
for attendance. Flyers are sent out in advance
of these events and a notice appears in The
Realty Leader newsletter.
Arbitration
In the rare event that Senior Members are unable
to resolve a commission dispute between their
brokerages, the Board provides arbitration services
to help resolve the dispute. Contact the Chief
Executive Officer for more information.
14
Statistical
& Brokerage
Data
You have the ability to download statistics specific
to your brokerage and salespeople. A link to
Broker Statistics can be found on the Dashboard.
Please refer to the policies section of the Member
Handbook on REALTOR Link®
When a Senior Member closes his/her firm, ceases to
be a Member of the Board, or is no longer registered
with RECO, that Brokerage’s MLS® listing agreements
are no longer valid and the listings will be reported as
Removal or
Modification
of MLS®
Listings
cancelled by the Board.
There are some circumstances under which it may be
necessary for a Senior Member to obtain new listing
agreements for listings already on the MLS® System
or to modify listings. The Board has procedures
in place to assist the Senior Member. Complete
information may be found in the Policies section of the
Member Handbook available on REALTOR Link®.
15
The Directors may, at their discretion, grant an exemption
to any Member from payment of monthly fees and dues
Partial
Exemption
from Board
Fees & Dues
where, in the opinion of the Directors, such exemption is
justified. Examples include a member suffering from a
long term illness, recovering from an accident, or unable to
work while on pregnancy leave. Complete information may
be found in the Policies section of the Member Handbook
available on REALTOR Link®.
Through a process called RETS, the Board can make
available the MLS® listings of a Senior Member on a
RETS
password protected FTP site. The Senior Member is then
able to make the information available for the purposes of
populating websites of his/her choice. Contact the Chief
Executive Officer’s Office for direct inquiries.
Through agreements with two third-party vendors of
Member &
Brokerage
Information
front office software (LoneWolf and Emphasys), Senior
Members can be provided with selected member and
brokerage information to assist with appointment making
processes. Contact the Chief Executive Officer’s Office
for direct inquiries.
Senior and Manager Members receive a quarterly
electronic newsletter, calls The Realty Leader which
Newsletter
contains information about issues specific to their
roles as managers or brokers. If you have ideas for
articles please contact the Communications Specialist
16
at the Board Office.
DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE TO OREB MEMBERS
Several Ottawa businesses and companies offer special discounts
and rates to OREB members. Here is a current list:
CAA Memberships cover the member in any vehicle as a
passenger or driver, on or off the job, anywhere across North
America, 24/7. For more details on the CAA discount program,
call Kimberly Baker at 1-800-267-8713, ext. 6394, or cell
613-293-8493, or by e-mail: [email protected].
Business
Discounts
Carr & Company Insurance Brokers Ltd. is offering OREB
Members a discount on home and auto insurance. For
information please contact Tracy Pettrey at Carr & Company
Insurance Brokers Ltd., [email protected] or by phone at
613-747-4700 ext. 136.
Goodlife Fitness is now offering Corporate Membership to all
OREB Members. The annual Corporate Membership rate for
OREB is $549 +plus taxes, per member, per year. The bi-weekly
payment will be $23.04 +tax. To register visit https://corporate.
goodlifefitness.com/, choose Ottawa Real Estate Board, and
enter your OREB Member Number (found on invoice)..
Greco Lean & Fit has a special promotion for OREB Members.
Sign up for 20 or 40 personal training sessions and receive a
15 or 20 per cent discount. For more details on the program,
please contact Danny Nesrallah at 613-825-5326.
17
Jiffy Photo & Print offers special pricing for OREB Members
on all services including, printing feature sheets, flyers,
brochures, business cards, portrait and home photography,
and more. For more information contact Jiffy Photo & Print
at 613-831-2121, email at [email protected] or online at
www.jiffyonline.com.
Business
Discounts
Mini Storage Ottawa is offering a discount to OREB Members
and their clients – 50 per cent off the first three months of
storage for new customers. Members would receive a $50
dining gift card for every two new referrals. For further
details please contact Vickey Apperley at 613-739-7696
or e-mail [email protected].
(continued)
The Ottawa Athletic Club is offering a VIP Membership
to all OREB Members. Save 40 per cent on their
Annual
Platinum
Membership.
Unlimited
access
to all club facilities and all scheduled group
fitness classes. Contact Membership Services at
613-523-1540 or [email protected].
Rogers offers special cellular phone programs to OREB
Members. For the most current rates contact Cameron
Graham at 613-238-7533 (office), 613-240-5844 (cell) or
[email protected].
18
For all your photography needs including home
interiors, head-shots and portfolios for business cards
or brochures, weddings, family portraits and much more.
Business portfolios (head-shots) available on location
for as low as $75 (min. 4 agents). For more information
contact [email protected] or 613-291-0787 www.
scottphotography.ca.
Business
Discounts
(continued)
Staples Canada offers OREB Members their Business
Discount Plan for 10 Copy and Print locations in the Ottawa
area. This plan is set up so that the more members that use
their services, the larger the discount available to everyone.
This discount applies to printing done at any Staples Copy
and Print location. Please contact your closest Staples
location for more details.
Telus offers special phone and smartphone combo plans to
OREB Members. For the most current rates and plans, please
contact Pat Ruffo at 613-565-5757 ext. 54, or by mobile at
613-581-2221; email [email protected]
TheAnalyst® has offered OREB members an Association
Discount off the regular subscription price of their commercial
real estate app TheAnalyst®PRO. For further information
please contact, Todd Kuhlmann at [email protected].
19
Business
Discounts
(continued)
The
YMCA-YWCA
offers
to
Members
and
their families access to six Y facilities across
Ottawa at advantageous corporate rates. For
more information please send an email to
[email protected].
If you are currently a member of the YMCA-YWCA
they will gladly switch your membership to a Corporate
Membership.
Import Auto Leasing
Auto
Leasing
Other
Discounts
for OREB
Members
20
Import offers all makes and models, new or used. Since
1984 they have been servicing clients by offering vehicles
of their choice and tailoring a leasing program that fits
your personal needs. All OREB members can expect
to receive fleet pricing and Imports corporate discount.
Contact Crystal Green at 613-722-7535.
As Members of the Ontario and Canadian Real Estate
Associations, OREB members are entitled to other
discounts negotiated by those organizations on behalf of
their members.Visit www.orea.com & REALTOR Link®
for details on other member savings programs.
Through the Ontario Real Estate Association and The
Canadian Real Estate Association, OREB Members can
join extended health and dental care plans, as well as
home, auto, office, and life insurance.
Albert at Bay Suite Hotel
435 Albert Street (at Bay St.)
Ottawa, ON K1R 7X4
Phone: 613-238-8858 / 800-267-6644
Aristocrat Suite Hotel
Hotels
131 Cooper Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 0E7
Phone: 613-236-7500
Best Western Victoria Park Suites
377 O’Connor Street (at Gladstone Ave.)
Ottawa, ON K2P 2M2
Phone: 613- 567-7275 / 800-465-7275
21
Access all your important Board Applications
and resources from the Dashboard!
Dashboard.oreb.ca
OREB 613-225-2240
Answer Link Support 1-888-825-5472
Tech Helpline
1-877-573-5610
Supra Tech Support 1-877-699-6787
OREA 1-866-411-6732
RECO 1-800-245-6910
(for computer hardware/software issues)
G
Guide to
Board Services
A directory of services offered to
Ottawa Real Estate Board
Members
®
May 2016