Real estate portals generate competition, inform buyers and draw even more attention to listings
The owners of real estate sales data in Canada have gone to great lengths to restrict unauthorized access to and use of that data, but the Competition Bureau and many within the industry have long argued for freer access to data to enhance competition.
The matter seems far from settled despite years of litigation and rulings. As a result, some real estate boards continue to file legal notices against property technology companies that try to gain access to their data and remind them of the integrity of their digital infrastructure.
Real estate transaction and listing data in Canada is disseminated via the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems, which are owned and maintained by the real estate boards. A collaborative agreement facilitates the sharing of data between and amongst boards. Realtors usually register with one or more boards and then become eligible to list properties on the MLS system, which can then be reviewed by prospective buyers and their agents online for free.
The boards, of course, are motivated to protect the integrity of data they collect, maintain and disseminate, either by themselves or with help from others. The improper use of that data or access by unauthorized entities is a valid industry concern, but so is the commitment to promote competition and prevent monopolies.
A recent industry-sponsored paper by Paul Johnson and Anthony Niblett pointed out the success of the MLS system lies in its “network effects.” As more homes are listed on the system, more buyers are attracted to it, which motivates more sellers to list their properties. This reinforcing loop of more listings leading to more buyers leading to even more sellers creates the so-called network effect.
The authors offer three recommendations to preserve and expand this system’s value. First, it recommends realtors be required to list all properties on MLS. Currently, the system operates as a voluntary listing service, so realtors can decide to handle the transaction alone or within their brokerage.
Before the real estate industry embraced the internet, the practice of keeping listings off the MLS system was prevalent among large brokerages that would double end the sale by having agents from the same brokerage represent the buyer and the seller. However, such practices are unlikely to be in the best interests of consumers, so requiring all properties to be listed (with some exceptions) is a worthwhile consideration.
Their second recommendation is that MLS “must continue to leverage highly effective portals” through which real estate data is disseminated. The most recognizable real estate portal in Canada is Realtor.ca, which is operated by the Canadian Real Estate Association, the sponsor of the study.
At the same time, proptech companies and digital–first brokerages also provide listing data with additional information about neighbourhoods and previous transaction prices through virtual office websites. Portals generate competition, inform buyers and draw even more attention to listings. The industry, therefore, benefits from such portals.
The third recommendation is about limiting access to MLS data. The authors said unfettered access to listing data might discourage sellers from listing their property on MLS, but we believe such privacy concerns are a red herring.
Sellers willingly consent to have photographs of their bedrooms and washrooms made freely available online to anyone in the world when they list their properties on MLS. If privacy was a concern, sellers would be more cautious. Yet the millions of homes listed on MLS containing photographs, 3-D renderings of floor plans and videos suggest privacy concerns are not a deterrent.
The authors said “any entity whose access to MLS Systems is used for the transaction of real estate would presumptively create value and should (continue to) have access.” But realtors are not the only ones who create value. Most real estate transactions do not take place without home inspectors, lawyers, financial institutions and others getting involved.
With advances in artificial intelligence and communication technologies, the real estate sector is ripe for constructive disruption that will benefit consumers while safeguarding the intellectual property rights of those who collect and store real estate data. Restricting the definition of value-adding entities to those who market real estate is not in the best interest of consumers.
Murtaza Haider is a professor of real estate management and director of the Urban Analytics Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University. Stephen Moranis is a real estate industry veteran. They can be reached at the Haider-Moranis Bulletin website, www.hmbulletin.com.
TORONTO – The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales in October surged as buyers continued moving off the sidelines amid lower interest rates.
The board said 6,658 homes changed hands last month in the Greater Toronto Area, up 44.4 per cent compared with 4,611 in the same month last year. Sales were up 14 per cent from September on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The average selling price was up 1.1 per cent compared with a year earlier at $1,135,215. The composite benchmark price, meant to represent the typical home, was down 3.3 per cent year-over-year.
“While we are still early in the Bank of Canada’s rate cutting cycle, it definitely does appear that an increasing number of buyers moved off the sidelines and back into the marketplace in October,” said TRREB president Jennifer Pearce in a news release.
“The positive affordability picture brought about by lower borrowing costs and relatively flat home prices prompted this improvement in market activity.”
The Bank of Canada has slashed its key interest rate four times since June, including a half-percentage point cut on Oct. 23. The rate now stands at 3.75 per cent, down from the high of five per cent that deterred many would-be buyers from the housing market.
New listings last month totalled 15,328, up 4.3 per cent from a year earlier.
In the City of Toronto, there were 2,509 sales last month, a 37.6 per cent jump from October 2023. Throughout the rest of the GTA, home sales rose 48.9 per cent to 4,149.
The sales uptick is encouraging, said Cameron Forbes, general manager and broker for Re/Max Realtron Realty Inc., who added the figures for October were stronger than he anticipated.
“I thought they’d be up for sure, but not necessarily that much,” said Forbes.
“Obviously, the 50 basis points was certainly a great move in the right direction. I just thought it would take more to get things going.”
He said it shows confidence in the market is returning faster than expected, especially among existing homeowners looking for a new property.
“The average consumer who’s employed and may have been able to get some increases in their wages over the last little bit to make up some ground with inflation, I think they’re confident, so they’re looking in the market.
“The conditions are nice because you’ve got a little more time, you’ve got more choice, you’ve got fewer other buyers to compete against.”
All property types saw more sales in October compared with a year ago throughout the GTA.
Townhouses led the surge with 56.8 per cent more sales, followed by detached homes at 46.6 per cent and semi-detached homes at 44 per cent. There were 33.4 per cent more condos that changed hands year-over-year.
“Market conditions did tighten in October, but there is still a lot of inventory and therefore choice for homebuyers,” said TRREB chief market analyst Jason Mercer.
“This choice will keep home price growth moderate over the next few months. However, as inventory is absorbed and home construction continues to lag population growth, selling price growth will accelerate, likely as we move through the spring of 2025.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
HALIFAX – A village of tiny homes is set to open next month in a Halifax suburb, the latest project by the provincial government to address homelessness.
Located in Lower Sackville, N.S., the tiny home community will house up to 34 people when the first 26 units open Nov. 4.
Another 35 people are scheduled to move in when construction on another 29 units should be complete in December, under a partnership between the province, the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction.
The province invested $9.4 million to build the village and will contribute $935,000 annually for operating costs.
Residents have been chosen from a list of people experiencing homelessness maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
They will pay rent that is tied to their income for a unit that is fully furnished with a private bathroom, shower and a kitchen equipped with a cooktop, small fridge and microwave.
The Atlantic Community Shelters Society will also provide support to residents, ranging from counselling and mental health supports to employment and educational services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Housing affordability is a key issue in the provincial election campaign in British Columbia, particularly in major centres.
Here are some statistics about housing in B.C. from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s 2024 Rental Market Report, issued in January, and the B.C. Real Estate Association’s August 2024 report.
Average residential home price in B.C.: $938,500
Average price in greater Vancouver (2024 year to date): $1,304,438
Average price in greater Victoria (2024 year to date): $979,103
Average price in the Okanagan (2024 year to date): $748,015
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Vancouver: $2,181
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Victoria: $1,839
Average two-bedroom purpose-built rental in Canada: $1,359
Rental vacancy rate in Vancouver: 0.9 per cent
How much more do new renters in Vancouver pay compared with renters who have occupied their home for at least a year: 27 per cent
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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