13,000 Québec real estate brokers mobilize against Bill 141

NUN'S ISLAND, QC, May 29, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - The Québec Federation of Real Estate Boards (QFREB) is calling for the withdrawal of non-consensus provisions of Bill 141, including the section on real estate brokerage. In view of the restrictive parliamentary calendar and the complexity of redefining a professional framework, the QFREB has concluded that the Minister of Finance must take more time to consult and reach consensus on necessary measures to clarify the professional requirements of real estate brokerage.

The current Real Estate Brokerage Act remains unclear on the specific tasks that a real estate broker must accomplish within his or her professional duties. This lack of clarity has permitted stakeholders to take on the role of real estate consultants or "coaches" in the resale sector, operating without proper licenses.

"The Minister has chosen to address the issue of real estate brokerage as part of a mammoth bill that simply does not provide enough time to properly debate subjects that are being drowned out in a sea of legislative text. This is one of the largest bills in Québec's parliamentary history; we cannot effectively study it in such a short period and without opening it up to amendments," says QFREB President Patrick Juanéda.

Mobilization
Faced with the lack of openness of the Minister of Finance and tight deadlines imposed by the parliamentary calendar, the 13,000 real estate brokers launched a mobilization operation last Thursday. More than 5,000 have already called on the Premier, the Minister of Finance, opposition parties and parliamentary caucuses for the opportunity to be heard. Real estate brokers represent one of the most effective professional networks in Québec, present in all regions and localities and interact with thousands of citizens daily.

"Our members will not sit idly by, and the government needs to understand that. The legislative framework of our profession cannot be modernized in a few short hours without properly considering the potential negative impacts on the men and women who will be affected. Our discontent will be focused exclusively on the political class," said Juanéda.

The deregulation proposed by the Minister of Finance is in direct opposition to the North American trend to adopt stricter job requirements on real estate brokers to increase protection of the public. The Minister's reforms would only serve to dilute the professional framework of real estate brokers and erode consumer protections. A course correction is necessary.

About the Québec Federation of Real Estate Boards
The Québec Federation of Real Estate Boards (QFREB) is a non-profit organization representing the province's 12 real estate boards and their nearly 13,000-member real estate brokers. Its mission is to support Québec's real estate boards in order to defend, protect and promote the interests of real estate brokers through the provision of services in the areas of professional practices, public affairs and market analysis. The QFREB is guided by an approach centered on collaboration and resource sharing.

SOURCE Québec Federation of Real Estate Boards