Saskatchewan’s Realtors have voted to create a single real estate association for the province from next year.
The Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS® (ASR), Association of Regina REALTORS® (ARR) and Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® (SRAR), will combine from January 1, 2020.
The new entity will be called Saskatchewan Realtors Association.
“This isn’t our first go at forming a single association. The idea has been there for years – we just finally got the details right so members could see the value of combining resources, and working together as a single entity,” said Dave Markus, Regina Realtor and Co-Chair of the working group that led the initiative.
The group contracted external consultant MNP LLP and legal advisor Miller Thomson LLP in the process, to engaging members from the onset through surveys, interviews, meetings, and informal discussions.
“We really learned what was important to the majority of members. The in-depth details in the business plan provided members with the information they were looking for, and they saw how the recommendations could benefit their businesses and improve client experiences,” added Markus.
With a relatively small 1,600 Realtors, the combination will make it easier to drive innovation and remain competitive.
“It’s a win-win-win solution, where associations will no longer be duplicating work, members will see increased services for fewer dollars and home buyer and sellers will benefit from consistent practices throughout the province,” adds Steven Bobiash, Saskatoon Realtor and working group Co-Chair. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to get a new organization ready to go in the next 9 months, but we’re up to the challenge.”
