More than 13,000 real estate agents in Quebec are mobilizing against the government’s plans to introduce legislation that would mean changes for the profession.
The province’s federation of real estate boards says that the non-consensus provisions of Bill 141, which include a section on real estate brokerages, should be withdrawn.
It wants the Minister of Finance to take longer to consult and reach consensus on these areas.
"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.
The board says that the lack of clarity in the current Real Estate Act has permitted stakeholders to take on the role of real estate consultants or "coaches" in the resale sector, operating without proper licenses.
Real estate agents take action
More than 5,000 of the board’s members have already called on the Premier, the Minister of Finance, opposition parties and parliamentary caucuses for the opportunity to be heard.
"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.
