The London and St Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR) Board of Directors is pleased to announce London-based REALTOR® Blair Campbell will serve as its President in 2020. Campbell is the Broker of Record/Owner of Accsell Realty Inc., and he has been a REALTOR® with LSTAR since 2007.
"There is so much going on in the business of real estate today, so I'm very excited to take on this leadership role, as we work to move LSTAR forward," said Blair Campbell, LSTAR 2020 President. "The real estate profession continues to change at a rapid rate, whether it's regarding developments in technology, data management and consumer trends. At LSTAR, we actively engage with a number of business, industry and government partners in the community to help influence the changes, enhancing the services our REALTOR® members provide to consumers all across the region each and every day."
Campbell sits on the Association's Executive Committee, Discipline Committee, Finance Committee, Governance Committee, Brokers Issues Advisory Group and Scholarship Advisory Group. He has previously been part of LSTAR's Professional Standards Committee, London Business Cares Food Drive Committee and has served on the United Way Elgin Middlesex Major Gift Cabinet.
Originally from St. Thomas, Ontario, Campbell earned an MBA from University of Windsor. He is a member of the London Chamber of Commerce and the London CEO Alliance and previously a member of MacKay CEO Forums.
Your New Shared Regional MLS® System Is Almost Here!
What is it?
The MLS® System of the Ontario Collective (OC) is merging with that of the Ontario Regional Technology & Information Systems Inc. (ORTIS).
The new system is keeping the same general platform - Matrix - so many aspects will be familiar to you. There will also be some new functions and services that you will need to get used to before the old system is discontinued.
What does it do?
You will be provided with data access across 22 Boards.
The data fields in the new system are based on the fields in the current system, but you'll notice some improvements.
When is the transition happening?
The transition process will begin with a parallel period where both the old and new Matrix Systems will be available. During parallel, input will occur only in the old system. Once this is turned off, listing input will only occur in the new MLS® System. During parallel, all listings will be updated from the old to the new system every 2 hours.
What You Need to Do During the Parallel Period and After
Parallel has two primary goals - the first is to orient users to the new system, but the second - and perhaps most important - is to allow Members to review their information (personal as well as listing information) to ensure that the information is correct. While considerable effort has been invested in mapping the old data fields into the new fields, there will be places where it goes awry, and we need your help to identify and correct any glitches.
In many ways, this transition will be easier than your last one, since we are keeping the same general platform - Matrix. So, while many aspects will be quite familiar, there will also be many tweaks and some new services you should familiarize yourself with prior to the old system being discontinued.
The data fields in the new system are based on what you have in the current one, as well as some changes that have been made based on trainers' feedback to make it even better. When all users will have the ability to access the new system, we strongly recommend you spend some time reviewing your listings and reporting any issues you find. Please also review your user settings, such as phone numbers, registration type, assistants, etc. That will be the ideal time to fix and further configure the new MLS® system to minimize the impact and issues during final cut-over. If you find any issues, please report them to matrixhelp@lstar.ca.
What will convert and what will not?
Below is a list of items that will and will not convert to the new system.
WILL CONVERT
WILL NOT CONVERT
Listing Data
CMAs
Open House Data
Custom Reports
Media - Listing Photos and Supplements/Documents
Custom Grids
Listing History - Status and Price
IDX Setup
Agent Data
Vanity Domain Setup
Office Data
Personal Information for Reports/Websites
Contacts
Email Signature
Saved Searches
Recent Searches
Auto Emails
IntraMatrix contacts, auto emails, etc.
Contacts
Saved customized statistical reports
Incomplete Listings (to be confirmed)
The data in the 'will convert' column will be updated every two hours in the New Matrix MLS® System.
Even though we have endeavoured to make this transition as seamless as possible for you by converting as much information as possible, there will be some things we are unable to do and that will require your individual attention. Please be sure to take the time during the parallel period to review and make any necessary changes to your listings, user settings, etc. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to LSTAR MLS® staff.
To do checklist: after the end of parallel period
***IMPORTANT***Verify your Auto-Emails. If you turn on auto emails in the New Matrix you may want to consider turning them off in the legacy/current system or at least inform your contact that they could receive duplicate emails from you.
***IMPORTANT***Check to see if your Contacts have been exported accurately. Only Contacts containing an email address will be transferred as Matrix requires the email address as a unique identifier.
***IMPORTANT***Review all active listings to ensure existing data has been mapped correctly (each field and value), as well as amend any existing listing with content for new fields that was previously not available.
Ensure your browser is the latest browser version available on your desktops. (Matrix is supported by the most recent versions of Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Android Browser, Chrome Mobile, Safari Mobile)
Set-up your personal/marketing information in Matrix such as: email signatures, headers, footers, portal profile and CMA Cover Sheets
Verify your Portal Activity Notification Settings
Set-up your Market Watch and Hot Sheet preferences
Save any CMAs from your current/legacy system that you would like to keep, they will not export to the new system. These files can be saved via hard copy or through a PDF to your desktop.
New data input forms
The new Listing Entry Forms are being finalized and should be released for viewing shortly. ***IMPORTANT*** Please continue to use the current forms until the final system cut-over on February 19, 2020. There have been some significant changes to the forms in comparison to the current listing entry forms. Here are some of the changes you should be aware of:
Listing Entry Forms will only be offered through electronic means in the beginning (WEBForms®/PDFs) until schema changes to the system are stabilized.
The form content has been significantly expanded to bring a compliance with RESO (Real Estate Standards Organization), and integration of the best-in-breed of both the ORTIS & Ontario Collective MLS® Systems, providing more opportunities to provide listing details.
Top Three Changes Coming with Your New MLS® System
As a result of the MLS® data merger between the Ontario Collective (OC) and the Ontario Regional Technology and Information Systems (ORTIS), there will be a lot of changes to LSTAR's MLS® Policies, as well as to the Association's Rules and Regulations.
Out of these, the following three changes will have the greatest impact on your day-to-day work.
1. Square Footage
Adding square footage information to each listing will be MANDATORY for all the members of the Boards within the newly created organization.
The leaders of newly created company are currently working on providing resources for the 22 Boards.
2. Reporting Time
You will no longer have 48 hours to report:
Sales
New listings
Changes
Missing or incorrect mandatory fields, information and supplements
A Member's or Administrator's termination
Reporting time has changed from 48 hours to 24 hours.
3. Co-operating Brokerage Compensation
In a deficiency situation, the Co-operating Brokerage will be paid first. Here is an excerpt from the MLS® Rules and Regulations of the newly created company.
"Where the full compensation is not received by the Listing Brokerage, and where the Co-operating Brokerage is entitled to a share of the compensation to be paid by the Seller and not from the buyer pursuant to a Buyer Representation or Buyer Customer Service Agreement, the following provisions shall apply:
a) The Listing Brokerage shall first pay to the Co-operating Brokerage the lesser of:
i) the Co-operating Brokerage's share of the full compensation, and
ii) the amount of compensation received at any time and from time to time by the Listing Brokerage in respect of the Trade, without deduction for collection or other costs incurred by the Listing Brokerage."
According to the revised LSTAR MLS® Policies, commission information, including Claw Backs, can NO longer be in the REALTOR® Remarks section.
Section 8 – Miscellaneous Listing Information
Cooperating Brokerage Commission Clarification
8.01
a) Clarification on Cooperating Brokerage Commission must be in the Cooperating Brokerage Commission field.
b) Commission Claw Backs by a Listing Brokerage must be detailed only in the Cooperating Brokerage Commission field (i.e. commission that will be reduced if a buyer is introduced to a property by the Listing Salesperson). The legal portion of the Listing Agreement and the Data Input Form or the Cross Property Full with Signatures, or the Cross Property Full with Signatures Non-Suppressed must be signed by the seller(s) and the Cooperating Brokerage Commission must correspond on the documents.
Effective February 1st, 2020, the annual COLA increase (Cost of Living Allowance increase) will take effect. This year, the COLA increase amount is $3.20. This annual increase was approved back in 2015 by LSTAR's Board of Directors to help keep the Association's finances sustainable.
Furthermore, as part of the annual budget review, the 2019 Finance Committee of LSTAR recommended an additional assessment increase to help manage the operations of the shared MLS® System between the Ontario Collective™ (OC) - a regional group providing MLS® System services to 12 real estate associations representing over 5,000 REALTORS®, and the Ontario Regional Technology and Information Systems Inc. (ORTIS) - a regional group providing MLS® System services to 10 real estate associations of over 8,500 REALTORS®.
Your new shared regional MLS® System serves more than 13,000 REALTORS®, providing you with MLS® access to 21 other associations across Ontario. New features that will be available to Members include Prospects, Instanet featuring Authentisign, and the Canadian Real Estate Association's Home Price Index, which measures home prices and home price growth, further enhancing the home price statistics that you may share with consumers. These, along with other features, are scheduled to be available by the end of the first quarter of this year.
Back in December, at the recommendation of the Finance Committee, the 2019 Board of Directors approved an additional assessment of $4.30 per member per month also effective February 1, 2020. Therefore, starting February 1, 2020, your monthly assessment will be $152.75 + HST per month.
LSTAR is committed to delivering exceptional technology platforms and tools to support your livelihood. The Association is also committed to operating with the utmost degree of financial transparency and accountability, by continuously scrutinizing the activity of all its departments and services.
On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, join us for a REALTOR® Safety Town Hall. The event will take place between 9 am and 12 pm and features a 90-minute presentation by a representative of the London Police Service, as well as a business safety trade show.
WEBForms® Classes Offered as Value-Added until the End of February
Please be advised that WEBForms® 2019 classes will be provided as Value-Added to LSTAR Members only until the end of February. Starting on March 1, 2020, this class will be offered at $35.00 plus HST.
If you have not scheduled your training yet, the Association encourages you to register and take advantage of this value-added class. To register please send an email to learning@lstar.ca or register online.
For any of the following courses - except the ADMIN Listing Load - you can register online through the "LSTAR Invoicing and Education" link on Matrix. If you're part of the administrative staff and want to register for the ADMIN Listing Load/ShowingTime course, please send an email to learning@lstar.ca. Thanks!
Date
Time
Course
January 29, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Raenne Muir
- CLASS FULL
January 29, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
ADMIN Listing Load/ShowingTime - with Bonita Hannon
- CLASS FULL
January 30, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Jenny Steward
- CLASS FULL
January 30, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Terry McSpadden
- CLASS FULL
February 4, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Jenny Steward
February 4, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Terry McSpadden
February 5, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
Matrix - with Bonita Hannon
February 5, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
ADMIN Listing Load/ShowingTime - with Bonita Hannon
February 6, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
AGENT Listing Load/ShowingTime - with Alicia Howald
February 6, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Julie Varley
February 11, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
LSTAR Safety Town Hall
February 12, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
ShowingTime/Supra/Mobile App - with Alicia Howald
February 12, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
GeoWarehouse - with Terry McSpadden
February 18, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Jenny Steward
February 18, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Raeanne Muir
February 19, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Alicia Howald
February 19, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
ADMIN Listing Load/ShowingTime - with Bonita Hannon
February 20, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
AGENT Listing Load/ShowingTime - with Julie Varley
February 20, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Terry McSpadden
February 25, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Raeanne Muir
February 25, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Jenny Steward
February 26, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
Matrix - with Bonita Hannon
February 26, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Bonita Hannon
February 27, 2020
9 am - 12 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Alicia Howald
February 27, 2020
1 pm - 4 pm
WEBForms®/Electronic Signatures - with Julie Varley
Welcome to LSTAR's Professional Standards Corner! Brought to you by the Association's Professional Standards Committee, this new section of the e-Bulletin features the most recent Member infractions of the Association's Bylaws, General Policies, MLS® Rules and Regulations or MLS® Policies that have been reported.
Complaint filed by:
MLS® Rule and Regulation or MLS® Policy Breached
Outcome
Member
ARTICLE 6 – APPOINTMENTS (MLS® Rules & Regs)
6.01 If a Member is unable to keep an appointment, the other Member or seller or tenant must be advised, consistent with the arrangement between the Listing Brokerage and the seller.
Insufficient evidence to issue Allegation Statement
Member
ARTICLE 2 – LISTING PROCEDURE (MLS® Rules & Regs)
2.08 a) The Listing Brokerage must deliver or Brokerload the MLS® Listing, direct to the Association, and in the process required by the Association, not more than forty-eight hours, Saturdays, Sundays and Association closures excluded, following receipt of any signed Listing Agreement.
Fined $100.00
Member
ARTICLE 6 – APPOINTMENTS (MLS® Rules & Regs)
6.01 If a Member is unable to keep an appointment, the other Member or seller or tenant must be advised, consistent with the arrangement between the Listing Brokerage and the seller.
Fined $100.00
Member
ARTICLE 17 – PHOTOGRAPHS (MLS® Rules & Regs)
17.02 Auxiliary photos from previously listed properties cannot be used without the written permission of the Member who originally provided the photographs to the Association and the photos are the property of the Association.
Fined $100
Member
SECTION 6 – LISTINGS (MLS® Policies)
6.02 If an MLS® Listing indicates that Offers are not to be presented for a period of time, the Listing Brokerage shall complete, as part of the Listing, the Seller's written direction (e.g. OREA Form 244, Seller's Direction re: Property/Offers or other written direction). It is mandatory to disclose all particulars of such written direction in the "REALTOR® Remarks" field of the MLS® Listing.
Fined $100
Member
ARTICLE 6 – APPOINTMENTS (MLS® Rules & Regs)
6.01 If a Member is unable to keep an appointment, the other Member or seller or tenant must be advised, consistent with the arrangement between the Listing Brokerage and the seller.
Insufficient evidence to issue Allegation Statement
Member
ARTICLE 6 – APPOINTMENTS (MLS® Rules & Regs)
6.01 If a Member is unable to keep an appointment, the other Member or seller or tenant must be advised, consistent with the arrangement between the Listing Brokerage and the seller.
Fined $100
Member
ARTICLE 2 – LISTING PROCEDURE (MLS® Rules & Regs)
2.08 a) The Listing Brokerage must deliver or Brokerload the MLS® Listing, direct to the Association, and in the process required by the Association, not more than forty-eight hours, Saturdays, Sundays and Association closures excluded, following receipt of any signed Listing Agreement
Insufficient evidence to issue Allegation Statement
Public
SECTION 6 – LISTINGS (MLS® Policies)
6.21 The following changes to MLS® Listing Agreements must be signed by the person(s) who signed the MLS® Listing, the Listing Broker (or his/her/their authorized representative and must be witnessed).
a) Changes to the CB
b) Expiry Dates
c) Changes in the Listing Brokerages or Sales Reps (only if at different brokerage)
d) Price Changes
e) Suspensions of Listing Agreements
f) Seller Direction Regarding Offer Change(s)
6.22 When a Member fails to comply with any part of Section 6 – Listings, the listing will be suspended and the listing member will be sent a notice asking them to complete the missing/incorrect information. If the listing member fails to provide the missing mandatory information within forty-eight (48) hours, Saturdays, Sundays, Board closures excluded from the date of the notice the listing brokerage may be sent to the Professional Standards Committee.
2019 - The Third Best Year in the History of LSTAR
2019 proved to be not only a solid year for real estate in the London-St Thomas area, but also the third best year for sales activity since the Association began tracking its performance back in 1978.
469 homes traded hands in LSTAR's jurisdiction in December, which brings the total number of 2019 residential transactions recorded via MLS® to 10,125 – up 3.4% over 2018. This is only the third time that sales surpassed 10,000 units. It happened for the first time in 2016 and then again in 2017, a record year with more than 11,000 home resales.
"For the local REALTORS®, 2019 started strong and continued on the same note, with three monthly records in July, October and November," said 2019 LSTAR President Earl Taylor. "For the most part of the year, LSTAR's overall sales-to-new-listings ratio hovered around the 70% mark. However, toward the end of the year its value jumped significantly, to reach 110.1%. This means that Sellers have the upper hand in home sales negotiations here. It also speaks to the high buyer demand and the lack of local housing supply," Taylor explained.
Overall, the December average home price was $426,539, up 15.1% compared to December 2018. The year-to-date average home price in LSTAR's jurisdiction sits at $409,858.
Area
December Average Sale Price
YTD Average Sale Price
Elgin County
$387,897
$372,392
London
$436,166
$416,644
Middlesex County
$465,604
$486,786
St. Thomas
$393,972
$346,695
Strathroy
$350,298
$389,752
LSTAR
$426,539
$409,858
Looking at London's three main geographic areas, the average home price in London East was $356,065, up 25.4% from last December.
In London South (which includes data from the west side of the city), the average home sales price was $454,455, up 7.9% compared to the previous year, while London North saw an increase of 20.8% over last December, with an average home sales price of $515,958.
The following chart is based on data taken from the CREA National Price Map for December 2019 (the latest CREA statistics available). It provides a snapshot of how home prices in London and St. Thomas compare to some other major Ontario and Canadian centres.
According to a research report1, a total of $67,425 in ancillary expenditures is generated by the average housing transaction in Ontario over a period of three years from the date of purchase. "This means that LSTAR's 2019 home resales would translate into more than $682 million back into the local economy for the period 2019 - 2021," Taylor concluded.
*Areas displaying MLS® Home Price Index benchmark prices; all other areas display average prices
1Economic Impacts of MLS®Systems Home Sales and Purchases in Canada and the Provinces, Altus Group Economic Consulting, 2017.
LSTAR Vice-President, Administration & Strategic Engagement: Joanne Shannon
LSTAR Vice-President, Public Affairs & Diversity: Chad Lovell
London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS®
342 Commissioners Road West, London, ON N6J 1Y3
