By Todd Adair
In recent days, a new mandate from the Canadian Real Estate Association has sparked heated debate, and rightfully so. The CREA’s recent requirement that all residential property sales must go through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS Canada) seems innocuous at first glance. Yet in my opinion, beneath the surface lies a troubling trend of centralized control that permeates Canadian life and business.
This mandate, reminiscent of Communist ideals, dictates that the greater powers know what’s best for the populace, leaving little room for individual freedom and choice. It’s a disconcerting reality that should give us pause, and prompt us to question where this path leads.
MLS Canada: the only option?
Consider the implications for homeowners looking to sell their properties. The mandate strips away their ability to choose alternative avenues, restricting their freedom and autonomy. Want to maintain privacy by not publishing the address? Tough luck. Wish to discreetly market a property still under construction until it’s ready and safe to be shown? Not an option. Have a unique property tailored to a niche audience? MLS Canada may not be the best fit, but options are limited. Have a property that really shows better once the foliage is in and the lakes are unfrozen? CREA says too bad – your only option is MLS, unless your Realtor has a contact they can privately reach out to.
Imagine you have a home that’s worth $20 million, and it’s not suited for MLS. Your only option now is to hope and pray that your Realtor might “know somebody.”
The time stigma
The damage doesn’t stop there. Properties listed on MLS Canada for extended periods often acquire an undeserved stigma, affecting their marketability and potentially harming sellers. The new rule could mean that through no fault of their own, these properties will take longer to sell, and the resulting stigma will lead to even more difficulties.
Furthermore, this one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for the diverse needs and circumstances of individuals – especially individuals who can think bigger than cut-and-paste marketing solutions.
Proponents of the mandatory-MLS rule argue that it benefits certain businesses (including mine), by allowing me to advertise to the world that I have $150 million in privately unadvertised listings, and the only way to gain access to them is through me directly. But in fact it quietly undermines a more fundamental principle: the right to choice, and to privacy. We mustn’t overlook the broader implications for society as a whole.
Where’s the Canadian freedom?
I believe this type of thinking is affecting every part of our nation right now. It’s a frustration in almost every industry, as rules and regulations tighten down on everything and everybody.
Our cherished Canadian values of freedom and diversity are at stake. We must resist the creeping tendrils of control, and advocate for a system that respects individual rights and preferences. It’s time to challenge the status quo and reclaim our autonomy.
I think it’s time to remember that true progress lies not in conformity, but in the celebration of our differences.
In the face of encroaching uniformity, let us dare to be different. Let’s encourage people to think bigger. Let us dare to think beyond the confines of “Canadian thinking” and forge a path that honours the rich tapestry of human experience (and outcomes).
Keep going past MLS Canada
The bottom line for my business is that we’ll continue to offer all the added services that we’ve always offered at Cayman Marshall, including a very exclusive database, our luxury lifestyle magazine that advertises to a select audience as well as our social media, and the many other platforms in which we continue to invest.
I will continue to do all this – and I’ll do it alongside the MLS Canada for now, because that’s what I’m told I have to do.
I love this country, and I do believe in a blended amount of socialism, but when regulated bodies decide what’s best for us with a hard stop, I start to draw the line.
