March 15, 2023 | CREB
CREB® members vote down merger with AREA
City of Calgary, March 15, 2023 – At a Special General Meeting (SGM) held today, Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®) voted down a resolution to dissolve its operations, a move that would have initiated a merger with the Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA).
The decision came after months of outreach and engagement with CREB®’s membership on a consolidation proposal to bring together the best of both organizations.
“It’s not the result we wanted, but the turnout was really strong, and this is how decision-making works in a governance-based organization,” Christian Twomey, CREB® Chair, said. “We thank CREB® members for engaging vigorously in the process and sharing input and feedback along the way.”
In total, 1,526 members participated and voted at the SGM. Twomey said there were a considerable number of members on both sides of the vote, emphasizing the different points of view that exist on the subject of consolidation.
CREB®’s membership of more than 7,000 are counted among AREA’s provincial membership of more than 13,000. The leadership of the two organizations proposed a consolidation plan after considerable member research supported a streamlined membership structure.
“This kind of initiative is complex and takes considerable effort to deliver with clarity and purpose,” Twomey said. “I’m very proud of the work we did to put this opportunity before our membership, and to explore new solutions rooted in member research. This is what it means to be an industry leader.”
AREA echoed this sentiment and the positive takeaways from the vote.
“We had a really solid turnout from CREB®’s membership and lots of engagement along the way, “said Brad Mitchell, AREA CEO. “We moved the dial on collaboration and deepened our connection with CREB®, which is a win for organized real estate.”
In the immediate term, CREB® will review of the initiative and reflect on the strong statements from members about what they value from CREB® and their ideas for the future. “We’ll be exploring why the consolidation plan was defeated to learn if there is an appetite for continued pursuit of a different membership structure, or perhaps refocus in a new direction,” said Twomey.
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For more information, please contact:
Jason Yule
CREB® Director, Communication Services
Phone: 403-968-3186
Email: Jason.yule@creb.ca
The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB®) is a professional association of over 7,000 licensed REALTORS® across the Calgary region. As one of the largest real estate boards in Canada, CREB® provides members with essential resources to enhance professionalism, advance the industry’s development and enrich the communities they serve.
The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) is a not-for-profit professional association that represents the interests and concerns of more than 13,000 Alberta REALTORS® from 10 local real estate Boards/Associations. AREA provides strategic leadership and advances the Alberta real estate profession through member-centric services, advocacy and professional development.