Sales continue to rise

The Canadian housing market continued its slow but steady recovery in October, according to the latest data from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). National home sales recorded another monthly increase, extending a trend of gradual improvement. Although activity remains below last year’s levels, several indicators show a market moving closer to a better balance.

Fewer new listings tighten supply

At the national level, new listings fell 1.4% in October compared with the previous month, reflecting a slight slowdown on the seller side. Combined with the rise in sales, this decline pushed the sales-to-new-listings ratio to 52.2%, up from 51.0% in September. Although this ratio remains below the long-term average of 54.9%, it is now clearly within the range of a balanced market.

Towards Equity in the Quebec Real Estate Market

For over five years, the real estate market in Quebec has been characterized by a demand significantly exceeding supply. This imbalance has led to significant consequences such as rising property prices, intensified competition among buyers, and an increase in conditions. Unfortunately, regulators have not established clear guidelines to strengthen buyer protection, particularly regarding the management of multiple offers by brokers.

The Need for a Clearer Regulatory Framework

It is surprising that the regulator has not yet established a minimal timeframe between the start of property viewings and the submission of purchase offers, or between the submission of offers and their presentation to sellers. Ensuring fair information for all buyers is crucial. By granting all buyers equal time to prepare their offers, a waiting period could promote greater fairness in the purchasing process, thereby reducing advantages that some buyers might enjoy due to privileged access to information or resources.

While the seller's broker (the listing agent) has an ethical obligation to disclose the existence of other purchase offers upon receipt, implementing a delay between the submission of purchase promises and their presentation could clarify the process. This would allow all parties to better understand pending offers as well as the market context, fostering greater transparency regarding buyers' intentions.

Stories That Reveal Gaps

Recently, a broker represented buyers in a transaction where the deadline for submitting purchase offers was set for 5:00 PM. At 5:33 PM, he received a notice from the seller's broker informing him that a fourth offer had been submitted, followed by another notice at 5:43 PM regarding a fifth purchase offer. Although the sellers and their broker are not directly responsible for this situation, it raises questions: if one of the offers were to be increased by $30,000, what would be the duty of the seller's broker? How would the sellers react in such a situation? Would they accept the offer that complied with the deadlines or the best monetary offer?

Furthermore, why has the regulator not established a transaction log integrated into the Centris platform and the communication system for real estate brokers? Such a registry could record data on transaction histories, accompanied by a declaration from the seller's broker guaranteeing the validity of the information.

The Call for Action for a Fairer Market

Ultimately, the current dynamics of the real estate market in Quebec raise crucial questions regarding the management practices of purchase offers. The regulator must implement clear measures to genuinely protect buyers. Introducing deadlines for presenting offers and creating a transparent transaction log are solutions that could help restore consumer confidence, but these professional obligations for brokers would not stabilize an overheated market.

It is essential that the regulator takes proactive initiatives to regulate the practices of real estate brokers and ensure that every buyer has a fair and informed purchasing experience. By rethinking its guidelines, the regulator can not only promote fairness in the purchasing process but also enhance the credibility of the profession while protecting consumer interests in an ever-evolving market. Regarding the imbalance between supply and demand, government measures should be implemented to encourage the construction of condominium units and single-family homes.