TREB Letter in response to March 18 National Post Editorial Board Piece and March 14 Matt Gurney Article “Paranoid real estate Board should join 21st century“

On March 14, 2012, the Toronto Real Estate Board released the results of an Angus Reid Vision Critical poll. The vast majority of Ontarians clearly expressed their opposition to abandoning the privacy safeguards of the current MLS System. To build awareness of the consequences of the Competition Bureau’s actions, TREB launched the website www.ProtectYourPrivacy.ca

Consumers have not given their consent for their sensitive personal information to be made publicly available on the Internet as the Bureau is demanding. This would be in breach of federal privacy legislation and would compromise the safety of the information and consumers.

This sensitive private information includes seller’s name coupled with their address, negotiated sale price, sensitive property access information, financial information (including mortgage details), property floor plans, etc. When asked about the consequences of the Competition Bureau’s actions in an Angus Reid poll, 75% of Ontarians believe that personal information such as name and final sale price should be kept confidential by Realtor professionals. Moreover, 70% of homeowners do not want their personal information released to the public. The results are overwhelming. That is why TREB and Realtor Members are fighting for the privacy rights of consumers.

Realtors subscribe to a Code of Ethics and have an obligation to protect the personal information of consumers who choose to work with them. TREB supports competition and believes in consumer choice when they buy or sell a house. Our Realtor Members offer services which provide value to consumers who choose to do business with a Realtor.

In a wide ranging interview with the Globe and Mail, during which a number of privacy issues were discussed, the Globe reporter asked TREB whether break-ins and assaults were a possibility if sensitive personal information is made readily available on the Internet. TREB acknowledged that the possibility exists. One cannot ignore the reality of mortgage fraud, identity theft and a host of other safety issues. TREB is not trying to exaggerate the consequences of a breach of consumers’ privacy but merely explaining the issue to consumers who have already spoken by way of the Angus Reid poll that they do not want their personal information openly available on the Internet.

We agree with the National Post that the Bureau’s action is heavy handed and unnecessary. TREB is not opposed to providing consumers with more information. In fact, the Toronto Real Estate Board has taken steps by way of a Virtual Office Website (VOW) policy which provides our 34,000 Members an excellent product to enhance the portfolio of services they offer consumers in a safe and responsible way. A VOW service allows Realtors to offer consumers a password-protected website displaying MLS listing data with the benefit of a Realtor Member’s knowledge and accountability, without compromising MLS accuracy or consumers’ privacy rights.

Realtor clients would have the ability to access information fields of much richer substance than that seen on www.realtor.ca

However, contrary to demands by the Competition Commissioner for TREB to release private data about individual consumers openly on the Internet, TREB remains committed to its belief that doing so would violate consumer privacy laws, reduce the quality of the system, and diminish protection for consumers.

Comment: Everyone also seems to forget that we created the system, paid for it. We are not asking for access to any of the many many private sale websites out there. This is like trying to get the government to force car dealers to let anyone sell their private car on their lots. While publishing the home addresses and phone numbers of all the staff. It just isn’t fair.

If Commissioner Aitken gets her way, Ontarians won’t. Privacy matters. TREB is standing up for GTA consumers.

—————————————————————————————————–
Contact Laurin Jeffrey for more information – 416-388-1960

Laurin Jeffrey is a Toronto Realtor with Century 21 Regal Realty. He did not
write these articles, he just reproduces them here for people who are
interested in Toronto real estate. He does not work for any builders.
—————————————————————————————————–