Advocacy
Advocacy
BCREA is the voice of BC’s REALTORS®. In collaboration with the province’s ten real estate boards, we work with all levels of government to advocate for public policy that provides housing opportunities, ensures economic vitality, protects property owners, preserves the environment and builds better communities.
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Key Priority Topics
- Housing Affordability
- Real Estate Practice
- Flood Protection
- Drug Operations
Housing Affordability
Housing affordability is an ongoing concern for many British Columbians across the province. Home ownership is an increasing challenge with a variety of regional and national factors at play. BCREA puts significant resources into analysis and recommendations for government to help foster a healthy housing market for consumers and REALTORS®.
We maintain an ongoing dialogue with the BC Government on the following recommendations:
- Ensure fairness and effectiveness in provincial property taxes and coordination with federal approaches.
- Make evidence-based policy decisions.
- Support policies that increase housing supply.
- Promote best practices among local governments.
- Ensure the Residential Tenancy Act is effective and balances the rights of landlords and tenants.
Real Estate Practice
Everyone wins when we have a regulatory environment that provides strong consumer protection and reflects the dynamic reality of the real estate profession.
BCREA believes changes to the practice of real estate must be made with care so consumers and REALTORS® can have confidence in real estate transactions. We urge the provincial government to:
- Enhance the ability of REALTORS® to serve consumer needs.
- Create a regulatory system for REALTORS® that is stable, efficient and gives REALTORS® a voice.
- Work with different levels of government and other provinces to develop a comprehensive, sensible and effective anti-money laundering approach.
Provincial Flood Protection
Flood risk has the strong potential to increase in coming years due to climate predictions calling for increased levels of precipitation in more frequent and more intense weather events.
Flooding poses catastrophic risks to BC’s economic vitality, safety, environment, property owners and communities. BCREA’s flood protection work focuses on floodplain mapping, a strong role for the provincial government and education for REALTORS® and their clients.
BCREA recommends the BC Government:
- Assume a central role of leadership on this issue, working with local and federal governments, to ensure floodplain maps are updated and remain current.
- Ensure sufficient provincial government expertise and capacity to implement flood mitigation initiatives.
Remediation of Properties Used to Produce Drugs
With the recent federal legalization of cannabis use in Canada, issues associated with properties used in drug production are increasingly complex.
When a property has been involved in drug production (even just four cannabis plants), it can pose serious health and safety risks to the public resulting from mould, chemicals thrown out in the backyard, electrical fires and invasion by criminals looking for drugs, even if the property is no longer being used for drug production.
It’s important for members of the public to know if a property they’re interested in living in was ever identified as having a history of drug production.
Unfortunately, there’s no consistency across the province in how municipalities make this information available, nor is there a provincial standard of remediation for buildings used to produce drugs.
We’re calling on the BC Government to show leadership on this issue. Specifically, we ask the province to:
- Develop a consistent process to remediate buildings used in drug production to ensure they are safe.
- Ensure that all local governments implement the new uniform remediation policies and practices.
BCREA Advances Anti-Money Laundering Recommendations
OSRE Wants Your Input Into Real Estate Teams
OSRE Announces Five Recommendations to Support Managing Brokers
Administrative Penalties Expanded
RECBC Approves 10 Per Cent Hike in Licensing Fees
How REALTORS® Help Prevent Money Laundering in Real Estate: Identifying and Reporting Suspicious Transactions
BCREA Advocacy 2020 Year in Review
CleanBC Rebates Doubled
New Cabinet Will Lead BC’s Economic Recovery
How REALTORS® Help Prevent Money Laundering in Real Estate: Reducing the Risks
Regulator Takes a Step to Curb Strata Insurance Costs
Continuing Strata Insurance Issues
Climate Priority for BC Government
Solutions to Address BC Housing Supply
How REALTORS® Help Prevent Money Laundering in Real Estate: Setting the Landscape
New Commercial Rent Assistance Program
Finding Floodplain Maps
The Provincial Election’s Over – Now What?
UPDATE: Have Your Say on Changes to Administrative Penalties