Training and career in real estate

As announced in the last issue of pro@ctive, we are actively working on developing the schedule for the mandatory continuing education activities that will be held across Québec starting June 8, 2010. See schedule on Synbad.

This is a reminder that in accordance with new OACIQ regulations, anyone applying for issuance of a licence must meet one of the following conditions regarding the knowledge of French.

The September schedule is available on Synbad. You can access it by clicking on the heading Mandatory continuing education activity – new Real Estate Brokerage Act... Only a few spots are left for the month of August.

An affiliated agent who became a broker on May 1 may act on his own account only once he meets certain qualification requirements; the main ones of these are listed below. Two situations can occur:

• Affiliated agent who became a broker without having begun the chartered broker’s course prior to May 1, 2010;
• Affiliated agent who became a real estate broker AND completed or began the chartered broker’s course prior to May 1, 2010.

The OACIQ would like to inform candidates interested in taking one of the new examinations of the procedure to follow to do so.

The Indemnity Fund only covers brokerage transactions that are carried out through the intermediary of a broker or agency holding a licence issued by the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ). The maximum compensation paid by the committee for each brokerage transaction for which a claim is made is $35,000 for reprehensible acts committed as of May 1, 2010, or $15,000 for acts committed prior to this date. By law, all brokers and agencies must hold a licence issued by the OACIQ. Otherwise, the intermediary who receives any compensation for brokerage services commits an illegal action and you will not be entitled to any recourse with the Fund should problems arise.

Good news! The OACIQ has negotiated a new agreement with Bell Mobility for Basic and Elite plans with a three-year term. These improved plans are even better tailored to your needs and are certainly worth considering.

To date, we have presented 44 sessions attended by almost 6,500 brokers. We are very happy to see how eager everyone is to get up to date on the new legislative principles governing the profession.