REALTORS® in Action

Alberta REALTORS® do more than help Albertans realize the dream of owning their own home.

Advocacy

The Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA), its 10 local real estate boards, and more than 10,000 REALTORS® across the province subscribe to five Quality of Life principles:

Ensuring economic vitality
Providing housing opportunities
Preserving our environment
Protecting property owners’ rights
Building better communities

These principles guide Alberta REALTORS® to apply their industry knowledge and expertise to speaking out on issues that affect the Quality of Life of Albertans.

AREA currently has four advocacy priorities:

Land Transfer Tax
Preventing implementation of this unfair tax anywhere in Alberta. Read More

Changes to Condominium Property Act
Lobbying for changes that achieve greater compliance and better protect the consumer. Read More

Provincial Standards for the Remediation of Illegal Drug Operations
In cases where properties have been used as illegal drug operations, lobbying for provincial remediation standards, provisions to protect the consumer if a property becomes ‘sick’ after rehabilitation and guidelines to handle properties that cannot be remediated. Read More

Click here to read the report commissioned by AREA on provincial air quality standards

Storage and Management of All Property Records in One, Central Location
Lobbying for using the Alberta Land Titles system as a single source for any records relating to a specific property, providing greater transparency, convenience and consumer protection. Read More

Volunteerism

On an annual basis, REALTORS® raise more than $10 million for local charities and causes. In fact, more than 70% of Alberta REALTORS® volunteer their personal time to support the communities they serve.

REALTORS® also volunteer their time and expertise with The Home Program to help lower-income Albertans realize the dream of home ownership, and get involved in community projects awarded grants by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation.

Environmental Stewardship

Supporting ‘green’ has become a keen interest for Alberta REALTORS® as a way to help home buyers to identify environmentally-friendly properties and home sellers to environmentally enhance their property prior to sale.

Alberta REALTORS® have also begun to earn Green Designations. The Green Designation gives REALTORS® comprehensive knowledge about green real estate principles from the concepts of sustainability, New Urbanism, and smart growth to the application of industry ratings and evaluation standards in real estate.

Click here to download a copy of the guide developed by Green Calgary in association with AREA, called ‘Your New Home: A Guide to Healthy Living & Environmental Cost Savings’.

‘Sustainability at Home: A Toolkit’ is an Alberta-focused room-by-room guide to more effective environmental action around your home. The guide is produced by The Natural Step Canada .

Lethbridge HOME Program Receives Local Housing Award for Excellence in Innovative Partnerships

The HOME program helps people all across Alberta with modest incomes become homeowners through education, individual support and advocacy, down payment and underwriting assistance, and ongoing support. Click here to read more.