TREB President Message

President's Message

December 11, 2009 -- It seems to have happened very suddenly this year: the holiday season is upon us.

For many people, the warmth of the holidays fosters visions of a brighter future, and if there’s one thing that we as Greater Toronto REALTORS® have learned this year, it’s that hope springs eternal.

This year began with just 2,670 transactions in January and an average price of $343,632. By the end of November though, the average price soared to $418,460 and year-to-date sales reached 81,929, putting 2009 on track to finish with some of the best years on record.

As the year draws to a close, many of us will take time to evaluate our past performance and set new goals for the year ahead.

I hope that this holiday season you will also reflect on all of the good that you have brought to others’ lives throughout the year, with respect to helping your clients find a home more suited to their lifestyle and also in terms of giving a hand up to those less fortunate.

At the Spring General Meeting in May, you voted in favour of supporting the REALTORS Care Foundation’s ‘Every REALTOR®’ campaign, authorizing TREB to contribute the equivalent of one dollar per Member, per month for a year to the Foundation, more than $342,000.

This type of support has helped the REALTORS Care Foundation grant more than $2 million to shelter-related charities since its inception.

In fact, on your behalf, TREB proudly presented REALTORS Care Foundation grants to 20 different shelter-related charities this year alone, totaling $171,000. A hospice, centres for homeless youths, a refugee reception service, affordable housing organizations, a community outreach program and numerous women’s shelters were among the recipients.

You have also supported TREB’s joint venture with Toronto District School Board’s Toronto Foundation for Student Success, known as the Children’s Breakfast Program. Nearly 100 of you are now involved in this program, which has grown to include eight sponsoring Brokerages and one large corporation: TDCanada Trust. Together, we’re helping to provide nutritious breakfasts to 1900 children in 11 different schools each week, and fighting the hunger problem one school at a time. We are definitely making a difference in the lives of the one in three children in our city who live in poverty.

These are just a couple of examples of how we bring so much more than MLS® to the people of Greater Toronto, and they’re certainly high on my long list of reasons for taking great pride in our profession.

The past year is a vivid example of how each of our lives holds its share of challenges and achievements, and 2010 will be no doubt be the same in this regard. Throughout your travels in real estate in the coming year, I hope that you will draw confidence in the knowledge that an association, which is fully committed to fostering your continued professional success, will support you every step of the way.

Best wishes to you and yours for the happiest of holiday seasons and a prosperous New Year.

If you have questions about market activity or any of TREB’s range of services, please feel free to write to me anytime at trebpres@trebnet.com

Tom Lebour
President