Industry leaders speak up on key issues at RECO Town Halls

Last fall, RECO toured the province to host Town Hall meetings with the leaders of real estate boards and brokerages in seven local communities. On December 7, 2017, we live broadcast the final Town Hall in Toronto and invited all registrants to tune in.

During the Town Halls, registrants confirmed their support for an in-person learning option for Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE) for those who would prefer it, but recognized that the online program meets the needs of most.

That feedback is consistent with what RECO has previously heard. The support for in-person education is notable as we prepare to launch a formal review of MCE in the coming months.

“It’s clear there is strong support for some form of in-person option, though it is also clear many participants appreciated the benefits of an online program,” says RECO Registrar Joseph Richer. “The MCE review will research the issue in more depth and consider possible plans for implementation.”

Attendees recognized that an in-person option would likely cost more and that cost should be borne by those who choose the in-person option. With online training growing in popularity, RECO’s online option is expected to continue to be the primary delivery option of choice.

“One big reason we moved to exclusively online education was to ensure consistency of content and delivery that was available anytime, anyplace, any pace,” says Richer. “Delivery of consistent content  will be vital to the success of an in-person option.”

Town Hall attendees also shared their perspectives on:

• verifying the identity of those completing the courses—including the broker of record’s role and RECO’s role;
• a pass/fail testing system; andmaking the content, tools and reference guides from the courses easier to access on an ongoing basis.

Want to know more about what we heard at the Town Halls?

• Check out our Town Hall wrap-up report