Calgary Real Estate Blog

Most home buyers would agree that one of the first details they look for in an MLS listing is the square footage of a property. This information alone can lead a buyer to read on or move along to a more appropriately sized home. This is self evident, and so it may come as a surprise to learn that, until recently, no real estate regulator in Canada has had a Residential Measurement Standard (RMS). That changed this past May, when the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA) approved an RMS in our province.

Following extensive consultations, RECA developed an RMS that, in the words of Council Chair Krista Bolton, will allow consumers to, “be confident in the measurements stated within residential real estate listings, and they can use those measurements to compare different properties to determine if they suit their needs.”

In addition to Realtors and their clients, RECA notes that the RMS benefits appraisers, mortgage brokers, financial institutions, and insurers.

RECA has published on its website a quite comprehensive Guide to the Residential Measurement Standard in Alberta, but the basics are that single detached properties are to be measured on the outside surface of the exterior walls at floor level, while duplexes, townhouses, condominiums, and apartments should be measured ‘paint-to-paint’ at floor level. Only floors that are entirely above grade are measurable as part of the RMS; partially below ground levels, such as those in a split, may be measured and noted in the listing but not as part of the RMS number.

Proper measurement is vital, and inaccurate work can cause some serious hardships, so long before this new standard was even being discussed, I started using the services of a professional measurement company for all my listings. It costs me money to provide this service for each listing, but the peace of mind and unquestionable accuracy are well worth it to me.

If you have any questions about the new RMS, please contact me!

On a separate note, the Calgary Home + Design Show is only three months away, and I have a special Father’s’ Day promo code to pass along. Click here and use the promo code DAD to get two-for-one tickets! (Offer expires June 24th at 11:59pm)

In the news a few days ago was the story of Derek Johnson, a man who allegedly posed as a Realtor, under an assumed name, to illegally obtain the title of a home in foreclosure. It reportedly cost the victim several thousand dollars, over the course of more than half a year, to reclaim his home’s title. Johnson has been fined by the Real Estate Council of Alberta $50,000 for posing as a Realtor; this is not the first time Johnson has been in trouble with the Council.

This story serves as a reminder to anyone seeking to engage in a real estate transaction that the licence status of any real estate professional or brokerage may be easily verified through the Real Estate Council of Alberta’s website. Using the public search, you can instantly confirm that the professional with whom you intend to do business is indeed in good standing with the RECA.

Realtors need to be licenced by RECA, and to uphold the organization’s standards of conduct to maintain that licence.

There’s a plethora of other useful information on the site as well, so I encourage you to take a few minutes to surf through it if you are considering entering the market as either a buyer or seller.

On a side note, the Calgary Home + Design Show is coming September 18-21, and I have a promo code that’ll save $5 off your tickets if you buy before August 26: click here, and enter the code SAVEFIVE.