In a settlement with the Competition Bureau, the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) agreed to broaden access to property information after the agency found the association and its subsidiary, Société Centris, had violated the Competition Act’s abuse-of-dominance rules.
Data feed to be provided to members
The agreement obliges QPAREB to supply its members with a feed that includes sale prices, listing histories and property characteristics. Brokers will also be able to share certain details, such as sold-property information, through secure online platforms known as virtual office websites (VOWs).
These changes aim to remove the previous refusal or failure to provide a data feed and the restrictions on how the information could be used, practices the bureau said could impede innovation and limit competition in the brokerage services market.
New tools for brokers and clients
Nathalie Bégin, director of brokerage practice at QPAREB, said the settlement will give brokers more opportunities to develop their own technology and offer additional services to clients. “In the next 12 months that we’re gonna put the system in place, all the real estate brokers and agencies gonna have more tools,” she told Real Estate Magazine.
The Competition Bureau noted that the automated feeds could enable agencies to create property comparison tools, market-valuation services and data-visualization platforms, expanding the range of digital services available to buyers and sellers.
While some members have long sought greater access to the information to build proprietary applications, the agreement does not require any brokerage to develop new technology or to offer extra tools.
Investigation background
The bureau launched its inquiry into QPAREB’s data-sharing practices in 2023 and secured a Federal Court order compelling the association to disclose the impact of its restrictions and the rationale behind them.
Interim commissioner Jeanne Pratt emphasized that property data is key to major decisions Quebecers make when purchasing a home. She said the settlement will promote innovation, enhance competition and help consumers make informed choices by providing more complete access to the information.
Legal context and rollout plan
The settlement builds on a 2016 Competition Tribunal decision involving the Toronto Real Estate Board, which set a precedent for data access and prompted most major Canadian associations to adjust their practices. Quebec’s stricter privacy legislation, however, added complexity to implementing similar changes.
Pierre-Olivier Simard, president of QPAREB’s board, said the agreement reflects several years of work to devise a solution that fits the province’s legal framework, especially its more restrictive personal-information protections.
QPAREB intends to roll out the measures over the next 12 months, while complying with the Real Estate Brokerage Act and provincial privacy statutes. The consent agreement, registered with the Competition Tribunal, will remain in effect for 10 years and carries the same force and effect as a court order.
