Welcome to the July edition of LSTAR's e-Bulletin, a recap from the past month and highlights of what's to come. Please let us know your thoughts by sending an email to communications [at] LSTAR.ca (communications[at]LSTAR[dot]ca).

IN THIS ISSUE

Highlights

Applications Now Accepted for the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation’s Every REALTOR® Campaign

In 2023, LSTAR continued to honour its pledge to the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation’s Every REALTOR® Campaign in the amount of $2.00 per member per month. The Foundation’s mission is “to advance the Foundation’s philanthropy by enabling REALTOR® Members and real estate boards to practice effective and ethical fundraising in support of shelter-related causes in Ontario.”

Are you willing to be an Advocate for a deserving local organization or charity that could benefit from the Ontario REALTORS Care® Foundation’s Every REALTOR® Campaign? If so, please encourage them to send an application to Kelly Bougie, Director of Administration at kbougie [at] lstar.ca (kbougie[at]lstar[dot]ca) no later than August 16, 2024, at 4:30 pm.

Grant Application Guidelines and the Grant Application Form can be found here.

Saturday Supra Access

We are excited to share that, in response to your valuable feedback at our Annual General Meeting in late June, LSTAR is extending our hours to include Saturdays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. These new hours are specifically designed to better serve non-LSTAR members with their Supra Key Access requests.

Non-LSTAR members can reach out to us by calling 519-641-1400, emailing mls [at] lstar.ca (mls[at]lstar[dot]ca), or visiting our contact page for more information.

LSTAR highly recommends adding instructions in your showing remarks for non-LSTAR members to contact LSTAR for Supra lockbox access and instructions. You can also include this PDF file with your listings to provide further instructions.

Starting your Real Estate Career on the Right Foot

Are you a new REALTOR® looking to enhance your business?

With so much to learn as you enter the profession, register for OREA’s upcoming webinar to hear from experienced REALTORS® about their careers and how they got started!

Please join us on August 7th, 2024, for Starting your Real Estate Career on the Right Foot, a friendly chat with experts David Gorski, Lisa Patel, and Ricky Rathore. They’ll cover the basics for new REALTORS®, including what to continue learning about, building your network, and marketing yourself.

PropTx News

Compliance with PropTx – Virtual Tours

LSTAR has noticed that some members are submitting branded tours for their listings in the PropTx MLS® System. Please be reminded that virtual tours on the PropTx MLS® System must not include any information identifying the Listing Brokerage, the Listing Broker/Salesperson, or the Virtual Tour Company. The fine for this type of breach is $500. LSTAR requests that members review their tour links and update them to ensure they are unbranded.

Duplicate Listings on PropTx

LSTAR has received reports of duplicate listings on the PropTx MLS® System. Brokerages are advised to identify and verify which duplicate listing should be removed. Please send the MLS® number and address of the listing to be deleted to mls [at] lstar.ca (mls[at]lstar[dot]ca) for removal.

Expiry Date Showing on PropTx

Members have asked why the expiry date appears on listings in the PropTx MLS® System. This is intentional and part of the Member Full view. Additionally, the "Contact After Expired" field, which is mandatory, is also displayed in this view. If this field is set to "No", no salesperson may contact the Seller(s) to discuss listing or marketing the property once the listing expires or is terminated. This field reflects the Seller(s)' choice in the legal Listing Agreement.

PropTx Rebranding in Progress: What to Expect

As PropTx continues to onboard other partner boards across Ontario, they are also working on strengthening the PropTx brand. As a result, PropTx will be updating their branding across various platforms and materials gradually over the next few months, and we want to keep you informed about what to expect.

LSTAR Members should begin to notice changes to branding on different web pages, forms, email addresses, and other communication channels that were formerly branded as “TRREB”.

During this transitional period, you may encounter both old and new branding as they work through these updates. We appreciate your patience and understanding as they make these necessary changes to reflect the new PropTx MLS® System to provide a more holistic experience for all PropTx Members.

Education

REFRESHER: City of London Residential By-laws

A friendly reminder that the City of London provides standards and regulations for rental units, through the Residential Rental Unit Licencing (RRUL) By-law. Members should be familiar with this by-law, to understand what clients need to know when buying, selling or renovating with income generation in mind.

In November, LSTAR held a webinar on this topic to raise awareness of the by-law and to share insight on some of the common issues members should be aware of. View the webinar here: Building, Buying, Investing and Selling: City of London Residential By-laws.

LSTAR's August Class Schedule

LSTAR is committed to providing industry and community-focused events and a dynamic suite of educational classes and continuous learning opportunities to boost its Members' knowledge and professionalism.

Classes are taught in-person and can be taken in LSTAR's Computer Lab in addition to being offered online via Zoom.

Registration for courses is done via the Member Portal which can be accessed through the Dashboard Tools on the LSTAR Member Hub. Once you have logged into the Member Hub, scroll down to My Account.

You’ll then be directed to your Member Portal, where you can update your profile, pay your Association dues, and register for LSTAR’s online and in-person classes.

Once you're on the Member Portal, you'll see all available Learning Opportunities. Make sure to expand All Upcoming Courses to view the full schedule. Click the REGISTER button beside the name of the course that interests you.

Please note, if you don't receive a confirmation email after you register, you have not completed the registration correctly. If you require additional support, please email Learning [at] LSTAR.ca (Learning[at]LSTAR[dot]ca).

PropTx Pre-Recorded Classes Now Available

Do you have a busy schedule and struggle to fit in one of our PropTx classes? No worries! We’ve got a convenient solution for you. LSTAR is recording our engaging PropTx classes, so you can watch at your own pace, and revisit whenever you need. We currently have two on-demand classes available, with more to come!

Click the graphics below to continue your PropTx Learning journey.


In this course, learn how to conduct extensive searches, share listings, and connect with your clients like never before. The user-friendly interface enables REALTORS® to expertly navigate listing searches and land registry data all in one place, revolutionizing market analysis and due diligence. CLICK HERE		This course covers how to load listings onto the PropTx MLS® system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! You will explore a residential listing and learn how to keep your listings compliant and avoid an audit with the up-to-date PropTx MLS® Rules. CLICK HERE

Stay tuned for more pre-recorded classes coming soon!

Learn About PropTx Tools with LSTAR's Micro-Learning Videos

As Members continue to work within the PropTx MLS® ecosystem, you're encouraged to customize your MLS® experience so you can work smarter, not harder.

LSTAR’s trainers have developed several short tech tutorials to help you do just that! These helpful videos provide guidance on everything PropTx, including how to set up your IDX feeds and instructions on how to choose your MLS® platform of choice, as well as our latest micro-learning video, Conducting a Search in PropTx Matrix™.

For all our micro-learning videos, check out the full catalogue on the LSTAR Member Hub.

Events

Join LSTAR's Team of Blood Donors & Bring a Buddy to Win Big!

LSTAR's Team of Blood Donors, with 50 Active Members, is now at an incredible 113 donations so far this year, more than half-way to our goal of 200 donations in 2024. Way to go, Team LSTAR!

Please remember: if you're a blood donor and bring a friend or a family member with you to donate blood, your buddy will receive one entry and your name will be entered TWICE into a quarterly draw for a chance to win a $100 gift card to a local restaurant!

Congratulations to JOHN MUNN with StreetCity Realty, winner of the Q2 Blood Donation Draw! John has won a $100 Restaurant Gift Card of his choice. Congratulations John!

Each time you donate, be sure to email claire [at] lstar.ca (Claire[at]LSTAR[dot]ca), so that you (and your buddy) can be entered into the quarterly draw. You could be our next winner!

Click Here to Learn How to Join the LSTAR Team of Blood Donors

Set up an account on blood.ca or the "GiveBlood app" for Apple and Android.
Select "Partners" from the Menu.
Select "Join a team" and search for "LSTAR". A dropdown list will appear.
Select the team you wish to join, LSTAR.
Book your next appointment, either through your team bookings (visible under your team) or as an individual.

Partner ID: LSTA013463 (four letters and six numbers)
Organization: LSTAR

For your convenience, a Blood Donor Clinic is ongoing in London, located at 820 Wharncliffe Road South.

In St. Thomas, you can donate blood at the Joe Thornton Community Centre at 75 Caso Crossing. Upcoming clinics are scheduled for Wednesday, August 7th and Wednesday, September 11th, from 1:00 to 7:00 pm.

If you're in Aylmer, you can head over to the East Elgin Community Complex at 531 Talbot Street to donate blood. The next clinic is coming up on Thursday, September 26th, from 1:30 to 7:30 pm.

If you're already a Blood Donor, why not join our team of blood donors and help us keep pushing toward our goal of 200 donations in 2024! And if you're not yet a donor, please consider joining us!

2024 LSTAR Charity Golf Tour is Currently SOLD OUT!

Due to the high number of registrations received for this Tour, you will be now be placed on a waiting list if you register. If an opening becomes available, you will receive an email indicating that you have been promoted to the confirmed roster.

To be added to the waiting list, go to the event website and register at www.LSTARevent.ca.

The tour will take place on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th at the prestigious HIGHLAND GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB in London.

Registration includes 18 holes with a Cart, Food Stations, Post Round Reception and Golfer Swag! Try multiple challenges for a chance to win some AMAZING PRIZES! There's also a Silent Auction.

All proceeds from this event support Indwell for both London and St. Thomas area.

Get on the Waitlist

Save The Date for the 2024 LSTAR 'Moulin Rouge' Christmas Gala

The LSTAR Gala Committee is excited to present the 2024 ‘MOULIN ROUGE’ CHRISTMAS GALA!

This year’s event will take place on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22nd, 2024 at RBC Place London. Cocktails at 6pm and dinner at 7pm.

ALL PROCEEDS ARE IN SUPPORT OF HUMANA COMMUNITY SERVICES, WELLKIN CHILD & YOUTH MENTAL WELLNESS, AND WOMEN’S RURAL RESOURCE CENTRE.

DISCOUNT TABLE DAY will take place on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th!

Sponsorship Opportunities are also available. For any questions or to be a SPONSOR for this year’s Gala please contact Claire Dawson at Claire [at] LSTAR.ca (Claire[at]LSTAR[dot]ca).

Other News

June Market Shows Steady Growth in Housing Prices

In June 2024, the real estate market in LSTAR's region saw significant fluctuations in activity, with 678 homes exchanging hands, according to the latest MLS® statistics. The average price of a home in the region was $671,309. The number of new listings in June was 1,510. We remain optimistic that the recent rate cut by the Bank of Canada will stimulate the real estate market over the coming months.

Membership Updates

Membership Count

As of July 25, 2024, LSTAR has 2,341 Members.

Click here to see a list of all of our Newest Members.

Welcome to our Newest Members!

Tika Mishra – Everest Realty LTD
Aleksandra Cekic – Bubble Realty Inc.
Faraz Rezaei Azar – Royal Lepage Triland Realty
Jakub Dospial – Century 21 First Canadian Corp
George Mathew – Streetcity Realty
Raman Dua – Save Max Real Estate
Ryan Weaver – Century 21 First Canadian Corp
Samantha Ainscough – Blue Forest Realty Inc.
Tracey Flynn – Sutton Group Select Realty
Michael Haynik – Blue Forest Realty
Nick Jaremko – A Team London
Keith Hill – Team Glasser Real Estate
Carolyn Marling – CBRE
Salim Ferwati – Century 21 First Canadian Corp
Julia Cassis – Royal Lepage Triland Realty
Melinda Nicotera – EXP Realty
Satyam Prashar – Royal Lepage Triland Realty
Paul Helsdon – Homelife Total Care Realty
Jade Williamson – Sutton Group Pawlowski & Company Real Estate
Brian Wiltshire – Wiltshire Realty

New Transfers

Tristan Chen – Now with Initia Real Estate
Sami Halbouni – Now with Century 21 First Canadian Corp
Paul Byers – Now with Oak and Key Real Estate
Amanda Mellen – Now with Certainli Realty
Pat Miller – Now with EXP Realty
Michael Vandervloet – Now with Thrive Realty Group Inc.
Dan Grantham – Now with Sutton Group – Select Realty
Anne-Marie Grantham – Now with Sutton Group – Select Realty
Christina Sanchez-Jones – Now with Sutton Group – Select Realty
Hema Sharma – Now with Save Max Real Estate Inc.
Jisha Antony – Now with Sutton Group Preferred Realty
Mark Killens – Now with Streetcity Realty
Hannah Krogman – Now with Real Broker Ontario

New Offices

Wiltshire Realty
PB: Brian Wiltshire
Save Max Real Estate
PB: Raman Dua

Office Closures

Byron Village
PB: John Thurman

Retired Members

John Thurman – Byron Village
Allan Pike – Re/Max Centre City

For any and all questions regarding your LSTAR Membership, please contact our Membership department at Membership [at] LSTAR.ca (Membership[at]LSTAR[dot]ca).

Columbia Sportswear's Annual Summer Tent Sale is On Now!

The Columbia Sportswear Employee Store invites you to shop their Annual Summer Tent Sale from July 26th - August 18th! You'll receive Employee Store Pricing on current season products, along with Additional Discounts on previous season styles! During this period, you are welcome to visit multiple times and to bring up to four guests with you on each visit.

Columbia is also inviting LSTAR Members to share a special Friends and Family pass with their social circle, to provide friends and family with access during the tent sale!

Civic Holiday Monday

Please note that LSTAR's offices will be closed on Monday, August 5th, 2024, for the Civic Holiday. We will reopen again on Tuesday, August 6th at 8:30 am. Have a safe weekend!