Across Canada, Realtors are held to a higher standard. We are expected to uphold ethics, accuracy, and professionalism. But the platforms we rely on to meet those expectations are designed by organizations that do not bear the consequences of failure.
When listings are incomplete or misleading, it isn’t just agents who lose. It’s the consumers who make life-changing decisions based on flawed information. It’s time we stop pretending the system works. The tools that power our listings are riddled with gaps that force even the most diligent Realtors into impossible positions.
Brokerages carry the risk, yet boards retain control. That misalignment is eroding public trust and the Realtor brand along with it.
Systems that undercut service
Realtors are not just working within flawed systems; they are compelled to.
Under CREA’s Realtor Cooperation Policy, agents who publicly advertise a property are required to post it on the MLS. There is no true opt-out. That means if an agent markets a listing on social media, in print, or even by putting a sign on the lawn, they are obligated to input it into a system that may not be capable of capturing the full picture.
In practice, we are forced to shoehorn listings into rigid platforms, regardless of whether the data fields reflect the property accurately.
In many regions, agents are working within platforms that do not allow them to input basic details of a property. One common issue is the restriction on the number of rooms or features that can be uniquely defined. Some systems limit descriptors, cap room types, or omit fields entirely. These gaps seem trivial until you list a $3-million custom home and find you cannot properly describe it. Not because of negligence, but because the system itself makes full disclosure impossible.
It’s a Hobson’s choice: either comply with systems that cannot reflect the full truth of the listing or violate the policy by withholding it entirely. In either case, the agent loses, and the client is underserved.
That listing then feeds into Realtor.ca, our most visible and trusted public-facing platform. The consumer sees incomplete information on a website that claims to be powered by Realtors. They expect that it is accurate.
Who takes the hit?
Not the system vendor. Not the board. Not the national platform.
The Realtor does.
The brokerage is on the legal hook, but the agent is the face beside the listing, and the one the public holds responsible. When the data is wrong, that trust is shaken, even if every rule was followed.
The fragmented foundation
This is not hypothetical. It’s happening right now, in real markets, with real listings that bear real consequences.
In some cases, agents are told to work around limitations. They are advised to put key details in the remarks, fudge the structure of the property, or leave important aspects unlisted. This creates a troubling contradiction. Realtors are held to the highest standard but asked to compromise accuracy because of technical limits they cannot control.
At the heart of this issue is a contradiction in organized real estate.
We promote ourselves as a unified national profession but operate in a fragmented data ecosystem. There is no single MLS system in Canada. Each local board or regional association negotiates with its own vendor and sets out its own rules.
The result is a patchwork of differing input fields, inconsistent property categories, and minimal national oversight.
Even Realtor.ca, which is often treated as our national standard, is not a national MLS. It is a reflection of data feeds from boards across the country, each shaped by different priorities and limitations.
Risk without authority
Who owns the data? And more importantly, who is accountable for it?
Listing data may originate with Realtors, but in practice, it’s governed by boards, housed by vendors, and syndicated nationally by CREA. Boards license its use, enforce its rules, and in some cases, restrict how it can be accessed. CREA promotes the listings and brands them with Realtor trust.
At no point does the individual Realtor retain full control over the dataset. Agents pay dues to three levels of organized real estate but often cannot access their own listing history without going through approval processes or paying additional fees. That is not sustainable. Especially when the stakes are high.
Because what boards and CREA do not carry is risk. Brokerages do.
It is the brokerage that takes on vicarious liability. It is the brokerage that ensures accuracy and compliance, that trains, audits, and disciplines its agents. It is the brokerage that absorbs reputational and legal fallout when listings go wrong, regardless of whether the error began in a system it cannot access or control.
A misalignment of power
So why are the most accountable actors given the least control?
Today, boards control the platforms that manage the most visible and valuable real estate data in the country, while brokerages, the entities legally responsible for much of what happens with that data, are often left out of governance conversations entirely. This is not a question of internal politics. It is a fundamental misalignment between responsibility and authority.
And this isn’t a governance quirk. It’s a cultural flaw that distances decision-makers from responsibility, and one that is often hardcoded into board-level vendor contracts that entrench limitations, delay reform, and prevent innovation. In many ways, Realtors have become service users of their own listing platforms, with limited ability to shape or challenge the architecture of the systems they fund. That disconnect reinforces disengagement. It limits innovation. And it weakens the voice of those doing the work on the ground.
The erosion of trust
This is a problem because data is trust. The Realtor brand is not just a logo or a code of conduct. It is a promise. When the listing platform shows incomplete or misleading information, it reflects poorly on the brand that is supposed to represent integrity and accuracy. And if the national platform cannot distinguish between a system constraint and an agent oversight, then the public sees no difference.
The result is that consumers blame the Realtor. Not the board. Not the system. Not the national feed.
This guarantees reputational risk. It also undermines the value of being a Realtor rather than a registrant. If a consumer sees inaccurate or missing information on a Realtor listing, they may ask what value the designation truly offers. If a custom home cannot be accurately marketed on Realtor.ca, why would a seller choose a Realtor when the system is built to fail them?
From awareness to action
Organized real estate has been aware of platform limitations for years, but progress toward national data standards has been slow, cautious, and largely invisible to members. The result is that frontline agents and brokerages are left to fill the gap, absorbing reputational risk while systems inch forward behind closed doors. That silence is no longer defensible.
If brokerages are held accountable by law, then they must have standing in the governance of the systems that define their risk.
If brokerages are to remain accountable, they must also be empowered. Platform governance should include brokerage representation. Data policy must be co-designed with those who shoulder the liability. Anything less is regulatory negligence by design.
CREA does not own MLS systems, but it does own the Realtor trademarks and operates Realtor.ca. That comes with responsibility. CREA should not micromanage boards, but it must set national expectations for what Realtor-level data integrity looks like. That might include minimum input standards, public disclaimers when known system limitations exist, and tools for agents and brokerages to preview how their listings will appear.
It also means working collaboratively with boards and vendors to modernize platforms in ways that reflect how real estate is practiced today. This includes eliminating arbitrary field caps, improving cross-board interoperability, and giving brokerages and Realtors more agency over the data they are responsible for.
A seat at the table
When there is no accountability for the system, the accountability falls to the agent and their brokerage. This is not just unjust; it’s structurally indefensible.
We’re at an inflection point. Consumers are more data-savvy than ever. Alternative platforms are gaining traction. Realtors cannot afford to be trapped in outdated systems governed by legacy contracts or institutional politics. If we want to maintain our place as the most trusted advisors in real estate, our tools must reflect the standards we uphold.
Right now, the message to consumers is this: trust the Realtor, but not the data they are forced to work with.
That contradiction cannot stand. If we want the Realtor brand to thrive, we must stop outsourcing control and start aligning authority with accountability.
Brokerages carry the risk. It is time they had a seat at the table.
As a REALTOR® and member of the leadership team at RE/MAX Hallmark Realty Group, Brandon Reay brings a multifaceted background in real estate practice, policy, and governance. Before stepping into brokerage leadership, Brandon spent several years in organized real estate, contributing to strategic initiatives and advocacy efforts with CREA and OREA, and various Chambers of Commerce. His work has included shaping housing policy, supporting regulatory reform, and improving REALTOR® engagement across the country.
Brandon’s approach blends hands-on brokerage experience with a systems-level understanding of how policy, market forces, and professional standards intersect. He is known for helping professionals navigate evolving market conditions and advocating for higher standards within the industry. In addition to his leadership role, he remains an active REALTOR® focused on agent development, business strategy, and client service.
Brandon regularly contributes commentary on market trends to media outlets and industry publications and has served as a spokesperson on housing issues in Ottawa. He is also a frequent speaker at real estate events, offering data-driven insights on brokerage strategy, professionalism, and the future of the industry.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Sprott School of Business. Brandon lives in Ottawa, where he remains closely involved in local policy discussions on housing affordability and real estate governance.