OREA Real Estate College takes a bow after 60 years

The sole provider of real estate education in Ontario, the OREA Real Estate College announced today it will no longer be offering educational courses for real estate professionals in the province after 2020. The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) has selected another organization to deliver its new Registration Education Program following its Request for Proposal in March 2016.

“The College has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to developing skilled and competent registrants, which has helped instill increased public confidence in the profession and its practitioners,” said Ettore Cardarelli, OREA President. “Given that OREA has been the provider of real estate education in Ontario for over sixty years, RECO’s decision did not come without significant disappointment. However, we are extremely proud of our accomplishments over the last 60 years, and we welcome the opportunity for OREA to refocus and strengthen its core member services.”

Over the years, the College has garnered many awards, including the Education Excellence Award from the Association of Real Estate Licensing Law Officials, the 2015 LERN International Award for Excellence in Programming, and the 2015 Education Program of the Year Award from the Real Estate Educators Association. The College has made education accessible province-wide through multiple delivery channels, while ensuring that a consistent standard of education is delivered to all students. 

“In light of this change, we want to assure our members that our mission to help Realtors succeed grows ever stronger,” said Tim Hudak, OREA CEO.  “The association continues to forge ahead with renewed energy and focus, and a reinvigorated outlook on an exciting future for OREA. OREA’s role in real estate education may be changing, but our efforts to consistently raise and uphold the high standards of education we helped set will remain unchanged.”

At OREA’s Annual General Meeting held in March, more than 300 Realtors from across Ontario gathered to learn about the Association’s fresh direction.

“We are committed to building a ‘new’ OREA with increased effort and focus directed towards our key member services – our government relations, our standard forms and our leadership training,” said Cardarelli. “We are working hard to become the most effective professional association in the province delivering high impact advocacy on behalf of Realtors and quality services that our members need and want.”

The OREA Real Estate College will continue to provide real estate education through the remaining term of the Educational Services Agreement until December 31, 2020.