March 4th - 2012

OREA celebrates 90th anniversary

Back in 1922, a loaf of bread cost 12 cents and a pound of butter set you back about 70 cents.

Back in 1922, a loaf of bread cost 12 cents and a pound of butter set you back about 70 cents.

One of the top songs of the year was April Showers by Al Jolson. The Roaring Twenties were underway, and on the literary scene, F. Scott Fitzgerald had just published his Jazz Age Stories. Meanwhile, the new children’s book, The Velveteen Rabbit, started to touch the hearts of readers young and old.

That same year, a few hundred volunteers banded together to form the Ontario Association of Real Estate Boards (OAREB), with a vision to organize real estate activities province-wide and to bring higher standards to an emerging profession.

After eight years of lobbying, this small association of fewer than 200 members scored a major victory when the provincial government passed the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act in 1930. This pioneering act required salespeople and brokers to obtain a license. It also marked the start of ongoing efforts to bring standards, respect and public trust to the real estate profession.

Over the years, the organization’s presidents have come from all corners of Ontario -- from Thunder Bay to Windsor to Ottawa. In 1972, the association was renamed the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA). Today it has some 53,000 members in 42 boards across the province. However, the mission to focus on professionalism and standards continues to be the driving force behind our progress.

The association has faced many challenges and achieved great successes in raising the bar for the profession, protecting consumers, fighting for the rights of REALTORS® and embracing technology.

The year 2012 marks the 90th anniversary of your association. OREA currently delivers registration education courses on behalf of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), represents the interests of members through government relations activities, and promotes the value and professionalism of REALTORS® through communication and public relations initiatives. It also produces standard forms and clauses used by members daily in real estate transactions. OREA also supports charitable causes and communities through the REALTORS Care Foundation.

Thanks to the commitment of OREA’s founders and the dedicated efforts of volunteers, Ontario real estate professionals are now recognized as among the most knowledgeable and best educated in the world.

To view some of the association’s milestones over the past 90 years, and for a list of OREA presidents from 1922 to 2012, visit www.orea.com/history. 

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For more information contact

Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Senior Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

Ontario Real Estate Association
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The trademarks REALTOR®, REALTORS®, and the REALTOR® logo are controlled by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify real estate professionals who are members of CREA. The trademarks MLS®, Multiple Listing Service® and the associated logos are owned by The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Used under license.

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