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Alberta Online Encyclopedia

Amalgamation of the Association and the Co-op

The integration of the two organizations began by sharing information. On August 27, 1952, Jack Haliburton, chairman of the Co-op, reported to the Edmonton Real Estate Board that the Bureau had been in operation for exactly three weeks and during that time 89 listings had been taken, of which five had been sold and another four sales were in the process of being completed, making a total of nine sales out of 89 for ten percent. He said that they had received some criticism and complaints and also a few pats on the back. Haliburton felt that the Edmonton Real Estate Board Co-operative Listing Bureau would be beneficial to all.

Cooperation moved from sharing in¬formation to integrating the two organizations. In September 1953 the Edmonton Real Estate Board began by adopting two forms used by the Co-op: the offer-to-purchase form and the listing form.

Membership of the two organizations was the same from the executive to the general membership. By December 1953, new applicants to the Co-op were advised that approval of their applications for membership in the Board would mean automatic approval of their Co-op application. By May 1955, Secretary Henry Flewwelling advised that there were eighty member agents in the Edmonton Real Estate Board, 54 of whom were also members of the Co-op Bureau.

In July 1954, the Edmonton Real Estate Board wrote to the Co-op asking them for office space and a permanent secretary. In September the Co-op offered to supply permanent secretarial services to the Edmonton Real Estate Board for $50 per month and that in addition the Board was to pay all out-of-pocket expenses for stationery, postage, and audits. The new arrangement would come into effect on January 1, 1955. The offer was accepted and on January 28, 1955, the Edmonton Real Estate Board held its first meeting in the Wallace building, with Henry Flewwelling serving as secretary.

On May 10, 1955, the two organizations had their first joint meeting. They shared information on membership and discussed common problems. The most important one was the lack of attendance at the general meetings of both organizations. Suggestions included giving tickets to the principals of large firms and making them responsible for the attendance of their sales personnel. It was also suggested that the tickets be sold two weeks in advance. Stan Melton went so far as to suggest that the Edmonton Real Estate Board bill each firm for an amount equal to 50 percent of their sales staff for tickets to each general meeting. The suggestion was withdrawn for lack of a seconder.

Norm Winterburn said that Phil Seagrove of Hamilton, Ontario, would arrive in Edmonton on May 30 for a joint meeting of the two organizations. (Phil Seagrove's pre¬sentation was part of the Co-operative Bureau's ongoing efforts to popularize the use of the multiple-listing service. In his presentation he stressed the need to have one organization to represent the industry.)

The final point discussed at this joint meeting was the fact that some salesmen were placing advertisements in the Edmonton Journal without naming the employee's firm. All agents were to be notified that this was contrary to section 25A of the Real Estate Agents' Licensing Act. Any further complaints were to be turned over to the superintendent of insurance.

A committee chaired by Henry Flewwelling brought about the formal amalgamation of the two organizations. The fast annual meeting of the Edmonton Real Estate Board Co-operative Listing Bureau Ltd. after amalgamation was held in the ballroom at Hotel Macdonald on May 27, 1959. This amalgamation did not involve the creation of a new organization. The Edmonton Real Estate Board Co-operative Listing Bureau Ltd. carried on as the flag ship for organized real estate in Edmonton.

This article is extracted from John Gilpin, Responsible Enterprise: A History of Edmonton Real Estate & the Edmonton Real Estate Board. (Edmonton: Edmonton Real Estate Board, 1997). The Heritage Community Foundation and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation would like to thank John Gilpin and the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton for permission to reproduce this material.

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