The Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®  is a member services association providing services which enable real estate practitioners to deliver professional services to consumers. The Association’s regulatory function includes investigations into allegations of violations by members of the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®  pursuant to the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS®  bylaws, MLS rules and regulations and the Canadian Real Estate Association code of ethics and standards of business practice.

Upon receipt of a written complaint by the board’s executive officer, determination is made in regards to the jurisdiction of the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® . Jurisdiction is limited to complaints with regard to the ethics or standards of members of the board and shall not have jurisdiction to deal with complaints where the only issue is entitlement to compensation or the amount of compensation to which a member is entitled.

If the complaint falls within the jurisdiction of the Association, a professional standards committee researcher is assigned to the file to research the allegations of the complainant. The researcher personally meets will all parties involved with the complaint. The researcher then presents their findings to the professional standards committee for determination as to whether or not charges are to be laid under the Saskatoon Region Association of REALTORS® bylaws, MLS® rules and regulations and the Canadian Real Estate Association code of ethics and standards of business practice. After review of the researcher’s report the committee may:

• determine that no further action be taken in respect of the complaint; or
• where it is the opinion that the matter is one within the jurisdiction of the Saskatchewan Real Estate Commission and direct the Executive Officer to refer the matter to the Commission for its consideration; or
• prepare a charge.

If the committee resolves that no further action be taken and the file is to be closed, the professional standards committee communicates their decision to all parties involved.

If the committee determines that a charge is to be laid, the committee prepares a charge, setting out the specific alleged misconduct or violation with which the member is charged.

The respondent is then served notice of the charge and they have 10 days to reply to the charge. The reply is then reviewed by the committee and the committee decides if the file will be forwarded to the discipline committee.

Discipline Procedure:

Upon referral of a matter to the Discipline Committee, the chairperson of the discipline committee shall appoint a hearing panel of three members of the Association, to conduct a hearing, one of whom he/she shall appoint as Chairperson. The Executive Officer shall be an officio member without vote of each hearing panel.

The professional standards researcher reports their findings to the hearing panel. All parties to the hearing are allowed to call witnesses, any person who has personal knowledge of the facts pertaining to the matter in question.

At the hearing, the parties may be represented by a lawyer or member of the Association. The hearing panel shall have the right to legal advice from the Association’s lawyer.

The decision of the majority of the members of the hearing panel shall be deemed to be the decision of the panel. The hearing panel in its decision may:

1. find that the respondent has not breached these bylaws, or code of Ethics or Standards of Business Practice as alleged in the charge; or

2. find that the respondent has breached these bylaws or code of Ethics or Standard of Business Practice as alleged in the charge, and may impose one or more of the following:

• a reprimand
• a suspension of membership privileges or the loss of the right to use one or more of the Association’s facilities or services, or any combination of these, for such period of time as the hearing panel deems appropriate.
• a fine of not less than $ 50.00 nor more than $5000.00.
• the costs of the hearing, including but not limited to, any reasonable legal fees incurred by the Association.
• order that the respondent attend at his/her own expense, and successfully complete any course of an educational nature as may be available through the Association and or the Association of Saskatchewan REALTORS®, including the passing of any examinations pertaining to these courses.

An appeal may be filed by the respondent within 10 days of the decision of the hearing panel. The composition of an appeal panel would be the President or a director appointed by the President along with two other members of the board of directors. The decision of the appeal panel shall be final and binding, and there shall be no further right to appeal.