Competition Bureau investigating Quebec real estate org’s data sharing restrictions | 24CA News

The Competition Bureau says it’s investigating whether or not the Quebec Professional Association for Real Estate Brokers’ knowledge sharing restrictions are stifling competitors within the housing market.

The watchdog says it’s wanting into whether or not QPAREB has engaged in practices that hurt competitors or that forestall the event of modern on-line brokerage companies in Quebec.

The bureau says it obtained a court docket order final week requiring the group handy over data associated to the consequences of its practices and the explanation for its knowledge restrictions.

The bureau has but to seek out any wrongdoing to date, however its investigation is ongoing.

QPAREB manages a a number of itemizing service that collects Quebec actual property transaction knowledge and makes it out there to its dealer members.

The bureau beforehand waged a seven-year court docket battle in opposition to the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, which led to 2018 with the housing group pressured to permit dwelling gross sales knowledge to be made out there to the general public on brokers’ password-protected web sites.