TRREB Member Ram Rajendram speaks about making a contribution to Toronto as an industry: “What I find fascinating about this business is you can be whoever you want to be, but you have to be authentic … So, I think one has to be true to oneself to figure out where your niche is and how you come across to people. And you have to ask questions to get that, how do you come across and you know what do people see in you? And then try to play to those strengths, because it is a competitive business as well. And so, if you bring something that is very authentic or is true to oneself that it feels to a specific buyer, they can sense that, right. There’s a purpose for authenticity in the world I think and that applies to everything, and real estate too.”
Category: The Boom Years: 1945–1970
The Boom Years:
1945–1970
Little Italy
Little Italy, The Beaches, Leslieville. Rosedale, Koreatown, The Danforth. The growth of Toronto is reflected in the expansion of its neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own distinct character and beauty, from distinct architecture to local restaurants, grocery stores and other amenities. Over the years, REALTORS® have sponsored local baseball and soccer teams, volunteered at local charity events, and have been visible on local bus bench ads. TRREB Members are proud to be part of their local communities.
Real Estate as a Career
Community outreach has always been a part of TRREB’s mandate. Believing that we are stronger together, TRREB has participated in many types of community events to promote the benefits of home ownership, of investment, and of the profession. REALTORS® are also involved in local and national industry groups, through the Board and through their individual brokerages. For example, Past President Ralph Magee (1968) was both President of TRREB and of the Toronto Board of Trade simultaneously, along with directorships at the National Association of REALTORS®, the Real Estate Institute of Canada, the Society of Real Estate Counsellors, and the Ontario Real Estate Association.
Community Zoning
Community zoning has always been of interest to TRREB Members. The control of land use impacted the type of housing, buildings, other structures that could be built, and their marketability. As bylaws specify the permitted uses (e.g., commercial or residential) and required standards (e.g., building size and location), in-depth knowledge of zoning is important to REALTORS®, whether fifty years ago or today.
Know Your Members
After WWII, some returning soldiers turned to real estate as a profession. Corresponding with the building of Toronto’s suburbs, many new REALTORS® found success during this booming time. The Veterans’ Land Act (1942) helped veterans buy land for their homes or businesses on a twenty-five-year mortgage at three-and-a-half per cent interest.
Giving Advice to New Members
In looking back, TRREB Members love to give advice to new incoming professionals. When asked, Past President Ron Abraham stated: “It’s a good career choice. It’s a nice clean business. It’s, you know, challenging certainly, but yeah, be prepared to do some work, because a lot of people think all you do is drive people around in your car and they buy a house and you make $20,000. That’s not the way the real estate business is. Well, you’ve got to be prepared for work and you got to be prepared to have thick skin because sometimes people – I guess, they treat you like you’re just out there for the money and all you do is drive me around and show me houses, but they have to – I think they don’t understand like the learning that goes on in the industry, the attention to the code of ethics.”
St. George Street
You are always are proud of your first real estate deal, whether you are an agent or a purchaser. Past President James Mizzoni said the first property he sold in 1950 was $11,500: “Hell of a big difference, eh? And I was elated. The first deal I made and obviously it’s one you’ll always remember.”
Gertrude Tate
At first, just a trickle of women found their calling as real estate agents. Gertrude Tate, who joined the Board in 1928 and spent 40 years in the business, was one of the pioneers. Miss Tate was a good friend of Emmeline Pankhurst, a leader of Canada’s suffragette movement, who supported her desire to step into a profession that had previously been the preserve of men. In 1955, Miss Tate wrote: “Freed from the shackles of Victorian era, women can go forth in this basic and fascinating activity on equal terms with their opposite numbers.” In 1956, Miss Tate was made an Honourary Life Member. Today, women make up 40 per cent of TRREB’s membership.
New REALTOR® Crest
A new REALTOR® crest, introduced in the 1960s, became a symbol of trust the Greater Toronto Area rapidly grew. Over the years, TRREB promoted the crest as the mark of a competent and professionally trained real estate expert who can be relied upon to provide excellent service. The term REALTOR® has been used by Canadian real estate Boards since at least 1921, to identify members of organized real estate who adhere to a Code of Ethics.
1968 Advertising Campaign
The collective voice of many, speaking as one, will always make an impression. And so did the 1968 TRREB advertising campaign that promoted the ongoing development and specialization of the real estate agent who is a TRREB Member. Over the years, TRREB promotions have evolved, but the key message remains that a professional agent will offer great advice and insight about one of the most important investment in a family’s life – buying a home.