Quebec City, June 8, 2020 – The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) is concerned about the findings of the Report of the Auditor General of Québec to the National Assembly for 2020–2021 tabled in June 2020.

During the pre-budget consultations last February, the QPAREB emphasized the importance of renovation and preservation, particularly in a context where the residential resale market suffers from a lack of property listings. As the environment is at the heart of government priorities, the Association also pointed out that it has been shown that the ecological footprint of construction activities is much greater than that of renovation which extends the life of existing buildings.

“It is disappointing to see the lack of strategy and management practices as regards Quebec’s built heritage,” said Julie Saucier, president and chief executive officer of the QPAREB. “When we compare the province to other regions in the world, Quebec lags far behind when it comes to preserving its heritage gems and protecting their value. We must view these real estate properties as a reflection of our cultural identity and as tourism and economic development vectors,” she added.

The QPAREB also deplores the fact that the Quebec government does not provide owners of this type of property with the support required to preserve this heritage, such as providing effective direction and guidance on the renovation process, or even appropriate financial measures. This would further encourage owners to preserve the heritage characteristics of their property.

The Association therefore considers that, collectively, we have every interest in taking significant action to better safeguard and enhance the value of Quebec’s heritage buildings.

About the Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers

The Quebec Professional Association of Real Estate Brokers (QPAREB) is a non-profit association that brings together more than 13,000 real estate brokers and agencies. It is responsible for promoting and defending their interests while taking into account the issues facing the profession and the various professional and regional realities of its members. The QPAREB is also an important player in many real estate dossiers, including the implementation of measures that promote homeownership. The Association reports on Quebec’s residential real estate market statistics, provides training, tools and services relating to real estate, and facilitates the collection, dissemination and exchange of information. The QPAREB is headquartered in Quebec City and has its administrative offices in Montreal. It has two subsidiaries: Centris Inc. and the Collège de l’immobilier du Québec. Follow its activities at qpareb.ca or via its social media pages: FacebookLinkedInTwitter et Instagram. 

About Centris

Centris.ca is Quebec’s real estate industry website for consumers, grouping all properties for sale by a real estate broker under the same address. Société Centris provides real estate industry stakeholders with access to real estate data and a wide range of technology tools. Centris also manages the collaboration system used by more than 13,000 real estate brokers in Quebec.

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For more information:

Taïssa Hrycay
Director, Communications and Marketing
media@qpareb.ca
1 888 762-2440 or 514 762-2440, ext. 157