It’s standard, or at least ‘normal’ that REALTORS® and brokerages often include telemarketing calls as part of their outreach to consumers, but it’s important to be careful with how, and to whom, those calls are being delivered. Whether calls are being made by REALTORS® themselves, or they’ve been outsourced to a third-party, the brokerage is responsible for any contact made on their behalf, and therefore should always do their part to ensure rules regarding the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) are followed.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) enforces regulations surrounding the DNCL and can dole out fines should an infraction be made and reported. This, of course, is nothing new and although most REALTORS® and broker-owners know these regulations exist, reports of infractions are quite common.
So, CREA is presenting a webinar, hosted by Simon Parham, CREA’s Chief Legal Counsel, on Wednesday, September 22, at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) to help steer clear of any missteps.
The chart below represents a quick checklist to follow if telemarketing calls are part of your brokerage’s, or your own strategy:
*A telemarketer is defined by the CRTC as:
- someone who makes calls or sends faxes to consumers for the purpose of solicitation (the act of selling or promoting a product or service or requesting money or equivalent directly or indirectly, for oneself or for another party); and
- a third-party agency that makes telemarketing calls or sends faxes on your behalf.
If you’re at all unsure of whether the type of outreach you’re doing, or plan to do, is in violation of the CRTC guidelines surrounding the DNCL, join us for this free webinar to help clear up any uncertainly. We’ll go over the CRTC’s current efforts to enforce regulations and highlight resources available to help you comply.
If you have any questions, please contact Sherry Watson (swatson@crea.ca).
For registration-related questions, contact Jackie Taylor (jtaylor@crea.ca).
