The concept of developing an informal association of local real estate agents originated in the United States in the 1880s, and by the turn of the century about 15 real estate boards had been established. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) was formed in the U.S. in 1908 with 19 boards and one state association. Organized real estate in Canada is almost as old as the country itself. The very first real estate board was set up in 1888 in the growing community of Vancouver. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is one of Canada's largest single-industry trade associations, representing more than 76,000 real estate brokers/agents and salespeople working through more than 100 real estate boards, 10 provincial associations and one territorial association.
CREA's primary mission is to represent its members at the federal level of government and to act as a watchdog on national legislation that pertains to the real estate industry. CREA has frequently taken strong stands to defend the public's right to own and enjoy property.
CREA owns the MLS® trade mark and has a proprietary interest in the REALTOR trade mark. The REALTOR trade mark is an assurance of integrity. It can only be used in Canada by members of The Canadian Real Estate Association who accept and respect a strict Code of Ethics. The real estate data base systems operated by our member boards and associations under the MLS® trade mark provide an ongoing inventory of available properties and ensure maximum exposure of properties listed for sale.