TREB looking to 'protect' home sales data, despite realtors already posting it

Tara Deschamps, The Canadian Press</span>
Published Monday, August 27, 2018 10:48AM EDT

TORONTO - The Toronto Real Estate Board is studying ways to ensure Greater Toronto Area home sales data is "protected," even as realtors are rushing to publish the numbers.

TREB fought the Competition Bureau to prevent the data's online release for seven years, citing privacy and copyright concerns.

The Supreme Court of Canada's refusal to hear TREB's appeal case last week enabled realtors to post the data on password-protected websites, prompting a flood of companies to start publishing the numbers.

A 2016 Competition Tribunal order that demanded the data's release and gave 60 days for TREB to allow for its publication now applies.

Many realtors have been scrambling to get home sales data up on their websites in the days immediately following the ruling. And some are not protected behind a password.

But it's unclear if TREB is ready to give up its fight as the board said it will study ways to protect the data it has just been ordered to release, but would not elaborate on the statement's meaning.

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