Here in Quebec, Canada, we’ve apparently just experienced the highest retention rate of real estate brokers/agents since 1994, the year when the provincial association* for real estate professionals was created. 

The cut-off date for renewal of our licenses was September 15, 2010.  Notices were sent out to almost 20,000 real estate brokers** in the province of Quebec, advising us (and then reminding and reminding us) that the deadline was coming. 

According to the October 6, 2010, edition of Proactive: The Newsletter for Quebec Real Estate Professionals, about 87.5% – or 17,448 – of us renewed our licenses.  That’s pretty high, no? 

Quebec experienced a relatively stable real estate market (emphasis on the word “relatively”) despite the global economic situation which had a more profound impact in other major Canadian cities like Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, and in so many areas of the U.S.  We did feel some pain here in Quebec, particularly in the higher-end market, but nothing like what was, and still is being experienced in so much of the U.S. 

My guess, then, is that the retention rate for real estate professionals here in Quebec is likely much higher than that experienced elsewhere.  What do you think? 

* This association is now known as the OACIQ: the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec.

** We brokers were formerly called agents.