Dear members,

Beginning on Tuesday, September 26, members will be required to have a REALTOR.ca SSO account for the continued usage of the following services currently protected by CREA’s existing SSO:

• WEBForms®
• CREA Learning Hub
• REALTOR.ca
• REALTOR.ca Listings Stats
• REALTOR.ca Member App
• Member.crea.ca
• Stats Centre

Motivated to enhance member protection and user experience, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), in consultation with real estate boards from across the country, has been working diligently to introduce this upgrade which offers a new, more secure, and user-friendly login experience for all of its products and services.

What are SSO and MFA, and why are these being implemented?

Single Sign-On (SSO) is signing into a service using only one method to access multiple services and systems. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a verification step after you enter your password which will require you to enter a system-generated code sent to you by text message or email. Biometric options will be supported in the future.

CREA will be implementing both SSO and MFA. Users will use SSO to log in, and MFA to verify their identity. By implementing these additional security measures, CREA can better update users’ security and privacy.

Important information for dual members:

Members who belong to multiple boards will receive an email from CREA for each board of which they are a member. Members will be required to set up their REALTOR.ca SSO for each membership and MUST use the same email in the process. Using the same email will allow their unique board profiles to be linked together under the same REALTOR.ca SSO account.

Timeline:

On Wednesday, August 30, members will receive an email from CREA containing a unique link to allow members to create their REALTOR.ca SSO. Members will need to provide a unique email (an email only you can access) and a mobile phone number.

From September 5 to 26, anyone who logs into a CREA service will be voluntarily prompted to create their REALTOR.ca SSO. We highly recommend, to those who have not created their account at this stage, to NOT skip the prompt. This prompt will disappear once your account has been created. After September 12, this prompt cannot be skipped, and members will be required to create their REALTOR.ca SSO to continue.

After September 26, members will be required to log in with the new REALTOR.ca SSO to access all CREA services and with their F username to access Board-supported applications and services. This experience is temporary until a complete integration of the two platforms takes place.

Note: Your REALTOR.ca SSO will only be active on September 26. Prior to this date you will access CREA services by using your F-ID (ex. F12346 or Fmember). After creating your REALTOR.ca SSO, members are encouraged to save the account for future reference.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which members will be affected by these changes?

All members who have a CREA ID, including unlicensed assistants, and Board staff members will be affected.

My colleagues and I share one email address, can we use the same email address twice?

Each email can only be registered with one user. The email you use to create this account does not need to match the email the Board has on record.

My colleagues and I share one email, do we only get one invitation?

No. Anyone who has their own CREA ID will receive an invitation to create their own separate account. If four individuals use the same email address, this address will receive four separate invitations.

Can my unlicensed assistant and I still log in as each other (a feature also known as alternatives)?

Yes. Wherever set up and permitted, members and assistants can log in as each other.

I became a member after August 30. Do I still need to create my REALTOR.ca SSO with the instructions above?

Members joining after August 30 will receive an email invitation soon after their member application has been processed.

What happens if I don’t create an account before September 26?

If you have not created an account prior to September 26, you will need to do so when accessing any REALTOR.ca SSO protected services such as WEBForms®, REALTOR.ca Listings Stats and Member.crea.ca. You can sign up when prompted (Haven’t registered yet?), and members MUST use the email on record to trigger the registration process.

Questions

If you have questions, please contact CREA’s Member Experience Centre from 5:00 a.m. PST to 5:00 p.m. PST by calling 1-888-237-7945 or email support@crea.ca.

Thank you for your attention to these matters, which will enhance security and serve the collective interests of all members.

Rock Lefebvre

Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer