A photograph of Danforth and Greenwood in 1947.
Post Theme: TRREB Members Join Together
The Strength of Small Brokerages
TRREB Members found themselves in both small and large brokerages. This article depicts the strength of small brokerages.
Board Offices at 1883 Yonge Street
Opened on April 28, 1970, the new Board offices at 1883 Yonge Street, just south of Davisville, were a central part of TRREB’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. With three storeys and a basement, it was “the first office building in Toronto to feature an exposed concrete coffered ceiling [made of] poured in-place concrete”; it was about 25,000 square feet and cost $1 million.
TRREB Billboard Advertisement
In the 1960s, with new car sales booming and highway infrastructure growing, the billboard became an important part of TRREB’s promotional activities. Throughout the years, a series of billboards were created for display across the GTA to promote the professionalism and services of TRREB Members. In 1966, more than 2,000 bumper stickers were also created for distribution with the theme of “Invest in Better Living – Buy A Home” for National Home Week.
Islington REALTORS’ Curling Club
It wasn’t always working day in, day out. In the 1950s and ‘60s, TRREB provided many social activities for its membership, including curling bonspiels, golf and bowling tournaments, carnivals, and yacht club dances – a different activity was held monthly, sometimes weekly. The Women’s Division held multiple events as well, including a monthly continental breakfast series that featured topics such as landscaping, horticulture, and remodelling.
1921 Real Estate Advertisement
When TRREB first opened its doors in 1920, real estate agents were happy to support many components of house buying, from insurance to toasters, heaters, irons and electric fixtures.
This is an advertisement for household items on sale at Seal’s Real Estate Office in 1921.
Victoria Street Building Signage
This 1888 photograph was taken of the northwest corner of Victoria Street in Toronto. Taken before TRREB incorporated, the building’s signage illustrates how real estate agents provided diverse business practices, including marriage licenses, at that time.
Own Your Own Home Advertisement
If some of the real estate advertisements from the 1920s may seem a bit hokey to modern readers, they were completely in line with the customs of the time. Home ownership remains a key long-term investment, and owning a piece of “Mother Earth” a lifetime goal.
The Toronto Real Estate Board Advertisement
From the beginning of the Board, TRREB has proudly promoted its Members as a part of the Association’s benefits. In this 1921 newspaper advertisement, the approximately 50 founding Board Members are touted as “insisting on the principle of fair dealing in their business of buying and selling Real Estate.”
Real Estate Board Formed in Toronto
This October 6, 1920, article is the first mention in print of the establishment of the Toronto Real Estate Board. From the very outset of operations, the Board was dedicated to “raising the standard of efficiency in the real estate business, and protecting the properties of all owners in the city by combined action.” R. B. Rice was the first President, and J. B. Laidlaw the first Executive Secretary.
TRREB has come a long way from its humble beginnings: “TREB’s first headquarters was a desk space and a filing cabinet in a little office at 46 King Street West in the old Canada Life building … It soon became too small to cope with the volume of business and in 1925 larger quarters were obtained in the Union Trust building at the northwest corner of Victoria and Richmond Street.”