‘Great refresh’: raising consumer protection via modernized real estate forms

For the first time in roughly three decades, Manitoba’s real estate industry has updated key documentation in the homebuying process.

Proponents are touting new offer to purchase forms as more easily understandable and better for consumer protection.

“You don’t have to go through that ‘Choose-your-own-adventure contract’ that we had before, where you had to read it really carefully and fill in the blanks,” said Erika Miller, Manitoba Financial Services Agency’s communications manager.

A committee — including the MFSA, Manitoba Real Estate Association and Manitoba Bar Association — spent two years crafting the updated offer to purchase forms.

Such papers are used during every sale of a used home. The new versions will launch on Saturday with a number of changes.

The most obvious might