For many Canadian homebuyers, local schools are a key part of the homebuying decision and now they will have better access to information.
CREA has announced that schools-related data will be added to the leading listings site Realtor.ca over the next few months with 80% coverage expected by September.
The rollout has already started with homebuyers being able to access catchment area information. Later in the fall it will be possible to search for homes within a selected school catchment area.
Coverage currently includes Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa-Gatineau, Edmonton, Quebec, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, St Catharines – Niagara, Halifax, Oshawa, Victoria, Windsor, Saskatoon, Regina.
By September, coverage will be expanded to St. John’s, Barrie, Kelowna, Abbotsford-Mission, Sudbury, Kingston, Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, Guelph, Moncton, Brantford, Saint John, Peterborough, Thunder Bay, Lethbridge, Nanaimo, Kamloops, Belleville, Chatham-Kent, Fredericton, Chilliwack, Sherbrooke.
“When searching for a home, having supplementary school catchment areas available will help homebuyers make better, more informed decisions when it comes to selecting a home that meets their families’ needs,” said James Mabey, a Realtor from Edmonton. “Consumers look beyond pricing, or the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and expect REALTOR.ca to have the latest information on a property.”
The addition of school data is part of CREA’s partnership with Local Logic which began in the spring.
Steve Randall has more than three decades of media experience encompassing online, newspapers, magazines, radio, and podcasts. He focuses on insights and news for professionals in finance, real estate, and legal services. Steve writes for multiple Key Media titles in Canada, United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
