 Licensing & Renewals > Real Estate > New to the Industry > Suitability
Pursuant to section 19 of the Real Estate Act Rules, an individual applicant for licensing can request that the executive director conduct a review of the individual’s suitability for licensing with the Real Estate Council of Alberta (RECA).
Individuals requesting a suitability review are required to complete a request form (click here) and pay a fee for the review. For current fee information, please click here.
Though the reasons for requesting a suitability review vary between applicants, the most common reason for doing so is that an individual may not wish to take the time and spend the money on pre-licensing education only to find out that they are denied a licence because of something in their past (criminal record, etc).
The suitability review form requires that an individual authorizes the Real Estate Council of Alberta to inquire and conduct a suitability review to determine if it is in the public’s interest that the individual be granted a licence to either trade in real estate or deal in mortgages or carry on the practice of a real estate appraiser, as the case may be.
To apply for a suitability review, an individual must answer questions about his or her past, including but not limited to, whether he or she has ever:
- Been disciplined by any real estate board; real estate, mortgage broker or appraisal association; or, any professional or occupational body, or any regulatory body of any kind in any jurisdiction.
- Had any judgments been rendered against them in relation to the provision of services or sale of goods to consumers.
- Been or has any business they owned or participated in as a partner, director, or officer in the past three years had any judgment(s) rendered against the business.
- Been found guilty or convicted of any criminal offence or any other offence under any law of any country, province or state, excluding provincial or municipal highway traffic offences resulting in only monetary fines and/or demerit points
- Had any proceedings pursuant to the Criminal Code of Canada ever been commenced against you and/or are you currently the subject of a suspension, investigation, licensing conditions, statement of claim relating to the business of an industry member or similar process including, but not limited to, conduct, audit, practice review or competence-related proceedings in any jurisdiction.
If the applicant answers YES to any of the suitability questions, he or she must provide copies of all supporting documentation (for example, police report, sentencing report, disciplinary documents).
In cases where an applicant has a criminal record, the executive director’s suitability review may, but is not limited to, take the following things into consideration:
- the nature and seriousness of the crimes for which the applicant was found guilty;
- the age of the applicant at the time the crimes were committed;
- the length of time elapsed since the applicant was found guilty of committing a criminal offence;
- is there a history of acts or conduct substantively related to the qualifications, functions or duties of an industry member;
- is there a danger to the public; and,
- is there evidence the applicant has taken efforts to rehabilitate him or herself.
Following the executive director’s review of the individual’s suitability for licensing, the executive director will provide the individual with a written response regarding his or her suitability for licensing. A decision of the executive director pursuant to a request for a suitability review is not eligible for further review or appeal. |
