Are you representing yourself at an upcoming RECA hearing or appeal? You’re not alone. Although RECA strongly encourages industry professionals to get legal representation for hearings or appeals, sometimes industry professionals choose to represent themselves.

Due to the legalistic nature of hearing and appeals processes, industry professionals who do not have legal representation find the process difficult. To improve industry professionals’ knowledge about RECA’s hearing and appeal processes and to help them better prepare to represent themselves, RECA created the Self-Represented Program. The program also demonstrates RECA’s commitment to openness and transparency.

RECA’s Self-Represented Program includes:

• a “How to Represent Yourself at a Real Estate Council of Alberta Hearing or Appeal” Guide
• checklists for self-represented industry professionals which detail steps in twelve (12) hearing and appeal processes
• plain language process forms, including preliminary applications and protocols for sharing documents
• a free two-hour consultation with an independent lawyer to obtain information about hearing or appeal processes (available when an investigation is complete and matters are going to a hearing or appeal)

RECA recommends industry professionals review all of the Self-Represented Program materials available, including the Guide and the process checklists, before deciding to represent themselves. RECA urges industry professionals to seek legal advice. The Self-Represented Program meaningfully expands on Field Law’s recommendations in its Third-Party Regulatory Review of RECA in 2016. Field Law concluded RECA had robust and fair processes for self-represented industry professionals and suggested additional measures.

The Self-Represented Program is a new and important step RECA is taking to further support industry professionals and become more open and transparent.

For more information on the Self-Represented Program, please contact RECA General Counsel Unit: selfrep@reca.ca

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