Award Details

Nominations

The nomination period for our 2026 award will open on September 9, 2025. All submissions must be received by Sunday, November 30, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. (EST) in order to be considered.

Anyone can nominate an eligible REALTOR® for the award, except current members of the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) Board of Directors, staff, and current members of its ESG Committee, as well as REALTOR.ca Canada Inc.’s (REALTOR.ca®) Board of Directors and staff. REALTORS® may not nominate themselves (see Eligibility Criteria below).

Nominators must complete our nomination form with the name and contact information of the REALTOR® they’re nominating, as well as their name and contact information, for correspondence purposes.

A description of the nominee’s contribution to the community, including the nature of their volunteer work in 2025 as well as prior years, the name of at least one registered Canadian charity plus any other charities, non-profits, and/or community groups they support, the length and frequency of their service, and any other relevant information, is also required.

Nominators must source and provide one (1) letter of reference, dated 2025, from a registered Canadian charity that is supported by the nominee for their nomination to be considered. The letter must be written by a charity representative who supports the nomination and who can speak to the unpaid volunteer work and impact accomplished by the nominee. A maximum of four (4) additional letters of support from community members and non-profits can be submitted. This can strengthen a nomination package, and is recommended, but not required.

Nominators must also provide at least one (1) but no more than 10 pieces of supporting documentation as evidence of the nominee’s charitable work and impact. Examples of supporting documentation include but are not limited to: media coverage, social media posts, photographs, blogs, or videos. A single piece of additional documentation is considered: one page of compiled photos, or a link to a news article, blog, or social post. Where there is multimedia content (videos, radio interviews, etc.) no more than 10 minutes combined will be reviewed and providing timestamps is recommended.

Only one nomination per individual will be considered for the award. In the case of multiple nominations being submitted in support of the same individual, CREA will contact the nominators to combine the information into one form. Where attachment limits allow, reference letters and additional documentation from all nominators will be included in the final nomination package.

If the proposed nominee is contributing to a charity, non-profit, or community group in a non-volunteer capacity, their contributions will be considered but must be accompanied by significant volunteer contributions. Nomination packages must be submitted by the nominator.

Eligibility Criteria

Nominees must be REALTORS® (licensed real estate professionals who are members of CREA) in good standing. Current members of the CREA Board of Directors and its ESG Committee may not be nominated. Nominees must have significant and verifiable history of volunteer work with one or more Canadian charities. They must have made at least some of their contributions during the 2025 calendar year. The selection committee will also consider ongoing efforts outside that time frame that demonstrate a depth of commitment.

The award is designed for individual REALTORS® only, not groups of REALTORS®. The only exception is if two (2) REALTORS® work together on a project as equal partners and their work truly cannot be separated.

Review of Submissions and Winner Selection

CREA staff will conduct a preliminary evaluation of all nomination packages received. They will evaluate each nominee based on the following criteria: depth of commitment, addressing inequity, personal impact on charity and/or community, embodiment of volunteerism, and ability to inspire others. Following this review, the selection committee will be presented with the top 10 nominees.

Our selection committee will be made up of two (2) ESG Committee members and a current director from the CREA Board of Directors. The committee will review the top 10 nominations and then meet via conference call in January 2026 to select the recipient and a runner-up.

The winner must be willing to be photographed, interviewed, and featured in various media about the award. If the selection committee’s first choice is unwilling to comply, the committee will move forward with the runner-up. Nominees will be judged on the evidence provided of their personal contribution and commitment to supporting one or more registered charities in Canada and the impact of their personal contribution.

The decision of the selection committee shall be final, and CREA will not enter into any discussion concerning the results with other nominees or nominators. The winner and their nominator will be notified of the results in early 2026.

Award and Presentation

The winner and a guest will be provided with travel expenses to and from Ottawa, and accommodations (up to two rooms, if necessary) to attend CREA’s 2026 Annual General Meeting (scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, 2026). At the event, the recipient will be presented with an award, and a donation of $10,000 will be made to the registered Canadian charity of their choice. The winner(s) and their guest will also be provided with complimentary tickets to the CREA President’s Dinner.

News of the award results will be distributed to media outlets across the country and promoted in CREA’s News2Me newsletter (distributed directly to 160,000-plus REALTORS®), on CREACafe.ca and via CREA and REALTORS Care® social media channels.

Privacy Notice

The information you provide on this form is collected for the purposes of reviewing, evaluating, and selecting one award recipient for the Canadian REALTORS Care® Award 2026. This information will be shared with the selection committee and CREA staff as noted above and used in an editorial capacity to feature nominees in CREA communications. Further, after the awards period, the information you provide may be disclosed to boards and associations the nominee is a member of for the purposes of highlighting the nominee’s contributions in their local community.

All personal information will be administered in accordance with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and other applicable privacy legislation. You have the right to the protection of, access to, and correction of your personal information in accordance with CREA’s Privacy Policy.

By submitting a completed nomination form, you confirm that you and the nominee provide CREA with express consent to collect, use, disclose, and retain this personal information for the purposes outlined herein.

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