By Jeremy Davis
At the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board Annual General Meeting on April 5, 2023, Rena Prefontaine was officially sworn in as its 2023-2024 President.
“I am pleased to welcome Rena Prefontaine, Broker for eXp Realty, as our 2023-2024 President,” said Marina R. James, CEO of the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board. “Rena brings a wealth of real estate knowledge and experience from running large brokerages and is an active contributor on Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board committees. Rena takes over from outgoing president, Akash Bedi, whom I would like to thank and recognize for his leadership while serving in this role.”
Prefontaine was born and raised in Ile Des Chenes, Manitoba, and currently lives in Winnipeg. She enjoys baseball, golf, curling, fishing and has been a passionate, lifelong fan of the Winnipeg Jets.
Prefontaine became a professional, licensed REALTOR® in 2010, a broker in 2015, and has steadily devoted more and more of her time toward sharing her expertise, knowledge and experience at the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board, serving most Investigative, Governance, Executive, Finance and Audit, Membership Engagement, Professional Standards, and Nominating.
“Part of what drives me as a REALTOR®, is helping people write their next chapters, and I feel very privileged to be a part of the process of what are life-changing moments,” said Prefontaine. “I’ve always been involved in, and volunteering, for a wide range of community organizations. I’m a big believer that “it’s we, not me” and I’m very passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, and giving back to the organizations I’ve been a part of.”
As the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s 2023-24 President, Prefontaine is carrying on a tradition that began in 1903 with James Scott, the first president of the then-named Winnipeg Real Estate Exchange, which was created at the turn of the century in response to a booming real estate industry that was in need of oversight and order in the marketplace. Real estate speculation was widespread at the time as Winnipeg’s population was increasing exponentially on the belief that it would become the “Chicago of the North”. It was a group of 12 businessmen involved in real estate who were able to establish the incorporation of the Winnipeg Real Estate Exchange through an act of the Manitoba Legislature on March 18, 1903. There were 48 members who joined in 1903, when new homes on Maryland, Langside, Young and Sherbrook were going for between $900 and $3,000 while homes on Wellington Crescent could be obtained for around $6,000.
The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board continues to be Canada’s longest continuously running real estate board and was the nation’s first to celebrate a 100th year anniversary, which took place in March of 2003.
This year, 2023, marks the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s 120th year in operation serving real estate Brokers and Salespersons, along with other industry related professions in and around the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region. The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board provides Members with essential resources to enhance professionalism, advance the industry’s development and enrich the communities they serve. Members are professionals in a variety of real estate specializations, including residential, commercial, investment, industrial, land development and property management.
Prefontaine becomes President where, under the strategic guidance of its Board of Directors, the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board has made significant advancements in the use of MLS® data, creating high impact analytics which have advanced and modernized the toolset utilized by REALTORS®.
The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board prioritized municipal advocacy efforts during the 2022 civic election campaign to put a focus on infrastructure,
infill residential real estate, building permitting processes and commercial real estate development growth impediments.
As one of the largest and longest running real estate boards in Canada, the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board provides Members with essential resources to enhance professionalism, advance the industry’s development and enrich the communities they serve.
“Prior to becoming a professional REALTOR®, my background was in customer service, finance and accounting, but I believe in lifelong education as the more knowledge you can obtain, the better equipped you become to further yourself and serve your clients’ needs,” said Prefontaine. “Collaborating with other REALTORS® is very important to me and I’m grateful to those who shared their knowledge and expertise with me along the way, and it’s really fulfilling to be able to give back and share what I’ve learned.”
Prefontaine is excited to take on the role in 2023 on the heels of reports that suggest we remain as one of the most affordable housing markets for first-time homebuyers and single income homebuyers. Meanwhile, reports are showing prospective homebuyers in larger real estate markets across Canada are having difficulty getting into homes while Winnipeg continues to be one of the most affordable in Canada.
Jeremy Davis is the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s Director External Relations & Market Intelligence.