In a major move to tackle one of real estate’s most time-consuming challenges, FCT has acquired a majority stake in Fintracker, a digital identity verification solutions company.

The Oakville-based company announced the news on Jan. 28, saying the partnership is poised to streamline compliance with KYC and anti-money laundering (AML) regulations while enhancing security and efficiency in real estate transactions.

“Fintracker’s advanced identity verification technology, combined and integrated with our trusted services, will help create a more secure, seamless, and fully compliant experience for all stakeholders while shaping the future of connected and intelligent identity verification processes.,” says Michael LeBlanc, CEO, FCT.

Fintracker has contracts with many of Canada’s real estate boards and brokerages, including TRREB subsidiary PropTx. 

Why Fintracker?

Founded by former Realtor Simon Fiore, Fintracker was born out of a need to simplify the tedious FINTRAC compliance process. In a 2023 interview with Real Estate Magazine, Fiore shared that the idea for Fintracker originated in his Winnipeg brokerage. “I was like many agents struggling with these forms and not handing them in in a timely fashion,” Fiore said. His initial goal was to solve the problem for his own brokerage, but the solution gained traction.

The platform has since evolved into a tool for completing FINTRAC forms, digitizing workflows and reducing the potential for human error. During the pandemic, its ability to facilitate remote identity verification for non-physically present clients made it an important tool for many brokerages.

A shared vision for the future

With Fintracker’s solutions now integrated into its operations, FCT says its goal is to create a “connected identity ecosystem” that accelerates the home-buying process while safeguarding sensitive personal data. Fintracker’s founders, Fiore and CTO Matt Amihude, will continue leading the company as it expands under FCT’s umbrella.

“Partnering with FCT enables us to scale our mission of simplifying compliance for agents and brokerages across Canada,” says Fiore. “Our shared vision is to minimize friction for both the public and our clients, while raising the bar for KYC and AML compliance. Together, we’re fostering greater trust, transparency, and efficiency in real estate transactions.”

Fiore, who described himself as “the least tech-savvy agent in the country” when he started Fintracker, believes there’s no replacement for human relationships in real estate.

“Technology is always going to try and replace us, but one-on-one and face-to-face interactions, gaining trust and building relationships are still the keys,” Fiore told REM.

Glen Muir, broker/owner of Re/Max Preferred Realty in Windsor-Essex County, Ontario, has recently acquired Re/Max Chatham-Kent Realty.

Muir, who founded Re/Max Preferred Realty in 1992, has 46 years of industry experience.

The expansion

The expansion will allow Re/Max Preferred Realty to broaden its presence in the Chatham and Tilbury markets, with the addition of two new office locations and 17 real estate agents. Now, Re/Max Preferred Realty hosts a network of 175 agents across six offices. 

Muir brings his sales team, including managers Denny Laurin, with 33 years of local market expertise, and his son, Gord Muir, with 11 years of industry experience.

Moving forward

Muir remains committed to providing his agents with all the support, tools and resources they need for their continued success at Re/Max. “We are excited about this next chapter of growth and the opportunity it provides us with, to build lasting relationships with clients in these communities,” he shares.

Muir says he looks forward to helping the Re/Max brand secure the Chatham-Kent region’s top market share spot for many years to come.

Re/Max Premier Inc. acquired Vaughan, Ontario’s Royal LePage Real Estate Professionals on November 27, 2023. The experienced brokerage of over 95 agents will transition from Royal LePage to Re/Max, which is a significant shift in local real estate and services offered to agents.

“Given the current market conditions and the comprehensive offerings of the Re/Max brand and the brokerage, the decision to join forces and bring this team of professionals to Re/Max was a natural next evolution for our respective businesses,” Gabriel Bianchi, broker/owner of Re/Max Premier says. “The merging of these two companies marks a new era of growth and opportunity for both brokerages, our collective agents and most importantly the clients we serve.”

Combined team of over 370 agents

Under Bianchi’s leadership for 20 years, Re/Max Premier has grown to over 275 agents across three offices in the York Region. The former Royal LePage agents will be added to Re/Max Premier’s brokerage roster and take over the former Vaughan office location at 8551 Weston Road.

Peter Campoli, former broker of record for Royal LePage Real Estate Professionals, has powerfully led the brokerage for 20 years. He joins Re/Max Premier’s ownership and management team.

Campoli is enthusiastic about the acquisition and says: “This transition to Re/Max aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering exceptional results for our clients. Re/Max’s global presence, comprehensive technology offering, extensive brand presence in the Canadian market and collaborative culture will empower our agents to elevate our services and continue to exceed expectations.”

“Re/Max’s value in the market, for both consumers and agents alike, has never been stronger”

Christopher Alexander, Re/Max Canada president comments on the acquisition:

“It’s no secret that real estate markets across Canada have faced challenging conditions over the past couple of years and we are seeing more consumers turning to brands that offer the most value in tools, services, trust and experience. Re/Max’s value in the market, for both consumers and agents alike, has never been stronger.

From our comprehensive technology offering equipping agents with all of the tools they need to run their business seamlessly, to backing them with unparalleled national and international brand support, and being surrounded by the most experienced and trusted real estate professionals, there is no doubt this move will enhance the former Royal LePage Real Estate Professionals brokerage and our network as a whole.”

Both existing and future clients can expect a seamless transition with continued dedication to their real estate needs.

12 years ago, Dan Corkill met someone who bought leads from Zillow and had a tough time getting his team to convert them into sales. Along with his cofounder, Tom Markov, Corkill took this problem and ran with it by creating Follow Up Boss (FUB). It grew to become one of the top CRM tools used by North American real estate teams today. With 100,000 users on the platform, it’s a centralized spot for agents, teams and brokerages to organize information, move through the sales cycle, close deals and grow their businesses.

On November 1, it was announced that Zillow Group agreed to acquire FUB for $400 million (plus up to $100 million in a potential cash earnout).

Zillow is the most visited portal for buyers and sellers, and they operate on an agent-centric approach by creating their own tools and acquiring others that enhance the agent experience.

Why the acquisition

FUB sold to Zillow Group because it stands to gain more leverage – something that all businesses need in general. The acquisition will allow FUB to invest in improved product offerings that help its clients deliver the best customer experience possible and achieve their business goals.

“This acquisition means more resources to invest in making our software and service better for you. And we’ll be able to do it much faster than we could have on our own,” says Corkill in a post on FollowUpBoss.com.

What’s next

FUB’s mission of “serving top-performing real estate teams and agents by providing industry-leading technology to power their businesses” won’t change, Corkill mentions in a Zillow Group press release.

The company’s future looks bright, as the FUB team will stay an independent, standalone product but with additional support and resources for its users. “Together, we’ll continue investing to make the industry and every business within it stronger,” says Corkill.

FUB will still support its third-party integration partners which will allow users to use the systems they like without interruption. And, Zillow will continue to support third-party CRM integrations via its Premier Agent app, meaning those partners can choose the CRM they’d like to work with.

What about customer data?

FUB promises that all customer data entered into the platform is the user’s. It remains in FUB, always protected and never for sale.

“Zillow Group is acquiring Follow Up Boss to improve it for you. As part of this process, we’ll be working with a third-party validator so they can verify that customer data is staying safe and protected,” Corkill reiterates in his post.