Caution for REALTORS® using brand name ‘Hardi Plank’ on listings

The FVREB has been advised, there is current litigation at another board over the use of the brand name ‘Hardi Plank’ in the Exterior Finish field in MLS® listings.

‘Hardi Plank’ is a brand name and if this is used to identify an exterior finish that is something else, such as the generic ‘Fibre Cement Board,’ the listing agent and their brokerage could be at risk of legal action. If a member selects ‘Hardi Plank, when in fact the exterior finish is actually the generic ‘Fibre Cement Board,’ this could be misleading to consumers and other members.

To avoid potential legal issues or misrepresentations, effective July 10, listings with the ‘Hardi Plank’ value in the Exterior Finish field in Paragon will be automatically updated to reflect the generic ‘Fibre Cement Board.’

If by chance an Active listing does have ‘Hardi Plank’ on the exterior, and the listing agent is 100% certain of this, and would like to clearly note this fact, the listing remarks can be updated to include the information.

A revised Residential Data Input Form with the updated field will be released on WEBForms® in the morning on July 10.

Note: While Paragon is being updated with this field value change, REALTOR® Load (ADT) will be unavailable, from Tuesday July 9 at 3:30 pm to Wednesday July 10 at 9 am. During this time Paragon will still be up running and available for use.