Frank Devine, president of the Medicine Hat Real Estate Board is calling on the city to halt the decision on the contract to privatize Invest Medicine Hat ( Tiffany Goodwein/CHAtNewsToday)

By Tiffany Goodwein

Real estate brokers across city urge stop to Invest Medicine Hat contract decision

Jul 20, 2021 | 6:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB– Real estate brokers representing six firms in the city have penned a letter urging a full stop to any Invest Medicine Hat decisions on the privatization contract.

Invest Medicine Hat is a city-run department responsible for municipal land sales and economic development.

Bidding for the 10-year contract opened June 15 and closed on Monday. Orka Management Group, a company formed by three Invest Medicine Hat staffers, was the only company to place a bid, according to the city’s website.

Frank Devine, president of the Medicine Hat Real Estate Board says there was not sufficient time for other companies to submit a bid.

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“By the time the brokerages of Medicine Hat found out about it they didn’t have enough time to actually put something together. They also didn’t have enough information on what they wanted on the RFP to put something coherent together to get to city hall,” Devine said.

Devine is urging the city to be more transparent in the process. He also believes realtors in the city are more than capable of doing the work. Over the past four years, Devine said real estate agents have done over $1.3 billion in sales, far more, he said than Invest Medicine Hat since its inception.

“Realtors in Medcine Hat have the knowledge, the experience and they have the infrastructure to market anything that the city has to offer, and we have been doing it for years. Now they are trying to close us out of the process which makes no sense to us,” Devine said.

Devine argues local realtors would also carry additional benefits, then what is currently used and proposed, because the expense, and pitfalls, won’t be carried on the backs of taxpayers. That’s because realtors work strictly off commission.

“Basically Invest Medicine Hat lost almost a million dollars last year. If you are dealing with real estate companies in Medicine Hat you don’t lose anything. You only pay if the job gets done. It doesn’t cost the citizens of Medicine Hat a nickel unless there is some productive gain for the city out of it,” Devine stated, noting Invest Medicine Hat employees get paid whether they sell or anything or not.

Going forward, Devine said he would like to see city council put the brakes on the proposal, and get more interest from other parties. He also said more clarity needs to come forward with what they are asking and The Medicine Hat Real Estate board is more than willing to work together for the sake of the city.

“This is our city, this is our community, this is where we live. Obviously, we want to make it better for everyone that lives here,” Devine said.