Strengthening Confidence in Real Estate Services Discussion Paper

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Ensuring people have confidence when buying or selling a home is vital for keeping British Columbia’s real estate market strong. To support this, BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) released a discussion paper, Strengthening Confidence in Real Estate Services, which explored ways to build trust through greater transparency, fairness, and professionalism.

The discussion paper built on key findings from BCFSA’s Enhancing Consumer Protection in British Columbia’s Real Estate Market: Report to the Minister of Finance, published in 2022, and explored potential approaches to enhance transparency, fairness, and professionalism in B.C. real estate services:

Transparency – proposed approaches include mandatory service agreements with buyer clients, protections when buyers make unconditional offers, requiring agents to obtain strata documents at the time of listing a home for sale, and new information disclosures in multiple offer situations.
Fairness – proposed approaches explore fairness in compensation structures and enabling a broader range of remuneration models.
Professionalism – proposed approaches limit the ability of real estate agents to modify their fundamental agency and fiduciary duties to clients.

What we heard

From November 18, 2025, to January 31, 2026, BCFSA invited feedback on ideas presented in the paper from real estate licensees, members of the public, and other interested parties. Responses received during the consultation were reviewed by BCFSA and will guide decisions on whether to propose new consumer protection measures.

The emphasis on transparency, fairness, and professionalism resonated with survey respondents—we received constructive feedback related to:

giving buyers clear information at key points in transactions
aligning remuneration structures to reflect the services that real estate professionals provide
maintaining real estate licensees’ fundamental duties to consumers except in limited circumstances

Read the consultation summary report for more details on the feedback received and BCFSA’s response to industry suggestions and comments.

What comes next

BCFSA will undertake further consultation before any changes to the Rules are made.

Your feedback is important to BCFSA. We will treat submissions as confidential records and will not publish individual submissions or attribute content. However, please note that all submissions are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

By understanding your perspectives and concerns, we can create a more effective and responsive regulatory framework for real estate services in the province.

Additional information

For more information on the consultation, contact engage@bcfsa.ca.