The Competition Bureau is expanding its investigation of real estate commission rules in Canada, now zeroing in on one of the country’s largest member boards, Greater Vancouver Realtors (GVR).
The bureau has obtained a court order from the Federal Court to gather information from GVR about how commission rules are enforced among its 15,000 members, according to a news release dated Feb. 20.
Buyer broker rules
When the investigation began in 2024, the federal agency was focused on examining the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) policies. These included how commission rules may impact competition among real estate agents. Under these rules, the seller’s agent must offer compensation to the buyer’s agent when a property is listed on an MLS system.
Now, the bureau is requiring more information from GVR to determine whether these rules discourage buyers’ agents from competing by offering lower commission rates or alternative pricing models, or whether they encourage “steering”, a practice where agents are motivated to steer buyers toward homes that offer higher commissions.
The bureau noted in its statement that the investigation is ongoing and there is no determination of wrongdoing by GVR at this time.
The investigation into CREA is ongoing.
GVR responds
GVR CEO Jeff King said the association takes competition law seriously and is fully cooperating with the bureau’s investigation.
“We are committed as an organization to following the letter of our legal and regulatory obligations and to demonstrating that our practices and business operations reflect this commitment over time,” he said.
Courtney Zwicker is a digital reporter and associate editor for REM. Based in Atlantic Canada, she has over a decade of experience covering daily business news.
