The initial investigation began with a focus on the Canadian Real Estate Association
February 20, 2026 - GATINEAU (Quebec), Competition Bureau
The Competition Bureau has obtained a court order to gather information from Greater Vancouver REALTORS and advance its ongoing investigation into real estate commission rules in Canada.
Commission rules dictate how real estate agents are paid, who pays them, and how those payments must be disclosed on Multiple Listing Service (MLS) systems.
The Bureau is investigating whether the commission rules of the Greater Vancouver REALTORS (GVR) and the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) may contravene the abuse of dominance or other civil provisions of the Competition Act.
When the investigation began in 2024, the Bureau was focused on examining 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.
The Bureau has now expanded the scope of its investigation to examine how GVR enforces the commission rules in the geographic market of Greater Vancouver.
The Bureau requires more information to determine whether these rules:
- Discourage buyers' agents from competing by offering lower commission rates or alternative pricing models;
- Encourage "steering", a practice where agents are motivated to steer buyers toward homes that offer higher commissions; and
- Affect competition in other ways, which could result in higher costs for both buyers and sellers.
The order, granted by the Federal Court, requires GVR to produce records and information relevant to the Bureau's investigation.
The investigation is ongoing and there is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time.
