Competition Bureau Real Estate Guidelines: Who Qualifies and What You Get
Learn how these guidelines help real estate agents avoid illegal price-fixing and anti-competitive behavior in the Canadian market.
These guidelines provide instructions for real estate professionals on how to conduct business without violating competition laws.
Who it's for
This is intended for real estate agents who set their own commission rates or manage their own marketing practices.
What you get
You receive clear guidance on how to operate your business while avoiding price-fixing and other anti-competitive behaviors. This helps ensure you stay on the right side of the law regarding market competition.
What it costs you
There is no monetary fee to access this guidance. However, following these rules requires you to make sure all your business decisions are made independently, without consulting competitors.
The catch to know
The biggest pitfall is discussing commission splits or pricing with other agents. Such discussions can be considered illegal collusion, which is when businesses secretly cooperate to manipulate prices rather than competing fairly.
How to apply
- Review the guidelines to understand legal business practices.
- Ensure your commission structures are decided independently.
- Avoid discussing pricing or marketing strategies with competitors.
- Consult the official government website for further regulatory details.