The agency has obtained a court order from the Federal Court to collect information from GVR on how commission rules are enforced among its 15,000 members, according to a Feb. 20 press release.
Buyer’s agent rules
When the investigation began in 2024, the federal agency focused on investigating the policies of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). These include how commission rules can affect 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 agency needs more information from GVR to determine whether these rules dEncourage buyer’s agents to compete by offering lower commission rates or alternative pricing models, or whether they eEncourage “steering,” a practice in which agents are motivated to steer buyers toward homes that offer higher commissions.
The agency noted in its statement that the investigation is ongoing and there is no evidence of wrongdoing by GVR at this time.
The investigation into CREA is still ongoing.
GVR responds
GVR CEO Jeff King said the association takes competition law seriously and is fully cooperating with the agency’s investigation.
“We as an organization are committed to following our legal and regulatory obligations to the letter and 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 more than a decade of experience covering daily business news.
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