A field guide to real-estate representation in British Columbia

The rep behind the deal

What a licensed representative does for a buyer or a seller, step by step, and how to pick yours. A guide in plain words: we sell nothing and represent no one.

Plate 1. A West Coast house and the four moments a rep works on: the listing, the offer, the subjects, the keys.

Part one

The deal, step by step

A representative works for you inside a sale. Some of the work is theirs; the decisions stay yours.

	Step	What your rep does	What stays your call
1	The listing or the search	Reads recent sales nearby with you, prepares the listing or the search, and puts in writing what they will do for you.	The price you ask or pay, and whom you hire.
2	The offer	Drafts the offer, presents it, and negotiates the price, the deposit, the subjects and the dates.	Every number you sign.
3	Subjects	Tracks the subject dates for financing, inspection and strata papers, and keeps the other side informed.	Whether to remove subjects, or walk away.
4	Completion	Works with your lawyer or notary toward completion day and possession day.	The funds, and the keys.

Part two

Picking yours

Meet two or three before you sign with anyone. Bring this card.

For the first meeting

Are you licensed in BC, and with which brokerage?
Who will I deal with day to day: you or your team?
Which neighborhoods have you worked this year?
How is your fee set, and what does it cover?
How long does our agreement run, and how does it end?
Could you end up acting for the other side too?

Look them up. Licensed representatives in British Columbia appear on the regulator's public register. Check the name and the brokerage before the first meeting.

Read the agreement. It says what the rep will do, for how long, and how either of you can end it. Take it home before you sign.

Get the fee in writing. This guide quotes no commission figures. Ask each rep, compare the answers, and make sure the one you choose is the one in the agreement.

Part three

Words you will hear

Six terms you will meet in a BC sale.

Subjects: Conditions written into an offer, such as financing or an inspection, to be met or removed by a set date.
Deposit: Money the buyer pays toward the price, held in trust until completion.
Completion: The day the funds are paid and the title changes hands.
Possession: The day the keys change hands, set in the contract.
Strata: Shared ownership of a building or complex, run by an elected council under its bylaws.
Disclosure: What the seller states in writing about the property's known condition.

What this guide is not

It is not a brokerage. It offers no real-estate services, holds no license and gives no advice on a particular property. Representation in British Columbia is a licensed trade: for help with a sale or a purchase, hire a licensed representative.

A guide like this could live on bcrep.ca

For a BC team or brokerage, the name is a front door that says what the trade is called. The domain is for sale.

See the price