THE Real Estate Council of British Columbia is launching an anonymous tipline to enhance consumer protection in British Columbia’s real estate market.
“People deserve to know that they can trust the professionals they are working with when they are buying or selling real estate,” said Finance Minister Carole James on Thursday. “I am encouraged by the council’s move to have a new tipline that will help protect people from unethical conduct in our real estate market.”
Consumers and real estate agents will now have an anonymous way to report suspected misconduct by real estate agents. There are two ways to share a tip:
- By phone: 1-833-420-2400
- Online: https://www.recbc.ca/about/anonymous-tipline.html
The tipline gives members of the public and real estate professionals the opportunity to let the real estate council know about suspicious activities, while protecting their identities. The council’s trained investigators will review each tip and make sure that appropriate action is taken to ensure consumers are protected and professional standards are met. The new tipline is in addition to the real estate council’s existing complaints process. The council opens an investigation file on every complaint received.
“As the regulator of licensed real estate professionals, we are proud to launch this new tipline to help protect consumers in B.C.’s real estate sector,” said council chair Robert Holmes. “Anyone can now report suspected misconduct on a confidential basis by calling the tipline or submitting it online, and we will follow it up.”
Establishing a tipline was one of the recommendations made by the council’s Independent Advisory Group, to enhance protection for real estate consumers in B.C.
Quick Facts:
- The Real Estate Council of B.C. was established in 1958. In 2018, the council became a Crown agency.
- The council protects the public interest by ensuring real estate licensees are competent and making sure licensees comply with the Real Estate Services Act.
- To give the council better enforcement tools, the Province recently increased fines from $10,000, for an individual, to $250,000.
