Printed . This content is updated regularly, please refer back to https://bcfsa.ca to ensure that you are relying on the most up-to-date resources.

File a Real Estate Complaint

File a Real Estate Complaint

a man leaning on a causeway railing talking on his mobile phone

Select the section you’d like to navigate to.

Accordion items

If you are concerned about the actions of a real estate licensee or a brokerage, in order for us to best help you, please first consider taking the steps below.

When filing a complaint with BCFSA, investigators will need to have enough evidence to investigate, so please ensure you are prepared to submit all evidence that may be relevant to your complaint. Complaints that lack sufficient evidence or that fall outside of BCFSA’s authority will be closed, and a letter will be sent to the complainant informing them that the complaint has been closed.

  • Before you submit a complaint, please review the following questions:

    1. Have you discussed your concerns with the real estate licensee?

      - This can be in person, on the phone, or in writing.
      - Carefully document the discussion and any attempts to discuss, including dates, times, and a summary of what was said.
    2. If the matter is not resolved, have you discussed your concerns with the managing broker who oversees the brokerage?

      - Document your discussion, including dates, times, and a summary of what was said.
      - The managing broker is responsible for taking necessary steps to resolve your complaint, which may include filing a complaint with BCFSA.
    3. Have you confirmed that BCFSA is the correct organization to handle your complaint?

      - You may contact BCFSA’s Practice Standards Advisors if you are still unsure.
    4. Do you have evidence to support your complaint? This may include:

      - Listing or other service agreements;
      - Contracts of Purchase and Sale;
      - Agency disclosure forms;
      - Property disclosure statements;
      - Listing information;
      - Relevant correspondence; and/or
      - Any documents related to a rental or strata property management complaint.

    If you have answered “yes” to all the steps above, you are ready to make a complaint to BCFSA.

    See Examples of Completed Complaints (will open in a new tab)

What Happens After I Submit a Complaint?

  1. You will receive acknowledgement by email that BCFSA has received your complaint and it will be reviewed.
  2. Once BCFSA has determined that it has the authority to address the matter and that enough evidence has been provided to support further investigation, you may be contacted by an investigator and asked to provide more information.
  3. BCFSA will assess and categorize your complaint based on risk to determine the priority of the file. Complaints are assessed and prioritized by BCFSA based on a range of factors that may include real or potential risk of harm to the public, whether the conduct was intentional, whether the licensee has taken steps to resolve issues, and a licensee’s discipline history.

Ready to Submit a Complaint?

Complainants may submit a complaint using the online portal. Before beginning, please ensure you have collected and can provide evidence as attachments. The online form times out after 15 minutes of inactivity and will not be saved.

If you would like to submit a complaint in writing by completing a downloadable form or are unable to fill out the form online, please contact [email protected].

Submit a Complaint Online (will open in a new tab)

Accessing the Special Compensation Fund

If your money has been held in trust by a real estate licensee or an unlicensed person acting on behalf of a brokerage and you are concerned that it has not been handled appropriately, you may meet the requirements to make a claim against the Real Estate Special Compensation Fund.

For more details on the complaint process and discipline procedures, view BCFSA’s Complaints Processes and Discipline Procedures pages on our website.