{"id":12824,"date":"2025-07-31T20:31:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T02:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/stand-up-for-your-rights-what-sellers-need-to-know-about-buyer-agent-refusals\/"},"modified":"2025-07-31T20:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T02:31:13","slug":"stand-up-for-your-rights-what-sellers-need-to-know-about-buyer-agent-refusals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/stand-up-for-your-rights-what-sellers-need-to-know-about-buyer-agent-refusals\/","title":{"rendered":"Stand\u00a0Up\u00a0for Your Rights: What Sellers Need to Know About Buyer Agent Refusals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Canadians deserve a real estate experience free from outdated gatekeeping and unethical tactics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At&nbsp;<strong>ComFree<\/strong>, we believe that Canadians deserve a fair, transparent, and commission-free alternative to the traditional real estate model. Our mission is to empower homeowners with the tools and education to take control of their home sale \u2014 and to keep more of their hard-earned equity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But change doesn\u2019t always come easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across Canada, many ComFree sellers are encountering a troubling and illegal practice:&nbsp;<strong>some buyer agents are refusing to show ComFree listings<\/strong>, even when their clients are interested. This is not only&nbsp;<strong>a violation of professional ethics<\/strong>, it may also be&nbsp;<strong>an illegal anti-competitive practice<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 one that is currently under&nbsp;<strong>investigation by the Competition Bureau of Canada<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What&#8217;s Happening?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some buyer agents are choosing to&nbsp;<em>boycott<\/em>&nbsp;or discourage buyers from viewing homes listed through ComFree because there is no automatic commission baked into the sale. Instead of respecting their client\u2019s interests, they are putting their own financial gain first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is wrong. Here&#8217;s why:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It&#8217;s a Violation of CREA&#8217;s Rules<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">REALTORS\u00ae have a fiduciary obligation to their clients.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All licensed REALTORS\u00ae in Canada are bound by the&nbsp;<strong>Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) Cooperation Policy<\/strong>, which&nbsp;<strong>requires agents to cooperate with all other MLS\u00ae listings<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 regardless of commission offered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The CREA policy clearly states:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMLS\u00ae participants must not refuse to show or cooperate on any property listed on a board\u2019s MLS\u00ae system.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In plain terms:&nbsp;<strong>if your home is listed on the MLS\u00ae, other agents must show it if their buyer is interested.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>It&#8217;s Under Federal Investigation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This issue has become so widespread that it is now&nbsp;<strong>under formal investigation by the Competition Bureau of Canada<\/strong>&nbsp;for potentially violating the&nbsp;<strong>Competition Act<\/strong>. Practices like steering clients away from certain listings, demanding&nbsp;upfront commissions, or refusing showings may be considered&nbsp;<strong>anti-competitive behavior<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>You Have the Right to a Fair Sale<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a homeowner, you have every right to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Demand that your home be shown fairly to any interested buyer.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report unethical or non-compliant behavior from agents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sell your home on your terms, without being bullied or manipulated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How to Combat This as a ComFree Seller<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s how you can protect yourself and ensure your listing gets the attention it deserves:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Be Informed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understand your rights. Agents cannot legally refuse to show your home just because you\u2019re not offering a commission. Period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Speak&nbsp;Up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If a buyer agent says they \u201cwon\u2019t show ComFree listings\u201d or insists on commission, ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>\u201cAre you refusing to show my MLS\u00ae listing to your client?\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>\u201cAre you putting your commission ahead of your client&#8217;s best interests?\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let them know you are aware of CREA&#8217;s cooperation policy and the Competition Bureau\u2019s ongoing investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Document Everything<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If an agent refuses to show your property or pressures you for commission:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Get it in writing or note the time, date, and what was said.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contact your local real estate board to file a complaint.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Let ComFree know \u2014 we\u2019ll support you in escalating the issue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Educate the Buyer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re contacted by an interested buyer, let them know their agent is required to show the property. Encourage them to ask questions and consider their right to choose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The Future of Real Estate Is Transparent, Fair &amp; Commission-Free<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The old system is being challenged \u2014 and for good reason. Sellers deserve options. Buyers deserve choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re facing resistance from agents,&nbsp;<strong>know that you\u2019re not alone \u2014 and you are in the right.&nbsp;<\/strong>Together, we\u2019re reshaping the real estate landscape for the better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Have questions or want help dealing with agent resistance?<\/strong><br>Reach out to the ComFree team. We\u2019re here to educate, support, and advocate for you every step of the way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Canadians deserve a real estate experience free from outdated gatekeeping and unethical tactics. At&nbsp;ComFree, we believe that Canadians deserve a fair, transparent, and commission-free alternative to the traditional real estate model. Our mission is to empower homeowners with the tools and education to take control of their home sale \u2014 and to keep more of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_eb_attr":"","content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3383,371,514,3384,3385,3386],"class_list":["post-12824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-buyer-agent","tag-for-sale-by-owner","tag-fsbo","tag-illegal-practices","tag-refusals","tag-sellers-rights"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12824","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12824\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/future.supercurious.au\/comfree\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}