Almost every BC presale contract requires the developer's written consent before you can assign, and that consent is generally at their discretion. A refusal — or a consent that is granted and later withdrawn, which happened to a lot of people in 2026 — is one of the more stressful moments in a presale, because it removes the exit you were counting on.
First, read what the contract actually says. There is a meaningful difference between a developer who prohibits assignments outright, one who permits them only after a sales threshold is reached, one who permits only one assignment per unit, and one who permits the assignment but forbids public marketing. Those are four different situations with four different sets of options, and they are frequently confused with one another.
If consent is genuinely refused, you have three realistic paths. Complete the purchase and keep it, financing permitting. Complete and then sell it as a normal resale, which removes the assignment restrictions entirely but means paying the closing costs and GST first. Or wait — some developers relax their position closer to completion once the building is largely sold, and a refusal today is not always a refusal in six months.
The path that ends badly is doing nothing until the completion date arrives without financing in place. That is how people end up in breach of contract and lose their deposit. If completion is the likely outcome, the work starts now, with a mortgage broker who understands presale completions.
We have taken 450+ families through presale contracts and had 2 defaults in five years, and the reason that number is low is that these conversations happen early rather than in the final month.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Assignment tax treatment in particular is unforgiving, and we will tell you to speak to a CPA before you accept an offer.
Yes. Most BC presale contracts make assignment subject to the developer's written consent, and in many contracts that consent is at their sole discretion. Some contracts prohibit assignment entirely.
In many contracts, yes — and it happened to a number of BC sellers in 2026. Because consent is usually discretionary, permission and marketing approval can be conditional or time-limited. This is why nothing should be promised to an assignment buyer before consent is confirmed in writing.
Failing to complete puts you in breach of the purchase contract. Consequences can include losing your deposit and, in some circumstances, further liability. This is the outcome to plan around early — options are much wider six months out than six weeks out.
Often yes, within the limits the developer sets. Marketing restrictions vary widely: some developers prohibit MLS and public portals but permit an agent's private buyer network. The restriction has to be confirmed for your specific contract before any marketing begins.
Not always. Developer positions can change as a building sells through. A refusal early in a project is sometimes revisited later — which is one reason to keep the conversation open rather than treat the first answer as final.
Talk to a buyer-side presale specialist: (672) 258-1100. Free contract review and valuation — we don't work for the developer.