Do You Need a Realtor to Buy a Presale in BC? (And What It Actually Costs You)

No — having your own realtor on a BC presale costs you nothing. The developer pays the buyer's agent commission out of its own sales and marketing budget, and the price on the price list is identical whether you walk in alone or with representation. Showing up unrepresented does not get you a discount; it simply removes the only person in the room whose legal duty is to you. It is the single most common misunderstanding we hear at presentation centres across Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and Coquitlam: "I'll go direct and save the commission." That is not how new-construction sales work in British Columbia. Here is exactly what happens to that money, who the person behind the desk actually works for, and what going in alone really costs you. Who actually pays the buyer's agent on a presale? The developer does. Commission for the buyer's side is budgeted into a project's sales and marketing costs long before the price list is printed — usually at the pro forma stage, years before the sales centre opens. It is not a line item added to your purchase price, and it is not removed if you arrive without an agent. The developer keeps it. This is different from a resale transaction, where commission is negotiated between the seller and the listing brokerage on that specific property. On a presale, the co-operating commission is a fixed part of the project's launch budget. The practical translation: the money is already spent. The only question is whether it buys you an advocate or goes back into the developer's margin. The person at the presentation centre does not represent you This is a legal fact, not an opinion. Since June 15, 2018 , dual agency has been prohibited in British Columbia — a licensee cannot represent both the seller and the buyer in the same transaction narrow exceptions exist only for remote, underserved areas . Penalties reach $250,000 per licensee and $500,000 per brokerage . The sales representative at a presale centre is the developer's designated agent. Before providing substantive trading services, any BC licensee must present you with the BCFSA Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services DORTS form, which spells out who they act for. At a presentation centre, that form will tell you plainly that…

This article is part of the PresaleProperties.com BC real estate guide library. It is intended for buyers comparing presale condos, townhomes, assignments, deposits, completion timelines, neighbourhoods and developer incentives across Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

Because presale information changes quickly, readers should verify current project pricing, floor plans, incentives and availability before signing contracts or submitting deposits. For direct help, call 672 258-1100 or request VIP access on the relevant project page.