Competition Bureau to probe Canadian Real Estate Association [Video]

The Competition Bureau says it has obtained a court order as part of an investigation into potential anti-competitive conduct by the Canadian Real Estate Association.

The bureau said Thursday its investigation is looking into whether CREA’s rules discourage buyers’ realtors from offering lower commission rates or whether they affect competition in other ways.

It’s also looking into whether CREA’s agent co-operation policy makes it harder for alternative listing services to compete with the major listing services, or gives larger brokerages an unfair advantage over smaller ones.

The court order requires CREA to produce records and information relevant to the investigation, the bureau said, adding the investigation is ongoing and there is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time.

CREA’s membership includes more than 160,000 real estate brokers, agents and salespeople.

The association said it’s co-operating with the bureau’s investigation.

In a statement, CREA chair James Mabey said the organization believes its rules and policies are “pro-competitive and pro-consumer” and …