**This story was edited on September 11th to fix an inaccuracy.**

In case you missed it on Thursday, the B.C. government put in motion a plan to end to dual agency.

Realtors could soon no longer be able to represent both the seller and buyer in a real estate transaction.
 

On Friday, the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board (OMREB) responded to the potential change and they’re not happy.

“Everyday, realtors help their clients understand real estate transactions, so they can make informed decisions,” said OMREB president Tanis Read. “Over my career as a realtor, many long-standing clients have developed trust with me, and now my clients have no choice but to start from the beginning and build new relationships. Trust is a crucial part of what is often the largest financial transaction in people’s lives.”

The practice is more common in smaller communities where there are less real estate agents, but OMREB sees it as an issue bigger cities as well.

Dual agency can be used in cases when realtors have established relationships with buyers and sellers, where they specialize in particular property types.

“Rather than working with licensees they don’t know, we’re concerned people may decide to complete real estate transactions without representation,” said Read. “That goes against the consumer protection mandate of the Superintendent of Real Estate and the Real Estate Council of BC.”

The proposed change stems from a series of recommendations made by the Independent Advisory Group in June 2016.

One of those recommendations was based on the isolated activities of a few licensees, which OMREB says came at a highly politicized time.

“The vast majority of B.C.’s more than 22,000 licensees are diligent, ethical and trustworthy,” OMREB said in a statement. “So BCREA local real estate boards, including OMREB, have recommended that limited dual agency should be allowed through the express consent of consumers.”

OMREB says they, along with 11 other B.C. real estate boards, will examine the draft rule changes and carefully determine their next steps.