Open Houses in BC: What Buyers and Sellers Should Know

An open house lets buyers walk through a home without booking a showing. This guide explains how open houses work in BC: who hosts and who they represent, when the disclosure forms come out, sign-in sheets and your privacy, what buyers should look for, how sellers can prepare and protect their home, and what happens after the doors close.

The short version

Public open houses and agent tours

A public open house is an advertised time when anyone can walk through a listed home. Some listings also have a tour for real estate professionals only, which isn't open to the public, so agents can preview the home for their buyers.

BCFSA, which regulates real estate licensees in BC, says it is best practice for the seller's agent to host, as the person who knows the property and must act in the seller's best interests. If they can't, they should confirm the seller still wants to go ahead, get the seller's informed consent and arrange another licensee from their own brokerage. BCFSA strongly discourages using a licensee from another brokerage, and its guidelines say unlicensed assistants can't host open houses.

Who the host works for

Expect the host to act for the seller. BC's rules don't allow dual agency, apart from narrow exceptions, and BCFSA says a host from the seller's team, or a designated agent for the seller, can't take on buyers for that property. I explain why in dual agency in BC.

• General questions are fine. Under the Real Estate Services Rules, a licensee hosting an advertised open house doesn't have to give you a disclosure form just to answer factual questions about the home.
• Forms come out when it gets personal. If the talk turns to your motivation or finances, BCFSA says the host should pause and give you the Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services form and, if you have no agent, the Disclosure of Risks to Unrepresented Parties form, which explains the limited help a seller's agent can give you and that what you tell them will be shared with the seller.
• If you have an agent. Bring them, or say who they are; BCFSA says the form isn't required when your own agent is with you. If you've signed a buyer agency agreement, check its terms first; see buyer agency agreements in BC.

Sign-in sheets and your personal information

If the host asks you to sign in, BC's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) applies to the brokerage collecting your details:

• Consent and purpose. The brokerage needs your consent, which PIPA treats as given if you hand over your details voluntarily for a purpose obvious to a reasonable person. Otherwise, it must tell you the purpose on or before collecting them.
• Reasonable only. It may collect personal information only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.
• Kept secure. PIPA requires reasonable security arrangements, so one visitor's details shouldn't sit where the next visitor can read them.
• Your say. Ask how your details will be used, and say if you don't want follow-up calls or emails.

For sellers, there's a difference: PIPA doesn't apply to an individual's personal or domestic purposes, which BCREA's legal column says may cover your own security camera, but your brokerage's sign-in process is covered.

For buyers: making a short visit count

• Look past the staging. Check ceilings, window frames and under sinks for stains, notice any damp or musty smell, and look at the floors, decks and whatever parts of the roof you can see.
• Ask what the host knows. The year built and major updates, the age of the roof, furnace and hot water tank, what's included in the sale, whether there's an offer date, and whether a property disclosure statement is available.
• Check the setting. Notice noise, light, parking and storage, and come back at another time of day if the home is a contender.
• Write it down. Take notes room by room, and ask before taking photos or video.
• Condos and townhouses. Ask about the strata fees, and plan to review the Form B, bylaws, minutes and depreciation report before you remove subjects; see the strata documents to read first.

An open house is no substitute for an inspection; see what home inspectors check. On etiquette, follow the host's lead on shoes, keep children with you, leave pets at home, and don't open drawers, desks, medicine cabinets or personal storage, which BCREA's legal column lists among sample showing rules.

For sellers: preparing and protecting your home

• Put things away. Lock up or remove jewellery, cash, small electronics, medication, spare keys, garage remotes and documents with account numbers.
• Cameras. BCREA's legal column says sellers can use security cameras, such as doorbell cameras, to protect their property. Sound is different: the Criminal Code makes it an offence to knowingly intercept a private communication, such as a buyer talking with their agent, unless one of them consents. Tell your agent about every device, and ask a lawyer before you record or listen in on conversations.
• Plan to be out. The host is there for you, and you won't be drawn into conversations that affect your negotiation.
• Strata bylaws. The Strata Property Act lets a strata pass bylaws on where sale signs can go and when open houses can be held, but not bylaws that prohibit or unreasonably restrict them. Ask for the bylaws and any rules on signs, lobby access, elevators and whether visitors must be met at the door.
• Rented homes. BC's tenancy guidance says that if you and your tenant can't agree on a time, you can give written notice of the open house date and time, and you can't require the tenant to leave; see selling a tenanted home.

Safety for everyone

Under BC's Occupiers Liability Act, an occupier, such as an owner living in the home, must take reasonable care that people on the premises are reasonably safe. Before an open house, fix or flag hazards such as loose railings, slippery steps and cords across walkways, and keep exits clear.

• Visitors. Watch stairs, decks and children, and stay out of areas the host has closed off.
• Hosts. Know how many people are inside, and keep closed rooms locked or in view.
• Afterward. Walk through with your agent and check doors and windows. BCREA's column advises reporting and documenting any loss, damage or theft right away.

After the open house: offers and offer dates

An interested buyer may book a private showing, then write an offer. Some sellers set an offer date to review offers together; others review them as they arrive, as I explain in offer dates and holding offers. Either way, the Real Estate Services Rules require the listing agent to communicate all offers to the seller in a timely, objective and unbiased manner.

For most residential purchases in BC, the buyer then has the Home Buyer Rescission Period: three business days, starting the next business day after acceptance, to cancel by paying the seller 0.25% of the price. It runs alongside subjects such as financing and inspection, and some sales are excluded, including leasehold, auction and court-ordered sales.

Questions buyers and sellers often ask me

Do I have to sign in at an open house?

The host may ask. Under BC's privacy law, the brokerage may collect only what's reasonable for its purpose and must keep your details secure. Ask how they'll be used, and decline follow-up if you like. If you'd rather not sign in, book a private showing through your own agent instead.

Can the host represent me if I want to buy the home?

Not if they act for the seller. Acting for you on the same property would be dual agency, which BC's rules don't allow apart from narrow exceptions. You can hire your own agent, or buy without one after receiving the Disclosure of Risks to Unrepresented Parties form.

Should I tell the host my budget?

It's better not to. BCFSA says a host should make clear that they act for the seller and must share with the seller any confidential information from people who aren't their clients. Keep your price, timing and reasons for moving for your own agent.

Should sellers stay home during an open house?

I suggest going out. Visitors can look without feeling watched, and you avoid conversations that could weaken your negotiating position. Agree with your agent beforehand on keys, signs, pets and any rooms that are off limits.

Can I make an offer right after an open house?

Yes. Ask the host whether the seller has set an offer date and how early offers will be handled. Line up your financing and plan your subjects, such as an inspection and the strata documents, before you sign, and remember that cancelling during the rescission period costs 0.25% of the price.

Planning your next move? Read how to handle multiple offers without overpaying, or what to ask when choosing a listing agent.

This article is general information, not legal advice. The details come from BCFSA, the Real Estate Services Rules, BCREA's Legally Speaking column, the Personal Information Protection Act, the Strata Property Act, the Occupiers Liability Act, the Criminal Code and BC's tenancy guidance, and were current at the time of writing; your strata's bylaws and your brokerage's policies may add their own rules. For BCFSA's plain-language guide to the forms, see BCFSA's consumer guide to disclosures.