What is dual agency in BC and is it legal?

Direct answer

Dual agency — where one realtor represents BOTH the buyer and the seller in the same transaction — has been GENERALLY PROHIBITED in BC since June 15, 2018 under BCFSA's Designated Agency rules (Real Estate Services Act, Rule 3-1). A licensee may only represent one party (the buyer OR the seller) in a single transaction; the brokerage may have separate licensees representing each side ("designated agency"), but no individual licensee can serve both sides. A narrow exception applies in remote/underserved areas where no other realtor is reasonably available, but only with the written informed consent of both parties and only after the licensee discloses every material conflict. Most BC consumers will never encounter the exception in practice — it requires a written application by the licensee documenting the unavailability of alternatives. The Designated Agency rules also require every licensee to provide a Disclosure of Representation in Trading Services form to clients before any substantive discussion. If a licensee suggests dual agency outside the remote-area exception, it is a regulatory red flag; switching to an independent buyer's agent is the standard practitioner move.