In May 2025, BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner and Registrar of Lobbyists Michael Harvey conducted a tour of the province to gather public feedback as part of his offices’ strategic planning process for the next three years.  

As part of the engagement process, the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) submitted written consultation responses divided into the topics of 1) privacy and access to information, and 2) lobbying. We engaged with membership to inform our responses and thank everyone who contributed to making our submissions comprehensive.  

BCREA continues to focus Advocacy and resources on ensuring REALTORS® maintain best practices in the realm of privacy, such as through a new video (BCREA Access login required) on understanding privacy rights and how personal information is stored.  

Below you will find a broad overview of recommendations included in BCREA’s recent submission on privacy and access to information, which focused on concerns about the structure and process of data collection used to regulate BC’s real estate sector. 

Privacy 

1. Clarify regulatory data collection purpose, authority, and appropriateness through sector collaboration.
   Regulatory data collection must be clearly justified, purpose-driven, and aligned with legal authority to uphold privacy principles and avoid unnecessary exposure of sensitive information. Collaboration between regulators and sectors, guided by principles like data minimization and accountability, ensures data is relevant, accurately interpreted, and responsibly used. 

2. Improve regulatory accountability in data collection processes. 
   To ensure high standards in regulatory environments, robust accountability mechanisms – such as audits, annual reporting, and designated data protection roles – must be implemented to govern data collection and use. These measures should align with legislative obligations while safeguarding against conflicts with the intended purpose of data collection practices, reinforcing transparency, security, and responsible stewardship. 

3. Provide small and medium-sized businesses support to fulfill privacy obligations. 
   Small and medium-sized businesses need tailored support to protect the data they collect, including standardized digital consent tools and simplified privacy compliance guidance for service-based sectors like real estate. Scalable privacy obligations, education campaigns, and proportionate requirements are essential to reflect the diverse technological capacities of these organizations. 

4. Recognize sector-specific roles in handling sensitive information and ensure regulatory alignment. 
   Organizations in service-based industries already manage sensitive data under existing regulations, so new privacy requirements must be practical, proportional, and aligned with current frameworks. Coordinated efforts between privacy authorities and sector regulators are essential to reduce duplication, ease compliance burdens, and maintain public trust through consistent data protection practices. 

Access to Information 

1. Improve response timelines for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. 
   To improve transparency and efficiency, clearer service-level agreements should be established for FOI requests to ensure timely responses. Additionally, basic strata documents and development permits should be made more accessible without requiring formal FOI processes. 

2. Encourage proactive disclosure of frequently requested datasets. 
   A centralized digital portal should be developed to streamline access to public real estate and business-related information across all BC municipalities. This would enhance transparency, reduce administrative burden, and improve service delivery for residents and businesses alike. 

BCREA supports the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists in their efforts to modernize their mandates and improve service delivery. We welcome continued dialogue with both the offices and REALTORS® on this issue to ensure the real estate sector’s privacy and access to information concerns are effectively considered. 

To subscribe to receive BCREA publications such as this one, or to update your email address or current subscriptions, click here.