During the busy holiday season, sellers may struggle to prepare their property for showings. Here are some quick tips to help manage this.

Expectations

As a reminder, properties listed on the MLS^® System are expected to abide by the harmonized showing rule:

i. Active properties listed on the Board’s MLS^® System shall be available for showings within 24 hours of a request being made to view it, with the following exceptions: 

ii. If the property is occupied by a tenant as defined in the Residential Tenancies Act, that property will be available for showing as prescribed by the Residential Tenancies Act. If the property is a judicially ordered sale, the property will be available for showing as prescribed by the judicial order. 

iii. Commercial properties, which are not subject to Rule 2.03(b). 

Showing preferences

Include the seller’s preferred showing times in the private remarks to help buyer's agents schedule showings. Showing preferences are helpful, but buyer’s agents can still request showings outside of a seller’s preferred time to meet their buyers' needs. 

Temporary withdrawal

If your client can’t accommodate showings within 24 hours of a request or as required under the Residential Tenancies Act, consider temporarily withdrawing the listing. Properties can be temporarily withdrawn for up to 10 calendar days if the seller signs the Temporary Withdrawal Form.

Reactivate when ready

When the property is ready for showings within the 24-hour request window, you can reactivate the listing in two ways:

1. Through your broker - Brokers can handle both temporary withdrawals and reactivations.

2. Through CREB® Member Support - Simply email the Temporary Withdrawal Form to support@creb.ca for assistance.

For any questions, contact CREB^® Member Practice at crebmp@creb.ca. 

View CREB^® Rules here.