There is now a way for the public to report shady real estate deals.

The Real Estate Council of British Columbia announced the launch Thursday of an anonymous tipline “to enhance consume protection in British Columbia’s real estate market.”

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“People deserve to know that they can trust the professionals they are working with when they are buying or selling real estate,” Finance Minister Carol James said in a press release. “I am encouraged by the council’s move to have a new tipline that will help protect people from unethical conduct in our real estate market.”

The tipline gives the public and real estate professionals an avenue for reporting suspicious activities o the real estate council while remaining anonymous. The council’s investigators will review each tip and make sure that appropriate action is taken “to ensure consumers are protected and professional standards are met.”

The new tipline is in addition to the council’s existing complaints process.

“As the regulator of licensed real estate professionals, we are proud to launch this new tipline to help protect consumers in B.C.’s real estate sector,” said council chair Robert Holmes. “Anyone can now report suspected misconduct on a confidential basis by calling the tipline or submitting it online, and we will follow it up.”

Establishing a tipline was one of the recommendations made by the real estate council’s independent advisory group to enhance protection for real estate consumers in B.C.

The province also recently increased the amount of the fines the council can hand out from $10,000 for an individual to $250,000.

Tips can be submitted by phone at 1-833-420-2400, or online at www.recbc.ca/about/anonymous-tipline.html.