When you’re planning a move, it’s natural to focus on what your current home will sell for. You remember what similar properties fetched before, and you may have a number in mind that would make moving feel worthwhile.

But if you’re buying another home, your sale price is only part of the picture.

The difference between what you sell for and what you pay next can matter just as much.

A Lower Sale Price Doesn’t Always Mean a More Expensive Move

Consider this hypothetical example of a homeowner moving from a townhome to a detached house:

In the second scenario, the homeowner receives $50,000 less for the townhome. However, the next home costs $100,000 less, reducing the price difference by $50,000.

These are illustrative figures, not current market estimates. They show why reviewing both sides of a move can reveal something that a sale price alone cannot.

Your Two Markets May Behave Differently

Selling and buying at the same time doesn’t mean both properties face identical conditions.

A townhome in Sardis and an acreage in rural Abbotsford attract different buyers. A condo in Chilliwack and a detached home in Langley may have different levels of competition, even within the same month.

That’s why broad headlines can only tell you so much.

Before deciding whether a move makes sense, compare:

• The likely selling range for your current home.

• The realistic purchase range for the property you want.

• The selection available in your target neighbourhood.

• The timing and terms needed to connect the two transactions.

The opportunity depends on your particular move.

Moving Up? Watch the Price Gap

If you’re moving to a more expensive property, changes in the purchase price can have a substantial effect on the amount you need to add.

It can be tempting to delay selling until your home reaches a particular value. But consider what might happen to the homes you want to buy during that wait.

If both properties become more expensive, your equity may increase while the cost of moving up also grows.

The useful question is: What would it cost to make the move now, and does that fit our needs and budget?

Downsizing? Focus on the Equity You’ll Keep

For someone downsizing, the goal may be to reduce debt, simplify maintenance or free up money for retirement.

In that situation, the amount left after both transactions deserves close attention.

Start with the expected sale proceeds, then account for your mortgage payout, selling expenses, purchase costs and moving expenses. Compare that figure with the full cost of your next home.

A smaller property may also introduce different ongoing expenses. If you’re considering a strata home, for example, include its fees and review its financial documents as part of your purchase investigation.

Downsizing works best when the numbers support the lifestyle you’re trying to create.

Negotiate the Whole Move

Price matters, but dates and other terms can affect how smoothly a move comes together.

A sale with a completion date that coordinates with your purchase may reduce the need for temporary accommodation or storage. A flexible possession arrangement may give you more breathing room.

Before accepting an offer or making one, consider how it fits with the other transaction. An attractive price can become less appealing if the timing creates expensive complications.

Your Realtor, lender and legal professional can help you work through the details before you commit.

Build a Plan Around Realistic Numbers

Rather than relying on the highest possible sale price and the lowest imaginable purchase price, work with a realistic range.

Ask what the move looks like if your home sells near the lower end of that range. Then check whether the next purchase still feels comfortable.

That gives you a clearer basis for making decisions—and helps you recognize an opportunity when one appears.

Whether you’re moving up, downsizing or relocating within the Fraser Valley, we can help you compare both sides and understand what the move could look like for you.

Kim Parley & Laura Lindstrom PREC
eXp Realty
604-217-7781
People Moving People
www.besthomesonearth.ca

SEO title: Buying and Selling in the Fraser Valley: The Price Gap
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Featured image text: Your Next Move: Look at the Difference

Your home is listed, the photos look great, and you’re ready for your next move. But the offer you expected hasn’t arrived.

Should you lower the price? Improve the marketing? Finish a few projects? Or give it more time?

Before making a change, it helps to identify where buyers are losing interest. A listing that receives few showings needs a different conversation from one that attracts steady traffic but no offers.

Start With Today’s Competition

The price you chose when you listed deserves another look as competing properties sell, reduce their prices or come onto the market.

Ask your Realtor to review three groups:

• Recently sold homes: What did buyers actually choose, and what did those properties offer?

• Active listings: How does your home compare with the alternatives buyers can view today?

• Listings that haven’t sold: Are there similarities in price, condition or presentation?

Keep the comparison close to your property type and neighborhood. A detached home in Abbotsford a Sardis townhome and an acreage outside Langley can appeal to very different buyers.

The useful question is: If a buyer toured your home and its closest competitors this weekend, what would make yours their first choice?

Few Showings? Review Price and Presentation Together

When showing requests are scarce, look at what buyers see before they ever reach the front door.

Does the main photo make someone want to see more? Are the rooms bright and easy to understand? Does the description explain the home’s strongest features? Are important details missing?

Then look at the asking price alongside that presentation. Attractive photos can draw attention, but buyers still compare the space, condition, location and features available within their budget.

Also review showing access. Limited appointment windows can make it harder for interested buyers to include your property in their plans.

Showings but No Offers? Look for a Pattern

A single buyer’s opinion is just one opinion. Repeated feedback deserves closer attention.

Perhaps buyers consistently mention dated flooring, road noise, a small yard or a layout that doesn’t suit them. Some concerns are practical to address. Others need to be reflected in the price and the audience you’re trying to reach.

Ask specific questions:

• Which objections come up repeatedly?

• What are buyers choosing instead?

• Is there an improvement that would address the concern?

• Does the asking price already account for the difference?

Comments such as “nice home” don’t tell you much. Understanding why buyers move on gives you something useful to work with.

Make Improvements With a Clear Purpose

Before spending money, decide what problem the work is intended to solve.

Clearing crowded rooms can make the space easier to assess. Touching up damaged paint can improve presentation. Addressing a visible maintenance issue can remove a concern that keeps appearing in feedback.

A major renovation requires a different conversation. Get estimates and compare the likely benefit with the cost, disruption and time involved. Spending more does not guarantee a higher sale price.

If the presentation changes substantially, update the listing photos so buyers can see the improvement.

Give a Price Adjustment a Clear Reason

A price change should follow a fresh review of the evidence.

Consider the homes buyers are choosing, the competition still available and the response to your listing. Discuss whether a proposed adjustment would make your home meaningfully more competitive.

Your plans matter, too. If you’re buying another property, review the sale and purchase together. Your next decision should account for the overall move, including timing and the funds available after selling.

Set a Review Date

Waiting is easier when there is a plan.

Agree with your Realtor on what you’ll review and when: showing activity, recurring feedback, competing sales and any changes to your timeline. That creates a clear point for deciding whether to adjust the price, presentation or approach.

Your home doesn’t need to appeal to everyone. It needs to offer a convincing combination of features, condition and price to the buyers most likely to choose it.

Thinking about selling in Chilliwack or the Fraser Valley? We’ll help you understand your competition and build a plan around your home and your next move.

Kim Parley & Laura Lindstrom PREC
eXp Realty
604-217-7781
People Moving People
www.besthomesonearth.ca

SEO title: Home Not Selling in the Fraser Valley? What to Change
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Featured image text: Your Home Isn’t Selling. What Comes Next?

Chilliwack has become one of the Fraser Valley’s most appealing destinations for homebuyers—and it is easy to understand why.

Surrounded by mountains, rivers and some of British Columbia’s most beautiful outdoor spaces, Chilliwack offers a lifestyle that can be difficult to find closer to Vancouver. Buyers are discovering that they do not necessarily have to choose between comfortable living, everyday amenities and access to nature.

More Home for Your Money

Affordability remains one of the biggest reasons buyers consider Chilliwack.

Although prices vary considerably by neighbourhood and property type, buyers can often find more living space, a larger yard or a newer home than they could purchase for a similar price closer to Metro Vancouver.

Chilliwack offers an extensive selection of real estate, including:

• Condominiums and townhomes

• Family homes in established neighbourhoods

• Newer homes with modern layouts

• Properties with basement suites

• Acreages and rural homes

• Gated and retirement communities

• Luxury homes with mountain and valley views

This variety makes the community attractive to first-time buyers, growing families, downsizers, investors and people relocating from more expensive markets.

An Outdoor Lifestyle

Living in Chilliwack means having exceptional recreation close to home.

Residents can walk or cycle along the Vedder River, hike local mountain trails, spend the day at Cultus Lake or explore nearby fishing, camping and boating destinations. Many neighbourhoods are designed around parks, trails and natural spaces, making outdoor activities part of everyday life.

Communities such as Rivers Edge, Garrison Crossing and areas throughout Sardis are especially popular with buyers who want walkability and convenient access to recreation.

Neighbourhoods for Different Stages of Life

Chilliwack is not a one-size-fits-all market. Each neighbourhood offers a different combination of housing, amenities and lifestyle.

Sardis is popular with families because of its schools, shopping, parks and access to the Vedder River. Promontory offers hillside living, beautiful views and a variety of family homes. Fairfield Island provides a quieter residential setting close to the Fraser River, while Downtown Chilliwack continues to evolve around District 1881 and the surrounding shops, restaurants and services.

The right location depends on more than the home itself. Commute requirements, schools, recreation, future plans and the character of the neighbourhood should all be considered.

A Growing Community with Everyday Convenience

Chilliwack continues to grow while maintaining a strong sense of community.

Residents have convenient access to shopping, restaurants, healthcare, recreation facilities and schools. Highway 1 provides connections throughout the Fraser Valley, while Abbotsford International Airport is within convenient driving distance for many travellers.

Remote and hybrid work have also given some buyers more flexibility. For those who do not need to commute into Metro Vancouver every day, Chilliwack can offer an appealing balance between housing, lifestyle and accessibility.

Is Chilliwack Right for You?

Choosing where to live is a personal decision. The best neighbourhood is the one that matches your lifestyle, budget and long-term plans.

Local knowledge becomes especially important because pricing, property characteristics and market conditions can vary considerably from one part of Chilliwack to another. Understanding those differences can help you make a more confident decision and avoid focusing on price alone.

If you are thinking about buying, selling or relocating to Chilliwack, we would be happy to help you explore your options.

Kim Parley & Laura Lindstrom PREC
eXp Realty 
People Moving People
www.besthomesonearth.ca

604-217-7781

The phrase “dual agency” causes a surprising amount of confusion in British Columbia real estate. Some people believe it means a REALTOR® cannot help a homeowner sell one property and then help that same client buy another. Others assume it is automatically a conflict whenever the same brokerage is involved on both sides of a transaction.

Neither belief tells the whole story.

The rules are designed to protect consumers when loyalties genuinely collide—not to prevent clients from receiving consistent advice as they move from one home to the next.

What dual agency actually means

Under British Columbia’s Real Estate Services Rules, dual agency generally occurs when a brokerage represents clients with opposing or conflicting interests in the same trade in real estate. The most familiar example is representing both the seller and the buyer of the same property.

It can also arise when a brokerage represents two or more buyers competing for the same property and their interests conflict.

The key ideas are the same transaction and conflicting client interests.

A seller wants the best possible price and terms. A buyer usually wants the lowest acceptable price and the most favourable protections and conditions. One professional cannot fully advocate for both objectives at the same time while also protecting each client’s confidential information.

That is the conflict the rules are intended to address.

Why the rules changed

Before 2018, limited dual agency was widely used in British Columbia. With informed consent, one licensee could sometimes represent both sides of the same transaction, although the licensee’s ability to advise and advocate for either party was necessarily restricted.

Concerns grew about whether consumers fully understood those limitations and whether one professional could realistically provide undivided loyalty to two clients whose financial interests were directly opposed.

Following a period of heightened concern about real estate practices and consumer protection in B.C., the province introduced stronger rules. Effective June 15, 2018, dual agency was generally prohibited, along with new disclosure and consumer-information requirements. A narrow exception was retained for certain remote or underserved locations where access to another licensee would be impracticable.

The change was not intended to suggest that every overlapping relationship is improper. It addressed a specific problem: trying to represent opposing clients in the same deal.

Selling your home and buying another is not dual agency

Having the same REALTOR® help you sell your current home and purchase your next home is not, by itself, dual agency or a conflict of interest. These are two separate transactions, and in both of them the REALTOR® is working toward the same client’s overall objective.

In fact, for many homeowners this is the right approach.

One REALTOR® can coordinate the timing of the sale and purchase, understand how the proceeds from the sale affect the next purchase, structure dates and conditions with the complete move in mind, and help reduce the risk of owning two homes—or no home—at the wrong time.

The same professional also knows your priorities, financing considerations, preferred communities and tolerance for risk. That continuity can be extremely valuable when a sale and purchase must work together.

The REALTOR® should still explain the agency relationship and identify any new conflict if circumstances change. But the simple fact that one professional is helping you sell one property and buy a different property does not create divided loyalty. You remain the client in both transactions, and your interests remain aligned.

What actually constitutes a conflict of interest?

A conflict exists when a real estate professional’s duties to one client—or the professional’s own interests—are incompatible with duties owed to another client.

Common examples include:

• Representing the seller while also attempting to represent the buyer of that seller’s property.

• Representing competing buyers who both want to purchase the same property when their interests conflict.

• Using one client’s confidential information to benefit another client.

• Having a personal, family or financial interest in a transaction that could affect the professional’s judgment.

• Receiving an undisclosed benefit or incentive that could influence the advice given to a client.

Not every connection is automatically a conflict. Two licensees from the same brokerage may be able to represent opposing parties through designated agency, provided the required safeguards are in place and each client has their own designated representative. The facts, the brokerage’s agency model and the duties owed to each client all matter.

What happens if your REALTOR® has the listing you want to buy?

This is where the distinction becomes important.

If your REALTOR® is already representing you as a buyer and is also the listing representative for a home you want to purchase, the REALTOR® generally cannot simply represent both you and the seller in that transaction. The conflict must be addressed in accordance with B.C.’s rules. Depending on the circumstances and the brokerage’s agency model, one party may need separate representation, or a consumer may choose to remain unrepresented after receiving the required disclosures.

This does not mean you have done anything wrong by viewing the property. It means the agency relationships must be clarified before confidential advice, strategy or representation continues.

The difference between assistance and representation

An unrepresented buyer may still receive limited factual or administrative assistance from a seller’s representative, but that representative’s loyalty remains with the seller. The listing representative cannot give the unrepresented buyer the same strategic advice that would be available from the buyer’s own representative.

Consumers should always ask a simple question: Who is this REALTOR® representing in this transaction?

The answer determines whose interests the professional must protect, what advice can be provided and how confidential information will be handled.

The bottom line

B.C.’s dual-agency rules are about protecting clients when interests conflict within the same real estate transaction. They do not prevent a trusted REALTOR® from helping you sell your current home and purchase your next one.

Using the same professional for both sides of your move can provide better continuity, stronger coordination and a clearer overall strategy. The important thing is not whether your REALTOR® is involved in more than one transaction. It is whether that professional can remain loyal to you, protect your confidential information and advocate for your interests in each transaction.

When in doubt, ask your REALTOR® to explain the agency relationship before you share confidential information or make an offer. Clear representation is not merely paperwork—it is the foundation of sound advice and informed decisions.

This article provides general information about real estate agency in British Columbia and is not legal advice. Agency relationships can depend on the circumstances of a particular transaction. Consumers should obtain independent legal advice when needed.

Sources

• Real Estate Services Rules, B.C. Reg. 209/2021—definitions and sections 64–65

• BCFSA: Real Estate Rules amendments effective June 15, 2018

• BCFSA: Current Real Estate Services Rules