Most real estate professionals are honest and unless there is a signed offer in place would never use the threat of a competing offer in an effort to drive up a property sales price.

But just to make sure a few bad apples don’t spoil the bunch Ontario plans to crack down on phantom bids.

The scam involves a sales agent hinting to prospective buyers there are other bids as a way to coax them to bid higher.“You say, ‘We’re expecting another offer. I do have another offer. You may want to go back to your client and make sure this is their best offer’,” says said Joseph Richer, registrar of RECO. “You are suggesting there might be competing offers when there may or may not be.”

With the new rules, “You cannot suggest or even imply that you have an offer unless you have one in writing, signed sealed and ready to be delivered,” said Richer, while adding there have been very few formal complaints about phantom bidding over the years.

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