Corbin Chivers challenged a cautionary letter he received from BCFSA in June regarding two social media posts he made about Indigenous land claims. Photo: Callcorbin.ca.
Fraser Valley, B.C. real estate agent Corbin Chivers is no stranger to sharing his opinions online. But two political posts on social media drew the attention of the province’s real estate regulator.
On June 22, the B.C. Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) sent Chivers, lead of Corbin & Co team of Stonehaus Realty, a letter of advisement. In the letter, BCFSA said it was serving “cautionary guidance” on two complaints it had received from the public regarding Facebook and Instagram posts Chivers made about Indigenous rights, Indigenous land claims and reconciliation.
In its letter, provided to REM by Chivers, BCFSA characterized some of his comments as “polarizing,” “inflammatory” and “discriminatory,” and warned that his political speech could bring the real estate industry into disrepute.
One of the social media posts that prompted BCFSA’s letter (photo: Instagram).
“By engaging in speculative, inflammatory, polarizing, or misleading commentary, your actions risk undermining public confidence in the real estate profession and bringing the industry into disrepute,” reads the letter. “Real estate licensees are expected to exercise good judgment, communicate respectfully, and ensure that their public commentary – whether personal or professional – upholds the integrity of the profession.”
In the letter, BCFSA said a letter was meant for educational and information purposes only, and did not create a formal disciplinary record.
Free speech lawyers challenge the letter
Chivers told REM that soon after receiving the letter, he contacted the Canadian Constitution Foundation (CCF) to challenge BCFSA’s message.
“My real estate licence is my livelihood, and I had my regulator telling me what I’m allowed to say off the clock,” he said.
“I don’t need people to agree with me. I just want the right to share my opinion as a private citizen without it affecting my licence or my job. Accepting the letter would have meant agreeing that a regulator gets a say over my personal political views. I couldn’t do that.”
On Sept. 9, CCF director Josh Dehaas and counsel Alexander Surgenor wrote to BCFSA and argued the letter infringed Chivers’ Charter-protected freedom of expression and demanded it be removed from his professional record.
On Sept. 16, BCFSA withdrew the June 22 letter and replaced it with a new one, confirming the matter was not on Chivers’ file.
In the new letter, director of compliance and enforcement investigations Raheel Humayun says the original letter “should not have suggested that BCFSA made any finding of misconduct or that the letter formed part of a disciplinary record.”
In a statement to REM, BCFSA said it reviewed the original letter after Chivers raised questions about it and determined some of its language “could have been clearer.”
“Following our review, BCFSA withdrew the letter and replaced it with a new letter that clarified the intent of the original letter and made the licensee aware of the complaints and expectations set out in BCFSA’s social media guidance,” the regulator said.
BCFSA said it could not provide further details because the provincial government is in caretaker mode during the provincial election, which was called this week.
‘I’d rather be honest than be everyone’s cup of tea’
Chivers said he feels professional activities ought to be regulated – how clients are treated, advertising standards, etc. – but that doesn’t extend to personal political opinions.
“Having an opinion shouldn’t put someone’s licence at risk. When a regulator starts grading the content of your politics, that’s no longer consumer protection,” he said.
REM asked Chivers if, after receiving two public complaints, he was concerned his political posts could turn away potential clients.
“I’ve spent 12 years in this business and sold over 800 homes, and I show up the same way for every client, whether we agree on politics or not,” he said.
“People are allowed to disagree with me – that’s fine. What isn’t fine is a regulator deciding my opinion is a problem for my profession. And honestly, the support this week has been overwhelming. I’d rather be honest than be everyone’s cup of tea.”
BCFSA points to social media guidelines
BCFSA also pointed REM to social media guidelines it released in November 2025, which outline how the regulator expects real estate licensees to conduct themselves online.
The guidelines advise licensees to exercise good judgment and assume anything posted online can become public. They also call on licensees to communicate respectfully in a way that “promotes and protects the image and integrity of the real estate profession” and to demonstrate accountability for what they post.
BCFSA recommends separating personal and professional social media accounts and using more restrictive privacy settings on personal accounts.
The guidelines also tell licensees not to engage in “unprofessional, aggressive, disrespectful, or intimidating behavior” online, including abusive or offensive language, defamatory communication, insults or threats. They also prohibit discriminatory statements or hate speech against a person or group.
In its statement to REM, BCFSA said the guidelines identify risks that can arise when online activity is connected to a licensee’s professional role.
“BCFSA has a responsibility to provide guidance and, where appropriate, address conduct that may affect public trust and confidence in the profession,” the regulator said.
Courtney Zwicker is a digital reporter and associate editor for REM. Based in Atlantic Canada, she has over a decade of experience covering daily business news.
