Selling an assignment isn’t like listing a resale home. You can’t just put a sign on the lawn, upload it to MLS, and wait for showings. To make things even more difficult, the developer usually forbids agents/sellers from marketing the home on Realtor.ca or public facing websites (like FB Marketplace, etc.).
Not only are assignments more difficult to market, the buyer pool for an assignment is usually much smaller compared to a preconstruction or resale property. Assignments take a lot of capital to purchase, and the fact you can’t tour the suite and see the finishes and view firsthand, takes away a lot of potential buyers.
Here’s how to actually market a preconstruction condo assignment, from what you can and can’t advertise to how to price it and find a buyer with the capital to close.
Know Your Marketing Restrictions First
Almost every builder restricts when and how an assignment can be advertised, and most standard contracts prohibit:
- Listing the unit on MLS or public real estate portals
- Posting it publicly on general marketplace sites (Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, Craigslist)
- Using the builder’s official renderings, floorplans, or branded marketing materials without permission
The first step to marketing an assignment is getting written permission from the developer to assign your unit, as well as written permission for how that assignment can be marketed. The builder will also outline where you can post it (usually limited to your agent’s network).
Build Your Package Before You List
Because you can’t hold an open house in a unit that isn’t built yet, your marketing package has to do all the work a showing normally would. A strong package includes:
- The builder’s floorplan and any renderings you have permission to use
- A clear breakdown of what’s included: parking, locker, upgrades, appliance packages, and finishes
- Your deposit structure to date, including how much has been paid, and what is still owed
- The building’s estimated occupancy and final closing dates
- Even though maintenance fees are subject to change, many buyers want to know what the builder quoted for maintenance fee estimates
Buyers are essentially buying a story about a home that doesn’t exist yet. Properties with great social status or momentum are usually very easy to assign. A good example would be the Pinnacle Tower (the tallest residential tower in Canada). It’s the middle of 2026, in a preconstruction market crash, and we still see buyers searching out this one building specifically.
Price It Like an Investor Would
Assignment buyers fall into two categories; the first and biggest cohort of buyers is investors who are looking for a good deal; the second most common group of buyers are end-users who either want access to hyped up, sold out buildings, or they are also looking for a good deal on a brand new home.
In most cases, to sell an assignment, it needs to be priced well. There are a lot of closing costs for buyers purchasing assignment condos, instead of the comfortable 1 year that the original buyer had to pay their staggered deposit, a buyer is looking at a much larger sum to be repaid in a much quicker course of time.
Buyers need to be able to cover:
– Reimbursing your deposits paid to date
– Your profit (if the unit has appreciated)
– Land transfer tax, development levies, and other closing costs due at final closing
In some cases, the assignor can roll the profit payment into the mortgage if the seller agrees to receive their profit on final building closing. But often, assignment buyers are looking to receive both their deposit and their profit up front in the deal.
Where can you advertise an assignment sale effectively
Since you can’t market publicly, your buyer pool comes from a narrower set of channels:
- Your agent’s immediate network, preconstruction agents and their clients work in small circles and often know each other quite well.
- Assignment focused, private groups. There are private groups on forums like Facebook where agents circulate available properties.
- Your agents brokerage’s internal marketing platforms. Many brokerages, like Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, keep a list of off-market properties for sale for use inside the brokerage.
A few years ago, agents could market these very well in private WhatsApp groups. However, new rules under the TRRESA act made those groups illegal.
Be Upfront That It’s an Assignment
In some cases, the building is complete and buyers can tour the unit. However, since the building is not registered with the city, it cannot be sold as a resale unit. Sometimes, potential buyers get caught up in assignment sales by mistake because the seller and seller’s agent aren’t familiar with preconstruction assignment sales.
Work With an Agent Who Specializes in This
Assignment sales involve marketing restrictions, contract negotiations most agents rarely encounter, and buyers who need more hand-holding than a typical resale purchaser. An agent who regularly handles assignments will already have a warm buyer network, know which fees and clauses are standard versus negotiable in your specific building, and know how to price the deal so it actually closes.
Final Thoughts
Marketing an assignment successfully comes down to working within the builder’s restrictions, building a package that replaces the showing you can’t offer, and getting in front of the smaller pool of buyers who actually have the capital and appetite for this kind of purchase. Most assignment deals that fall apart because the marketing isn’t moving, isn’t seen by the right buyers, or the home is priced too high.
If you’re considering assigning a preconstruction unit, contact us today. We can help you build a marketing plan and price your assignment to actually close.
