2nd Lockdown, Covid-19 & Real Estate
Tags: real estate covid
"Premier Doug Ford announced that Ontario would be placed into a COVID-19 Province-wide Shutdown.
The Shutdown will start Boxing Day at 12:01 a.m. and be in place for all of Ontario from December 26th, 2020 to January 9th, 2021. The restrictions will remain in place for all 27 Southern Ontario public health regions from January 9th, 2021 to January 23rd, 2021.
The Shutdown has been put in place to help save lives and prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
This is a serious measure being taken to protect our fellow citizens and REALTORS® have to do our part to help stop the spread of the virus.
What Does It Mean for Real Estate?
Real estate continues to be listed as an “essential service” by the Province. That means that real estate businesses and board offices can continue to operate while the Province is in Shutdown and real estate transactions can continue to close.
But let’s be clear.
It is NOT business as usual. If we are going to avoid the worst-case scenario with the spread of the pandemic everyone has to do their part.
During this Shutdown, Members should only conduct essential business and avoid face-to-face interactions with customers and clients unless it is absolutely necessary.
Instead, Members should work remotely and use technology like virtual showings, electronic signatures and virtual meetings to the greatest extent possible.
While real estate is deemed essential, there are restrictions that all Members, brokerage offices and real estate boards have to follow, including:
The Shutdown will start Boxing Day at 12:01 a.m. and be in place for all of Ontario from December 26th, 2020 to January 9th, 2021. The restrictions will remain in place for all 27 Southern Ontario public health regions from January 9th, 2021 to January 23rd, 2021.
The Shutdown has been put in place to help save lives and prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed.
This is a serious measure being taken to protect our fellow citizens and REALTORS® have to do our part to help stop the spread of the virus.
What Does It Mean for Real Estate?
Real estate continues to be listed as an “essential service” by the Province. That means that real estate businesses and board offices can continue to operate while the Province is in Shutdown and real estate transactions can continue to close.
But let’s be clear.
It is NOT business as usual. If we are going to avoid the worst-case scenario with the spread of the pandemic everyone has to do their part.
During this Shutdown, Members should only conduct essential business and avoid face-to-face interactions with customers and clients unless it is absolutely necessary.
Instead, Members should work remotely and use technology like virtual showings, electronic signatures and virtual meetings to the greatest extent possible.
While real estate is deemed essential, there are restrictions that all Members, brokerage offices and real estate boards have to follow, including:
- Open houses are banned (including pre-construction) – in the whole province for two weeks and in Southern Ontario for four weeks. Scheduled in-person showings are permitted but should be used very sparingly and only in urgent situations. Please review OREA’s guidance on safe in-person showings for more information.
- Workplaces must screen any workers or essential visitors entering the work environment. See the COVID-19 Screening Tool for Workplaces for more information.
- While indoors at a real estate brokerage or board office, all people MUST wear personal protective equipment that provides protection of the eyes, nose and mouth. PPE is required if a worker is required to come within 2 metres of another person who is not wearing a face covering and is not separated by a plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier. See OREA’s guidance for brokerage and board offices here.
- All brokerage and board offices must limit capacity so that every member of the public is able to maintain two metres of physical distance from every other person and limit the people occupying any room that is open to the public to 50% capacity of that room; and,
- Short-term rentals (e.g., cottages, cabins) can only to be provided to individuals who are in need of housing".... Info Courtesy of OREA
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