The US Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency updated their list of essential services on March 28th, adding residential and commercial real estate, including settlement services as essential service.
The real estate industry is here to help individuals find a home when they are ready to purchase their first home, or in need of finding a new home to purchase or lease. Additionally, we help and guide sellers when they are in need of selling their home due to financial or personal reasons, as well as help them lease out their investment properties in order to generate income. On top of that, the real estate industry generated $600 billion of our state’s economy in 2018, according to the National Association of Realtors, and, it creates job opportunities in many other branches relating to our industry, like mortgage loans, title, escrow, inspections, plumbing, and other contractors. Our industry and services are fundamental to our nation’s necessities.
What does this mean for realtors?
Although Realtors can continue conducting business and helping their clients with their real estate needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are changing the scripts to protect clients, and ourselves, to maintain the health and safety for everyone involved on all sides of a transaction.
In the LA County, we still have strict “Safer-At-Home” orders coming not only from Mayor Eric Garcetti, but also from Governor Gavin Newsom. Although our services are considered essential nationwide, when there are stricter local guidelines, these are the ones we must follow.
We are required to stop face-to-face interactions unless absolutely necessary, refer to E-signatures for any documents needed, and to stop all open houses and only do showings when absolutely necessary with serious buyers and by appointment only.
How We Are Accommodating You
Open Houses- Everyone of our agents is very familiar with Zoom, and other virtual tour platforms in order to market your property LIVE!
Virtual Tours- Are you interested in viewing a home? Any one of our agents can schedule an appointment and get on a video call with you so you can see the property without leaving your home.
Necessary In-Person Showing- In order to prevent any spread of COVID-19, appointments will be scheduled ahead of time to limit number of persons, we will ask screening questions regarding recent travel and make sure none of the visitors are sick or are experiencing any symptoms of the flu, provide hand sanitizer and booties for visitors to cover their shoes, ask that they don’t touch any surfaces, and make sure to practice all the social distancing rules, like staying six feet apart.
Client-Agent Meetings– You can have a face-to-face meeting with any of our agents over a video call in the comfort of your home, so you can get to know them, and they can walk you through our famous Buyers/Sellers Road Map (a detailed guide to the process) or Listing Presentation.
E-Signatures- Sing any document from your phone or computer!
If you need to find a new home, or find yourself needing to sell your home during these uncertain times, let us help and walk you through this important process. If you are already working with one of our agents, you can rest assured and use these methods to continue this process, uninterrupted! We’ll be there to hold your hand (figuratively) every step of the way!
