For many of you, real estate issues are not really top of mind right now as a result of the everyday stresses because of Covid-19. Nevertheless, because real estate has been top of mind for so many years as price continued to firm, I thought I would shine some light on what is happening in the industry right now.
Firstly, the government declared Real Estate Agency services to be an essential service. Being that real estate is so connected to shelter, it was felt that the doors could not be closed on services that assist in the provision of housing. However, based upon the general self-isolation guidelines, Brokers have generally advised Realtors to restrict services to those which are exclusively essential. Currently, the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver has suspended access to open house listings and has discouraged personal showings. In cases where the showings are essential in nature, my Sutton Westcoast Realty office has instituted strict protocols for the...