Safe Start Resources for Brokerages

These resources are being provided to Designated Brokers to safely re-open real estate offices under the mandated protocols if you decide to re-open at this time.

On June 1st, the Governor’s “Safe Start Proclamation” for Washington’s phased reopening is effective. This includes modifications for real estate activities in counties that have been approved for Phase 2 re-opening (and those approved for modified Phase 1 re-opening). One of those modifications allows for a real estate firm, in a Phase 2 or modified Phase 1 county, to re-open its office in a limited fashion. In order to re-open, a firm must adhere to the many required protocols for real estate, including those for professional services office space working environments. There are additional restrictions for modified Phase 1 counties.

Washington REALTORS® has developed resources that firms can use to safely re-open their offices in compliance with the required safety protocols. Of course, firms are not required to re-open and some may choose to delay re-opening until a later date. Firms may also choose to develop their own resources and plans to comply with the Governor’s requirements. Note that future phases of the Governor’s plan (e.g. Phase 3) will likely have similar requirements for offices to open.

The resources developed by Washington REALTORS® include the following, all required by the Order:

Please be sure to thoroughly review the COVID-19 Exposure Control, Mitigation, and Recovery Plan (the “Plan”) and make sure that your firm can and will comply with all of the requirements before re-opening. The Plan requires that a site-specific supervisor be designated to monitor the health of workers and apply all components of the Plan.

The Department of Labor & Industries is charged with ensuring that firms comply with the required protocols in the Order and can issue citations and fines for unsafe workplace conditions.

Here are several links with additional resources that should be reviewed:

The list of counties moving to different phases will continue to change. A map showing the status of each county is available here and we will post on our social media channels when our counties advance to new phases.

Washington REALTORS® will continue to provide additional updates and information for real estate firms in the coming weeks.

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Virtual Membership Meeting “Money Matters: Lending in a Pandemic”

The COVID-19 virus is quickly changing the way we live and conduct business in every industry, including mortgage and real estate. Join us for “Money Matters: Lending in a Pandemic,” a virtual lunch and learn membership meeting! Our panel of local industry leaders will provide vital and insightful information on the new normal of the lending industry and how it’s affecting the housing market, including:

  • Current Interest Rates & Trends
  • The Impact of the Pandemic on Lending Processes and Timelines
  • Hurdles and Solutions Reshaping the Mortgage Industry
  • Forbearance Options and Programs Every REALTOR® Should Know

Joining us on June 11th from 12PM-1:30PM are:

  • Mark Manthei, Summit Funding
  • Ben Tatro, Chase
  • Brittney Pogue, Desert Canyon Mortgage
  • Crystal Burdo, 1st Security Bank
  • Mike Alvarez, Guest Moderator

PLUS! This virtual membership meeting includes a complimentary lunch from The Honey Baked Ham Company! Simply register for the event and bring your registration confirmation to the TCAR office for curbside pickup before the start of our virtual meeting. Lunch pickups will begin at 11:30AM that day.

You’re welcome to park in the TCAR parking lot (stay in your cars, please), eat your lunch, and use our wifi to join the meeting!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

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Black Knight Updates Paragon Connect Mobile

Paragon Connect was launched in November of 2019 to expand Black Knight’s capabilities for PACMLS users. The company’s previously announced strategic alliance with Homesnap continues to provide PACMLS users access to the highly-rated Homesnap native app, while Paragon Connect acts as a mobile extension of the PACMLS platform, providing a consistent look, feel, and set of functionality across platforms. Paragon Connect is developed as a progressive web app, providing users with multiple options.

Since the launch of Paragon Connect, Black Knight has added some nice functionality which includes improved roster choice, deeper image editing, AVMs, driving directions, activity tracking, and full public record display.

Deeper Image Editing

The next frontier of MLS development is in mobile add/edit. For the most part, MLS offerings allow the user to start a listing on mobile and finish it using a full browser. There are lots of fields and field enumerations that are much more efficiently managed with a keyboard and a mouse.

AVMs

Automated Valuation Models use data to estimate a home’s value. Professionals understand that these models can get you close to the value of a home, but every home is different. The AVMs available in Paragon Connect include Black Knight’s bank-grade AVM called EZ Value®, Zillow’s Zestimate®, and the Realtor Valuation Model (RVM) from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Having all three options allows the agent to explain AVMs and their variances as each predictive model is different.

Activity Tracking

This is the ability to view the engagement of a listing that is helpful for listing agents and their sellers – a very popular emerging feature that demonstrates the incredible value of listing a home in PACMLS.

Improved Public Record Display

This feature is coming along nicely. It allows agents to get access to public record history of property along with some mortgage history. This is an area where Black Knight will be putting a lot of focus on future features of the application. The mastery of combining public record data with PACMLS data is vital for all property solutions today and in the future. The model of MLS-only data is being quickly replaced by parcel-centric solutions.

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