REMINDER: Open Houses Are Still Not Allowed

“Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery,” a COVID-19 phased recovery plan, began on January 11th. Our region is still in Phase 1 and the following restrictions are currently in place:

  • All real estate open houses are not permitted in Phase 1. Please keep the following in mind for all showings:
    • Firms should develop processes that brokers follow to ensure compliance, including the following:
    • Post signs at the property (e.g. at the front door, inside the property, etc.) alerting the public to the occupancy restriction and reminding the public to wear face coverings and social distance.
    • Brokers need to carefully monitor the number of persons on site at any one time and not admit more than the allowed number of persons into the property.
    • Brokers need to constantly monitor the front door and potentially lock the door from time to time to prohibit additional persons from entering.
    • Firms may consider assigning two brokers to a house during a showing – one to stand outside and monitor the number of persons admitted to the property, and the other to be inside the property.
    • Brokers must enforce the face covering requirement.
    • Persons waiting to enter the property must social distance and wear face coverings.
    • Clean and disinfect all surfaces, before and after the showing, and have sanitizer placed around the property.
    • Because contact tracing in the event of an outbreak is important, brokers should maintain a sign-in sheet that includes contact information for all attending a showing.
  • Professional services (including real estate offices) should work from home. If you are unable to work from home, those services will be limited to 25% of building occupancy and closed to the general public. Clients must make appointments for in-person services.
  • Please note that private home showings are still permitted by appointment only with no more than five (5) people, in addition to the broker, on site with strict social distancing.

Please keep in mind that the firm and broker hosting a showing are at risk of criminal and civil liability for failure to fully comply with the required protocols.

You can find Washington REALTORS®’ most recent COVID-19 Real Estate FAQ Guidance here. Visit their COVID-19 Resource Page for more information and resources.

Find more information on “Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery” here

Find the most current “Roadmap to Recovery” Metrics here

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Washington REALTORS® Legislative Days 2021

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Washington REALTORS® members and staff were unable to make the traditional in-person trek to the Washington State Capitol Building for their hill visits this year. They adapted and hosted a virtual legislative event instead on Jan. 18-21, 2021. With the event being virtual, it was more accessible than ever!

If you weren’t able to attend, Washington REALTORS® recorded a few of this year’s sessions and they can be viewed below!

 

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION
Bryan Greene, Vice President of Policy Advocacy at NAR, will talk about the role of Martin Luther King, Jr. in effectively advancing legislation, such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965 Voting Rights Act and 1968 Fair Housing Act (which was a memorial to him passed seven days after his death). In this respect, he is one of the greatest legislative advocates in the history of this nation, insofar as these federal laws have had a transformative effect on American society: in public accommodations, political rights and social rights. Bryan discusses how we continue to advance his work on fair housing, realizing his larger Dream for society in bringing the American Dream to everyone and building strong communities that welcome everyone.

 

 

WR VIRTUAL INSTALLATION BANQUET
Washington REALTORS® installed their 2021 Officers and Leadership, including their incoming President Tom Hormel!

 

 

HILL DAY GENERAL SESSION
Washington REALTORS® had several guest speakers, including a few Legislators, discuss the importance of, and access to, affordable housing, removing racial covenants, and more.

 

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New Homesnap Map Search Feature

We are excited to announce a new feature that will further improve the property search experience for agents and consumers: Multi-Area Search!

You can now search multiple areas at once in Homesnap rather than having to jump back and forth between different searches. Additionally, Multi-Area Search is supported by our recently-released Saved Search Alerts to allow users to receive alerts for multiple areas. The feature is available nationwide on all platforms (Android, iOS, desktop).

How does it work?
Step 1: Pick your first search area. (For example, Minneapolis.)

 

Step two: Tap into the search bar at the top of the screen where it says “add another area” and add your second (or third, or fourth, or fifth!) search area. (For example, St. Paul.) Note: the “+1” in the bubble at the top of the screen indicates how many areas are already selected for your search.

 

Once you’ve selected your additional area, the map will zoom out to encompass the areas you’ve selected.

FAQ:

How many areas can be searched at once?
Up to 5 areas at a time

What types of searches are supported by multi-area searches?
Schools, Neighborhoods, City, Town, Zip Code, Street Name

What types of searches are not supported by multi-area search?
Specific addresses, self-drawn polygons, areas that are 60+ miles apart

What happens to my multi-area search if I move the map?
If you move the map far enough that none of your current search areas are within the map view then the search is automatically cleared.

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