COVID-19 and Real Estate

(Last updated October 18th 2022)

At the beginning of October, the federal government announced the end of all Covid-19 border restrictions, including mandatory vaccinations, testing and quarantine of international travellers. Masks on planes and trains are no longer mandatory. Approved vaccines are nor longer required for foreign visitors. It also means Random mandatory COVID-19 tests for travellers arriving in Canada are a thing of the past. Unvaccinated Canadians will not be required to isolate when they return. The ArriveCan app is longer mandatory.

A fourth dose of covid vaccine is now available and the 2022 flu vaccine is now out there.

While there is some hope for a more normal life, with the end of many outdoor activities, kids back at school, cold and flu season, we will likely see some kind of return to recommendations of caution around gatherings and mask wearing.

There are currently no changes to recommendations on how we handle real estate listings and showings.

The term ‘Open House’ has evolved from an outright ban in 2020 to several modified versions once it was reinstated. The open front door with crowds of potential buyers and curious neighbours streaming through is a thing of the past. Scheduled ‘Open House’ times for listings for the most part are ‘by appointment’. Showings may be every 15 minutes with one group through at a time. For larger homes one group may be upstairs while a second is viewing the lower floors.

Masks may continue to be required during showings and open houses.
 
Safety practices for open houses will continue to focus on enforcing public health protocols. Hygiene practices will largely depend on input from home owners, tenants and the listing agent.

It continues to be important to have good photos, floorplans, details of maintenance history and renovations. 3D tours have become more common.

Buyers have less time and access for tire kicking, so they need help to interpret details on property listings. Access to property history, documents, knowledge of construction details and neighborhoods all help to facilitate the buyers need to armchair search for a home.

Technology continues to help with the process. Document scanning with a smart phone and digital signing of documents are now indispensable tools.

If you have any questions, concerns or just need to chat, please pick up the phone and call me. If I can assist you in any way, don’t be afraid to as