The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) is calling for a stop to open houses during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting recommendations made by local real estate boards.
Chief executive of the BCREA, Darlene Hyde, said it is vital that everyone do their part to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
“While only the provincial government or the real estate regulator has the ability to mandate an end to open houses, we urge realtors to encourage clients to take advantage of digital tools like virtual tours when buying or selling a home,” Hyde said in a statement.
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The BCREA said it is working hard to support the province’s 11 real estate boards and 23,000 realtors in adapting to changes in the real estate practice. The association is leading a steering group to support realtors and their clients at this time, offering support to the Real Estate Council of BC in sharing information and best practices with realtors and consumers and liaising with other real estate sector and government partners to help the practice evolve to better protect realtors and consumers.
The BCREA is also working with government partners to ensure realtors will have access to emergency relief funding as the real estate market slows.
“We are seeing the curtailment of face-to-face commerce across all sectors and real estate is no exception,” Hyde said. “We continue to rely on our government for guidance and support in meeting the COVID-19 challenge, including ensuring realtors can also access emergency relief funding in the weeks and months to come.”
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