Coronavirus/COVID-19

STAY SAFE EVERYONE !!

We share your concerns about COVID-19. We recognize that these are not the most ideal conditions for conducting business. However, we all need to move forward and work as hard as we can to provide services to present and future clients.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario have each published prevention tips and updated information regarding COVID-19 at the following links:

The Government of Canada website on COVID-19

The Government of Ontario website on COVID-19

We strongly encourage you to read these websites and to use the protocol suggested when dealing with clients. However, we must also continue to demonstrate to our clients our ability to provide our services with belief, poise, and confidence.

We encourage you to go about your business on a daily basis with extra precautions:

• Please practice "Social Distancing" and avoid in-person meetings wherever possible
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
• If you are feeling sick, stay at home and contact your local health authorities
• Use virtual meeting tools wherever possible (email, phone calls, video conferencing, etc.)
• Meet with clients in open spaces rather than closed spaces
• Before meeting a client in person, ask your client if they have recently travelled abroad and whether they are displaying symptoms of illness so that you can decide whether or not an in-person meeting should be avoided
• When dealing with clients displaying concern regarding COVID-19, please advise them that you are prepared with disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer that you can provide as needed
• Refrain from shaking hands or any form of physical contact when greeting someone
• Advise sellers and buyers that you are taking precautionary measures and that you and your clients will do everything possible to avoid touching anything inside of a house
• Avoid sharing items and tools such as phones pens, paper, and measuring tapes
• In the event that you are driving clients in your personal vehicle for whatever reason, please use disinfecting wipes to sanitize your vehicle after your client leaves your vehicle
• Confirm with your clients whether they still want showings and if they have someone under quarantine at a property
• If you decide to host an open house, CREA and TREB have provided the following tips:

1. Use disinfecting wipes to clean commonly-shared surfaces like door handles;
2. Restrict open house attendance to one group at a time;
3. Ask visitors to limit physically touching items in the home;
4. Refrain from greeting others with handshakes or hugs;
5. Encourage clients to thoroughly clean and disinfect the house after open houses or viewing;
6. Request clients or attendees to notify you if they become ill within two weeks of an open house or showing. If an attendee does become sick or is diagnosed with COVID-19, communicate this with the homeowner and other attendees if possible, and;
7. Avoid sharing items such as phones, tablets, or laptops

Now, more than ever, is the time to embrace virtual meeting tools. Video conferencing software platforms including Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and Skype allow you to have a virtual meeting with your clients at any time of the day.

If you are physically able to, HomeLife encourages you to assist the most vulnerable clients in your communities, including the elderly, the disabled, and those with compromised immune systems. Please show compassion for these individuals. For example, if you become aware that your client is unable to leave their residence and requires essential items, the client can pre-pay and order groceries and medication, and you can offer to pick those items up for them and drop them off at their front door. In these cases, you do not need to speak to the client in person and you can simply call them after dropping the items off. Your clients will greatly appreciate it.

The safety and well-being of your families and clients, as well as your business success, remain our first priority. Please be in touch with us with any questions or concerns you may have. In addition, we will go the extra mile for you to help you with everything we possibly can concerning your daily business challenges. We want you to know that you are extremely important to us, and we will work together with you as we navigate through these challenging times.

There has never been a better time to buy and sell a home than now. Interest rates are at record lows. With some extra care, we will all do well.