TRREB Calling for Provincial Ban on Real Estate Open Houses During COVID-19 Second Wave
TORONTO, Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is calling on the provincial government to again ban in-person real estate open houses in the Greater Toronto Area COVID-19 hot spots. TRREB wrote a letter to Government and Consumer Services Minister, Lisa Thompson, supporting a similar call by the Ontario Real Estate Association for a ban.
During the early days of the pandemic, and as recently as last week, TRREB issued a strong recommendation to our 56,000 REALTOR® Members to stop conducting in-person open houses to protect the health and safety of real estate consumers, Members and our communities.
TRREB is committed to the protection of the health and safety of our Members and the general public, and has encouraged Members to continue to offer best practices due to the uncertainty we’re faced with in dealing with COVID-19. In-person open houses are typically used by some home sellers and their REALTORS® to market properties for sale to home buyers.
“With cases in Ontario on the rise again, we must continue to limit face-to-face interactions as much as possible and use virtual tools to the greatest extent possible. While in-person open houses are prohibited, showings to pre-qualified clients are necessary in order to facilitate and complete transactions, and Members must ensure they follow health and safety best practices when doing so,” said TRREB President Lisa Patel.
“We’re again at a critical phase with a second wave of this pandemic, and we all have to do our part to be successful in confronting this challenge in order to protect the health and safety of REALTORS®, their clients and the general public,” added Patel.
In July, TRREB released a Best Practices Open House Guidance document, which you can access here where TRREB had been advising a maximum of one family at a time in any region. This handy document continues to offer valuable information which is also applicable to showings with pre-qualified clients which we know are necessary to facilitate and complete transactions.
“We encourage Members to continue with the use of alternative marketing strategies such as video and virtual tours wherever possible, including the live stream open house function we’ve provided, and to continue to follow directives and guidance being given by the government and public health agencies,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.
TRREB continues to monitor developments and will provide additional guidance as appropriate and as the situation develops.
Media Inquiries:Mary Gallagher, Senior Manager, Public Affairs maryg@trebnet.net 416-443-8158
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board is Canada’s largest real estate board with more than 56,000 residential and commercial professionals connecting people, property and communities.
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