Important Update Regarding COVID-19 from RE/MAX SmartHub Realty
The past several weeks have certainly been challenging for all of us. As developments continue relating to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), please rest assured that RE/MAX SmartHub Realty remains committed to meeting your real estate needs.
As of March 19th, RE/MAX SmartHub Realty has been operating under a work-from-home strategy. The Pennsylvania Governor’s decision to close all non-life-saving facilities as of midnight tonight (3/20/2020) will not impact our remote availability to our clients. That decision will, however, make in-person operations more challenging:
Showings & Open Houses (Guidance From PA Association of Realtors)
At this point, the Governor’s order indicates that most or all real estate-related activities should be shutting down their physical locations and working remotely, but there is a lot of confusion as to exactly how that affects various aspects of the transaction and, of course, there is nothing specifically dealing with things like open houses/property showings that occur outside of an office environment.
The main thrust of the Governor’s order is to minimize physical interactions as much as possible. In-person open houses/property showings involve several people gathering together in an off-site location, which is exactly the sort of behavior currently being discouraged. Best practice at the moment would likely be to explore offering virtual services as much as possible so as to avoid that personal contact.
We understand how incredibly frustrating it is to not have detailed answers to these specific transactional questions. PAR has been in contact with the Governor’s office, legislators, the State Real Estate Commission and Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs to explain the impact on the real estate profession and how Pennsylvania’s citizens will be impacted if all real estate services are expected to shut down. This is a very fluid situation and PAR will provide more information as we get it.
Phone Access
Currently, all agent extensions are forwarded to their remote office. Please call (717) 208-4444 to access the agent directory if you do not have your agent’s direct dial phone number.
Mail Access
The Governor’s order will make it difficult to process postal service mail and other deliveries each day. We are working diligently to address inbound mail that is already on its way to our office. If you have already mailed something to RE/MAX SmartHub Realty, or already have a delivery on its way, please check in with your RE/MAX agent in a few days to make sure that we have received your item. Moving forward, please contact your RE/MAX SmartHub Realty agent for alternative options.
In closing, I leave you with something I read earlier today from the Sierra Club as I was searching for answers—I am hopeful that it will help in this time of uncertainty.
“This crisis shows how deeply we depend on one another to act for a greater common good. While social distancing may be necessary at this time, it is also increasingly necessary for us to come together to work through this crisis. While some will try to use this time to demagogue and sow distrust and fear, we need to overcome that by creating real community and trust and listening to experts and science. “
“In this frightening, uncertain moment, we must take care of ourselves and our beloved communities—so we are able to keep up the fight for the places and people we care about most deeply.”
As always, we appreciate your business and your confidence in RE/MAX SmartHub Realty.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Ganse