Buyers always need to buy and some homeowners always need to sell. Thus, even during the COVID-19 emergency, real estate transactions are moving forward.
Workers in the Michigan real-estate industry including agents, appraisers, brokers, inspectors, surveyors, and registers of deeds have resumed normal activities.
New Guidelines for Buying and Selling
BHHSTomie Raines Realtors® are dedicated to taking steps to reduce the spread of the virus while continuing to work with buyers and sellers.
Showings, inspections, appraisals, photography, or final walk-throughs are performed by appointment and must be limited to no more than four people on the premises at any one time. All participants must continue to maintain proper distancing.
Showings may only be arranged for owner-occupied homes, vacant homes, vacant land, commercial property, and industrial property. Rental properties can only be visited if vacant and having been thoroughly cleaned.
Showing Precautions
Required Form. All persons visiting the home are required to sign a form stating that during the last 14 days, neither they nor any members of their household have been exposed to, diagnosed with or quarantined as a result of COVID-19 or have experienced a fever, cough, shortness of breath or other cold or flu-like symptoms. These forms are kept on file and can be made available to a seller upon request.
Seller are to prepare home for safe showings. Sellers are expected to turn on all lights and leave closet doors, cabinet doors and kitchen draws open for viewing. This makes it easier for buyers and their agents to view the home without touching light switches or surfaces and possibly contaminating them.
Buyer’s agents are providing buyers with shoe coverings, masks, hand sanitizer and/or disinfectant wipes for each home visit and disposing of these materials when leaving the home.
Purchase offers and paperwork
Before the pandemic, buyers wishing to make an offer would meet at the agent’s office to discuss and sign the purchase offer. Now, all meetings and paperwork are electronically done from home. The BHHSTomie Raines agent initiates a ZOOM meeting for a face to face discussion and all paperwork is filled in and signed online…with no physical contract.
Even the earnest money, a good faith deposit needed to create a valid contract, can be digitally transferred through ACH (Automated Clearing House) into our escrow account.
COVID-19 and the coronavirus pandemic has forced the real estate industry to rethink almost every aspect of this business — new showing rules, online meetings, and closing deals remotely, but always prioritizing safety and service over sales.