What does the Province’s stay-at-home order mean for RAHB Members?

As of 12:01 a.m. today, Thursday, January 14, the Province of Ontario’s stay-at-home order came into effect.

What does this mean for RAHB members?  While the order requires residents to stay home except for essential outings, such as accessing health care, shopping for groceries, or outdoor exercise, the province has said there’s no set definition for what is “essential” because everyone has their own unique circumstances and regional considerations.

That being said, RAHB stands behind OREA’s recommendations to:

  1. Stay at home.
  2. Work from home even though real estate continues to be defined as an essential service.
  3. Close Board and Brokerage offices unless it is absolutely necessary to be open. (See OREA’s Guidance for safe brokerage office here.)
  4. Use electronic means to the greatest extent possible with your colleagues and clients.
  5. Counsel clients to stay home.
  6. Conduct virtual tours and exhaust all virtual tools at your disposal.
  7. Only transact in-person if absolutely necessary and all electronic means have already been fully utilized.

RAHB members need to remember that while real estate continues to be an essential service, open houses remain prohibited. As such, RAHB urges members to use virtual tools to the greatest extent possible to conduct all business. Urgently needed in-person showings are permitted but MUST be scheduled in advance. Members should follow the recommended practices from OREA:

  • Limit the number of people in the home to one group of two people (plus the buyer’s sales representative) to allow for physical distancing.
  • PPE should be worn at all times, surfaces & hands should be cleaned and sanitized before and after the showing.
  • Members should take steps to space out appointments and manage the flow of people inside and outside the home. No overlapping appointments are permitted.
Guidance for Safe In-Person Showings

NB: RAHB is waiting on further information from OREA regarding the impact of the new measures on services such as construction, short-term rentals, renovations, evictions, use of support services such as photographers and stagers.

Health & Safety Guideline

RAHB members should also comply with the following guideline from the Province:

  • Wearing a mask or face covering is now recommended outdoors when you can’t physically distance more than two metres.