Saturday, May 23, 2020 / by Sergey Korostensky
Open houses banned, new safety measures recommended amid COVID-19 pandemic: Alberta Real Estate Association
The decision to ban all open houses was made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, AREA chair Kristie Kruger said in a news release.
“This unprecedented health pandemic has forced all Albertans to make significant changes. Because open houses are public, with unpredictable attendance, it is difficult to ensure they comply with Alberta Health recommendations,” Kruger said.
AREA chief executive officer Brad Mitchell told Global News on Thursday the group is recommending all realtors practice physical distancing when possible, including the use of video-conferencing where possible, virtual tours and digital signatures.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Calgary realtor Zee Zebian said he would do open house showings every Saturday.
Zebian said he recently had to move to a virtual showing, offering up creative solutions to showcase homes to buyers and sellers via Facebook live.