Selling a home can be an emotional moment for owners. The property could have been the home where children were raised, where the couple first moved in together or where their first dog joined the family.
With all of those memories, preparing a home for sale can be difficult, not to mention decluttering, making repairs and preparing the place for home-listing photography. Then add the additional aspect of welcoming people into your abode during a pandemic. Yes, it’s stressful.
That’s why sellers need to work with a well-grounded real estate professional to help navigate both the potential landmines of the selling process as well as ensure homeowners, their family and those who visit during the listing are kept safe. Realtors® should have a plan to address sellers’ concerns, particularly when the health and safety of loved ones are at stake.
John L. Scott Real Estate and I are committed to keeping clients and community safe, happy and healthy. To remain in compliance with state and federal guidelines, we are taking extraordinary measures during the home-selling process.
Real estate professionals – including agent/brokers, mortgage consultants, title & escrow representatives and others – are following social-distancing measures and limiting in-person contact by conducting as much business as possible through phone, email, text and virtual-conferencing tools.
Only buyers that are preapproved (or “fully underwritten”) through a mortgage loan company will be permitted to visit my listed properties. There is no room for looky-loos in my clients’ homes.
If I have the good fortune to be your listing agent, I will review each measure before they occur.
BEFORE A HOME SHOWING: Seller (if home is occupied*) shall:
- Wipe down all touchpoints in the home (countertops, light switches, door handles)
- Turn on all lights
- Open all internal doors (bedrooms, closets, pantries)
- *The listing agent will take responsibility for the above items if the home is vacant
BEFORE A HOME SHOWING: Buyer Broker shall:
- Review and sign the John L. Scott Visitor Registration, along with their client(s) and return the completed document to the listing agent. The registration asks whether anyone in the party (broker and clients) are ill or have been near anyone showing symptoms of an illness.
- Review federal and state guidance for social distancing in public and follow Washington Realtors®/Northwest Multiple Listing Service (MLS) guidelines for showing clients inside a home
- Submit a request to view the home through ShowingTime, a scheduling app used by MLS agents to tour a home, preferably after the visitor registration has been completed. The app allows buyers to reserve their own viewing time and avoid scheduling conflicts.
DURING A HOME SHOWING: Buyer Broker and anyone attending shall:
- Use sanitizing materials (provided), masks (provided) and disposable gloves (optional; provided) located immediately inside the home. In addition, sanitizer products are provided inside the home.
- Avoid touching surfaces AND, if not wearing gloves, use a clean tissue, cloth, towel or fresh sanitizer wipe as a barrier when it’s necessary to touch something in the home. All lights should be left on and closet doors open to avoid having the next touring party touch switches, knobs and handles.
- Limit the number of people in the home to three, including real estate professional, at all times, and maintain 6-feet distancing. Buyers are asked not to sit on furniture or beds during their visit.
If anyone is unable to meet these expectations related to their part of the home-selling and -buying process, I ask that they please alert me so we can assist.
We are committed to keeping our clients and community safe. To remain in compliance with state and federal guidelines, we are taking these measures seriously during the home-selling process and ask for everyone’s cooperation.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about our safety processes and protocols. Thank you and stay safe!