Welcome to 2021! A new year with a plethora of opportunities waiting! Time to start fresh and leave the challenges of 2020 behind, right? Well, yes and no. As we welcome in the new year, it may be tempting to pretend like 2020 never happened. Unfortunately, just because it is a new year does not mean we can slip in our vigilance when it comes to our safety and the safety of others. Real estate is no different. We must continue to put safety as our top priority even when buying and selling houses.
While 2020 was a challenging year for realtors, many of us adapted and found safe ways to support clients and those in need of buying and selling real estate. There was a huge push to move as many services as possible to a virtual platform and maintain a transaction that had as little in-person contact as possible. For the most part, this push was successful and many of these new procedures will likely carry over after the pandemic has passed. When it came to co-ownership transactions, GoCo had to adapt and fully embrace Zoom and conference calls for groups as well as managing multiple family hubs to maintain correct physical distance measures. It was challenging but it is a method that has helped us grow and develop our skills for our clients.
With vaccines on the way as Canada prepares to undertake one of the biggest vaccination challenges in its history, it is easy to see why people are hopeful and optimistic about the new year. It can be tempting to embrace this optimism and allow yourself to skirt the rules but we Canadians must remain vigilant. All of our hard work up until now will need to continue and we have to be resilient.
This is no exception for real estate. We, as agents, must have our clients and our communities’ safety at the forefront of our dealings. We must continue to follow the advice from medical and government officials. We must continue to establish and enforce safety protocols for showings as well as keeping as much of our services contactless where possible.
As cases continue to rise in Ontario as we battle the second wave, it is obvious that the pandemic is far from over. Even with vaccines on the way, we have a long road ahead of us. We are all suffering from pandemic fatigue and just want this ordeal to be over. Restrictions are inconvenient even when you aren’t buying or selling real estate. But these measures are vital for our safety and to protect others around us. Every person plays an important role in keeping ourselves and our communities safe.
The Real Estate Council of Ontario continues to encourage vigilance and urges everyone to follow public health guidelines when dealing in real estate. We must continue to limit gatherings as much as possible, particularly in regards to open houses which will continue to be prohibited. Showings should only be booked when necessary.
While this is difficult especially at the start of a brand new year with so much hope and optimism, it is important to remember, though cliche, that we are all in this together. We must continue to come together, do the right thing and stop the spread of Covid-19. Our communities are resilient together and it is up to us to keep them that way. Stay safe and stay vigilant everyone!