May 26, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jessica Poulos
360.870.0619
Thurston County was eligible to apply for Phase 2 and today it was officially granted the State’s ok.
Here is what that means for real estate:
- Real estate firms may open their offices in a limited fashion;
- Commercial brokers can engage in the same in-person services as residential brokers;
- Three persons (as opposed to two persons) are allowed on site for permitted in-person real estate activities for both residential and commercial brokerage (for both improved and unimproved property); and
- Sign installers may install real estate signs.
For both Phase 1 and Phase 2 in-person real estate activities, real estate brokers and industry partners (e.g. appraisers, inspectors, photographers, stagers, etc.) must wear cloth face coverings and should encourage clients and customers to do the same. For more information, click here.
Public and broker open houses and similar invitations to view a property without an appointment are not permitted in Phase 1 or Phase 2. Only previews and showings by appointment are allowed.
Brokers must adhere to the “phase” protocols for the county where the property is located, regardless of the location of the broker’s office or home. Brokers conducting real estate activities in a Phase 1 county, must continue to abide by the Phase 1 protocols, which include only allowing two persons in a property, including the broker, at one time.
Please carefully review the updated FAQ document, published by Washington Realtors and Northwest MLS, for all the requirements associated with in-person real estate activities.
Some counties have already been approved for Phase 2, while other counties have been approved to apply for a variance to move to Phase 2. The list of Phase 1 and Phase 2 counties will change over the next few weeks. A map showing the status of each county is available here.
Northwest Home Team Realty is committed to your safety and health. We will continue to use our virtual systems and “touchless” listing and selling techniques to serve our community and its housing needs.
Updated information about COVID-19 is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website (www.cdc.gov) and from the Washington State Department of Health’s website (www.coronavirus.wa.gov).
If you have specific questions about health concerns related to COVID-19, reach out to us at www.nwhometeam.com or 360.529.0992.