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WR & NWMLS RELEASE REAL ESTATE GUIDANCE FOR PHASE 2
May 20, 2020
Governor Inslee announced that ten additional Washington Counties have been approved to apply for Phase 2 recovery status. Additional counties will be considered by the administration to apply when their infection rates per thousand residents meet the threshold set by the Governors recovery plan. Counties must also demonstrate the health care capacity and tracing ability to qualify.
The counties now approved for Phase 2 must comply with the regulations and protocols set forth by the Governor to protect public safety.
Washington REALTORS® and the NWMLS have revised the Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions to assist you in applying those regulations to your day-to-day business. Please discard previous copies of your FAQs for this revision.
Leadership and your Government Affairs team have worked very hard to earn these modifications, please continue to demonstrate compliance with the regulations so we can expand Phase 2 eligible counties.
Phase 1 counties (gray) status has not changed and business practices have not changed from previous weeks. When infections rates go down and other requirements are met, they too can apply for Phase 2.
Recap of modifications for Phase 2 include:
- 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.
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.
