When a buyer is interested in viewing a property that is for sale, many real estate brokerages have put COVID-19 showing policies in place to protect all parties during the requested viewing.
After the viewing has been booked, the listing agent sends over the brokerage’s COVID-19 Buyer Disclosure Form to be signed. Signing off on this form indicates that the buyer and buyer’s agent will comply with the COVID-19 policies and procedures for that specific listing brokerage.
Some points listed on the form are as follows:
- Prior to booking a property viewing, the buyer has viewed all virtual tours, open-house videos and property photos and has a serious good faith interest in the property.
- No one attending the property viewing has traveled outside Canada within the last month and have not knowingly been close to or been in contact with anyone that has been confirmed to have COVID19 in the last 14 days. They also have to state that they do not show any signs of COVID19, and possible symptoms are listed on the form.
- Many viewings do not exceed 30 minutes and are limited to only the buyers and their Realtor; no friends or family allowed.
Do keep in mind that all brokerages have their own policies and procedures in place. So, disclosure forms are different and have not been provided by the real estate boards.
1. No showings are confirmed until the signed disclosure has been returned.
2. Many listing agents also require Realtors to sign off on a health and safety form agreeing to wear gloves and wipe down all surfaces that are touched and to minimize touching as much as possible. The seller is also encouraged to leave hand sanitizer at the front door to help minimize their potential risk.
Please remember that these viewings are not limited to potential sales. Owners that have sold their units and entered into a contract with a buyer have a legal obligation to fulfill the Agreement of Purchase and sale by allowing the buyer to enter the unit for a final walk through before closing.
