Public Health Order Declares Real Estate an Essential Service

On Sunday Mar. 29, Salt Lake County issued a public health order in response to the state’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” directive issued last Friday. This order goes into effect Monday, Mar. 30 and will run through Apr. 13. As part of the Order, real estate and related services are considered essential services that may be continued if done in a safe and responsible manner, in accordance with the NAR COVID-19 guidelines, and the specific Salt Lake County Order below.

“Professional services, such as legal or accounting services, insurance services, real estate services (including appraisal, home inspection, and title services), and veterinary services. These services shall, to the greatest extent possible, use technology to avoid meeting in person, including virtual meetings, teleconference, and remote work (i.e., work from home). When showing homes to prospective clients, real estate agents must refrain from traveling in the same vehicle as a client/prospective home buyer, and real estate professionals shall further adhere to the tools provided by the National Association of Realtors.”

Please consider working from home and using virtual technology when possible. Follow any broker-specific training and guidelines that your specific brokerage has adopted in your market area, in accordance with the NAR guidelines. You can meet with clients, but when doing so please practice social distancing, limit group sizes, wash your hands, don’t drive in the car with clients, and follow the NAR guidelines.

It is now more important than ever that we as Realtors® rise to the occasion and continue to do our part to ensure the safety and well-being of our family, friends, clients, and everyone we come in contact with. Doing so will allow us as an industry to continue to provide innovative and world-class service at the highest level during this time of difficulty and uncertainty.

We applaud Governor Herbert; the Salt Lake County Mayor, Council, and Health Department; the Salt Lake City Mayor, and many other government officials and employees for recognizing that implicit in the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” directive, having a place to call home is essential.

Please watch for any further updates on our The Salt Lake Board of Realtors® Members Page on Facebook, which is monitored and updated on a continuing basis