COVID - 19 LEVEL 2 from 15th February 2021
COVID - 19 LEVEL 2 from Monday 15th February 2021
Smart Choice Real Estate, is united against COVID-19 and will do our utmost to protect our workers, clients and customers and the wider community. We want to ensure that you are aware of all our processes to maintain safety through alert Level 2 and how we will be implementing these. Our team will have strict rules and guidelines that they must adhered to.
Our office will be open by appointment only. However, our team will still work from their own mobile offices and will answer all your Real Estate needs.
Golden rules for business at Alert Level 2
Do everything you can to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at work — we all have a part to play in keeping each other safe.
- COVID-19 is still out there. Play it safe
- All businesses can operate if they can do so safely. Alternative ways of working are still encouraged where possible
- Communicate to identify risks and ways to manage them
- Ask everyone, workers, contractors and customers, with cold or flu-like symptoms to stay away from your premises
- Keep groups of customers 2 metres apart
- Keep contact-tracing records of anyone who will have close interaction (workers, contractors or customers) See more information HERE.
- Reduce the number of shared surfaces, and regularly disinfect them. Wash your hands. Wash your hands.Wash your hands.
Office
Our office is open by appointment only and will require the following restrictions:-
We will require our contact tracing declaration to be signed upon entering our office.
No more than 10 people, including the Agent, will be allowed to gather at any one time.
All persons must adhere to physical distancing of 2 metres at all times.
We ask all persons coming into contact with our team to practice good hygiene etiquette.
Hand sanitizer and/or soap and water for hand washing will be available for use.
Contact tracing register requiring staff/ licensees to confirm that they have not been unwell, self-isolating or in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the previous 14 days before entering the office.
We will ensure processes and procedures are followed for reporting a case of COVID-19 in the workplace.
Our office is regularly cleaned with a particular focus on high touch surfaces
Our registers will be held securely for at least 2 months in case they are required by WorkSafe or the Ministry of Health.
Appraisals, listings & viewings
Licensees may visit properties to carry out appraisals and listings provided they can do so safely (e.g. physical distancing, 2 metre minimum, must be maintained at all times, sanitizing on entry and exit and following all hygiene etiquette ensuring the visit is contact less).
We would like our visits to be contact less where possible.
Where the property is tenanted, the permission of tenants is required prior to visiting,
Discussions regarding the agency agreement, marketing and listing process may occur in person provided physical distancing (2 metres) is maintained at all times
Licensees should consider holding discussions about agency agreements, marketing plans, disclosures, and how the listing will progress by phone or video call, to reduce personal contact,
Licensees will have discussions with the vendor about what might need to happen during the listing if the alert level changes.
Photography/videography may occur provided physical distancing (2 metres) is maintained at all times.
Licensees must not attend a property if either they or anyone at the property, or any customers visiting the property, have been unwell with flu-like symptoms, are self-isolating or have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the previous 14 days.
Licensees must record details of visits including date and time.
Marketing can occur using standard methods. We may consider digital marketing instead of letter box drops.
Transporting customers
Licensees will require our contact tracing declaration to be signed before customers entering their vehicle.
Work vehicles will be sanitized prior to being used and will be sanitized after any transporting activity.
Where there are no concerns of COVID-19 licensees may transport one individual at a time.
The passenger must agree to sit in the back-passenger seat on the passenger side, not behind the driver to provide as much physical distance as possible.
If the passenger does not agree to the above the licensee will not be able to transport the passenger.
Open homes & private viewings
Smart Choice Real Estate will not be conducting any open homes during Level 2, and until further notice.
Private viewings will be by appointment only and may not be available for all properties. In some cases our team can provide virtual tours.
Pre-registration of all private viewings attendees including full names, address, phone numbers and declaration of status of health will be required for our contact tracing requirements.
If you become unwell or symptomatic please do not attend- call and reschedule.
No more than 10 people including the Agent inside the home at any one time.
Physical distancing of 2 meters to maintained at all times.
No private viewings at properties where a person living at property is, or has been in the 14 days prior to the viewing, unwell or self-isolating.
We may not allow access of private viewings in homes where the occupants are high risk (e.g. elderly or with pre-existing medical conditions)
COVID-19 information and hygiene notices will be displayed at the property,
Shoes to be removed prior to entry.
Private viewings are to be kept brief.
Where groups of people turn up for a private viewing the agent may ask the individual groups to wait in their vehicles until the agent gives them permission to enter the property,
All high touch areas will be disinfected before entry of properties and will be sanitised after appointments.
Hand sanitiser and gloves must be used where appropriate.
Virtual viewing may be available for interested buyers that cannot meet the health requirements, and for any property we cannot allow a private viewing to occur due to health requirements.
Sale and purchase agreements
We would like this procedure to be contactless where possible
Agreements can be negotiated and executed in person, provided it can be done so safely (e.g. physical distancing (2 metre minimum) can be maintained at all times, hygiene etiquette is adhered to, hands sanitised when entering and exiting property).
We will require our contact tracing declaration to be signed before entering our office alternately we will also require this when entering your home.
Licensees should consider holding discussions by phone or video call, to reduce personal contact.
All parties must use their own pens,
We will encourage vendors and purchasers to seek legal advice as to whether to include a clause to address how settlement will occur if the Alert Level increases to Level 4 before the settlement date,
Inspections (e.g. building inspections, valuations etc)
1.Adhere to physical distancing (2 metres)
2. Do not attend property if occupants have been overseas recently, are self-isolating or have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days, or if they or anyone they have been in contact with have been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days,
3. Limit number of persons at the property (e.g. have professionals attend separately),
4. Minimise time at the property for any type of visit.
5. Minimise in-person contact with vendor/s,
- Licensees must assess the risk of any professional attending the site and must confirm the commitment of hygiene and safety requires with the professional prior to any site activity.
7.Sanitise hands before entering and when exiting the property
8.Adhere to physical distancing at all times (2 metre minimum between different bubbles).
9. Practice good hygiene etiquette.
10.Avoid touching surfaces where possible.
11.Record details of visit for contact tracing purposes.
Pre-settlement inspections
Pre-settlement inspections can take place. Licensees should observe the guidelines listed for private viewings above, as far as they apply.
If the property is tenanted, the tenant’s approval is required. Tenant permission cannot be unreasonably withheld, per the Residential Tenancies Act.
Where possible, email COVID-19 information and hygiene notices to attendees beforehand.
Sanitize hands before entering property.
Adhere to physical distancing at all times (2m minimum between different bubbles)
Practice good hygiene etiquette.
Avoid touching surfaces where possible.
Record details of visit for contact tracing purposes.
Settlements & moving
Settlements and moving house can occur, including between regions.
Where possible, we will arrange for contact less delivery of sanitized keys to be provided.
The Smart Choice team appreciate your cooperation throughout the process and thank you for your observance of these procedures. Together we can work towards keeping everyone safe and healthy by maintaining high standards of hygiene and practice.
All attendees to be emailed COVID-19 information beforehand, including hygiene expectations.
No private viewings at the property/farm where the occupants are high risk (e.g. elderly, pre-existing medical conditions)
3. Only one agent to attend the property
4. Minimise time at property
5. Minimise in person contact with vendor/s.
Licensees when listing a property must:
1. Adhere to physical distancing (2m)
2. Not attend property if the occupants or buyer have been overseas recently, are self-isolating or have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days, or if they or anyone they have been in contact with have been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days
3. Minimise their time at the property
4. Minimise in-person contact with the vendor/s. licensees must use virtual methods to share new listings with their colleagues.
Vendors may take their own videos and photographs for listing purposes.
All AML must be completed online using our real you service. Note this is an industry standard requirement and we can not provide any real estate activity work with out this being complete.
2. Do not attend property if occupants have been overseas recently, are self-isolating or have been in
contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days, or if they or anyone they have been
in contact with have been a confirmed case of COVID-19 within the last 14 days
3. Limit number of persons at the property (e.g. have professionals attend separately)
4. Minimise their time at the property
5. Minimise in-person contact with vendor/s
Licensees must assess the risk of any professional attending the site and must confirm the commitment
of hygiene and safety requires with the professional prior to any site activity
No Licensee can clean a property before settlement or during this process
Please note that this is a live document and will be subject to change as we move through the Levels of COVID-19 we reserve the right to make changes and amendments to any part of this document and will make all endeavours to keep our clients updated.