Dear members,
While many of us in B.C. will be gearing down for the holiday break, we know that for you, the important and critical work of supporting your clients on their real estate transactions will continue.
If the month-over-month, and in many cases, year-over-year records being broken since last May are any indication, clients will continue to rely on you for your dedication, commitment, and support during this holiday season.
And with our sincere appreciation and gratitude for all that you do, we wanted to encourage you to lead by example on helping ensure your clients, loved ones, family, and friends, do their parts to adhere to the province’s recently released COVID-19 safety measures, to help us all have a safer holiday season.
The key highlights of these measures which took effect on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, at 11:59 p.m., and extend to Jan. 18, 2022, at 11:59 p.m., include:
- no organized indoor social events and gatherings of any size; concerts, sports games, and theatres reduced to 50% seated capacity, regardless of venue size;
- closing gyms, fitness centres, and dance studios;
- closing bars and nightclubs; and
- limiting table sizes at restaurants, cafes, and pubs to a maximum of six people per table with physical distancing or barriers.
You can find the full details here
Regarding in-person open houses, our guidance remains consistent with our eMemo from June 30, 2021. In that memo, we stated that members could begin holding in-person showings and open houses; however, we must remain diligent about the ongoing importance of health and safety for all. This is aligned with recent BCREA guidance which advises that “REALTORS® are encouraged to continue to prioritize your own health and safety and the safety of your clients and communities by following [PHO] orders in your personal lives and continuing to follow best practices with respect to preventing the spread of COVID-19 in your day-to-day work.”
I can’t thank our members enough for being leading examples of safety and vigilance ever since the pandemic began back in March 2020. By continuing to do our part, we can mitigate against the spread and infection of the new Omicron variant.
Have a good holiday season and stay safe.
Baldev Gill
FVREB Chief Executive Officer
For ongoing FVREB updates on COVID-19, please visit: COVID-19 Updates Archives – NewsReal (fvreb.bc.ca)
Additional COVID-19 resources:Healthlink BC – COVID-19 ResourcesBCREA