With COVID-19 caseloads down in some places, brokers may wonder what safety protocols they need to keep in place.
post covid office space

Masking

Although mask mandates are gone in many places, Fara Captain, ABR, CRS, says client preference remains important. “If someone is uncomfortable with you not wearing a mask, then wear your mask. To me, it comes down to respect,” says Captain, broker-owner of Captain & Co. Real Estate in Memphis, Tenn. Make it easy for agents by having masks available at the office, open houses, and showings.

Vaccinations

Agents who go into the office at Rogers Healy & Associates Real Estate in Dallas must have their COVID-19 vaccinations. “My wife is high-risk, and it’s people over profits,” says broker-owner Rogers Healy. “There are people who are unvaccinated and work remotely, and that’s OK. They show up on Zoom.” If you have a vaccination mandate, make sure it’s based on exposure risk, not the nature of the relationship with your company, such as independent contractor vs. employee; it’s applied evenly across the board; and it allows for exceptions based on disability or a sincerely held religious belief.

Workspace

Healy wants agents to come into the office, so he has created more room so everyone feels safe. “What the world needs more than anything else is leadership,” Healy says. “It’s easy to have your position knocked down because you’re afraid of being criticized. People appreciate that I haven’t wavered.”

More: Check out the COVID-19 community level for your county at cdc.gov and the “COVID-19: Workplace Re-entry Checklist” at nar.realtor.

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