As a community, we have endured some very trying times. As we write this, we are enduring the convergences of a Health pandemic as well as a Moral pandemic. We face unprecedented challenges as a community as well as a nation. While the moral challenges facing us are personal for most, they are what we live with every day as Realtors. Fair Housing laws exist in this country for a reason; that all peoples, regardless of faith, color, ethnicity, marital status, and sexual orientation are afforded equal treatment and consideration for shelter and home. If only all of our world honored that call.
Our mission today is to answer your questions regarding the facts of Real Estate during the Health Pandemic that is upon us. March 17, 2020, was a momentous day that none of us have ever faced before. Our first Shelter in Place (SIP) order went into effect in Alameda County in coordination with orders from six other Bay Area counties. This was truly uncharted waters as we were the first in the nation.
Operating on behalf of our clients required constant vigilance of the daily changes in the interpretations of the SIP order, as well as establishing a firm standard of care for our Agents where none had existed previously. At the beginning, we as a company adopted a philosophy we referred to as the Three L's. Protecting people's LIVES, Preserving people's LIVELIHOODS, and Observing the unambiguous parts of the LAW. This is our Northstar to guide us in all that we decided to do on behalf of our clients.
Fast forward to today. After several iterations of the SIP order, it is clear that Real Estate, as well as Photography, Movers and Staging, are considered Essential Services to provide people with shelter. But make no mistake, we cannot do business as we did prior to March 17, 2020. Sunday Open Houses are considered an illegal gathering as are our Monday and Thursday Broker's Open Houses to promote new listings. We have strict safety protocols in place for In-Person showings of properties as well as safety in our offices as they reopen. Fortunately, we and all of our Real Estate Community have made a major pivot to further embrace not-so-new technologies to serve our clients' needs.
This is our commitment to you, our clients: we will continue to adjust, continue to evolve, and continue to always do the right thing. We will adhere to our new Standard of Care and continue to be guided by the concept of the Three L's; serving our community to the best of our abilities.
Stay safe. We are here for you.
DJ and John
