Clarity on Real Estate as Essential Business – April 8, 2020
We understand that the last 36 hours has resulted in a lot of confusion for real estate practitioners in Colorado regarding exactly which functions of a transaction are permitted under the state’s interpretation of essential services. The Colorado Association of REALTORS® continues to actively work to obtain clarification based not only on recent guidance issued by the Attorney General’s office, but also on statements made during today’s press conference held by Governor Polis.
CAR has always advocated for both members and property owners and believes the constricted interpretation provided by the Attorney General’s office would prove perilous for home buyers and sellers who may not be able to complete real estate transactions that are in process, potentially creating additional hardships for families who have already been broadly negatively impacted by this pandemic. We believe that processes required to complete real estate transactions can be accomplished safely and in compliance with the Social Distancing Requirements set forth in the Third Updated Public Health Order 20-24.
Earlier today, CAR worked with partners in the real estate industry to send a stakeholder letter to the Governor’s office respectfully requesting that real estate related services be clarified to include any critical aspect of the real estate transaction such as property inspection, final walkthroughs and showings if they can be done with virtual technology that would not violate the social distancing precautions under the shelter in place requirements recently extended to April 26th.
While we do not yet have clear guidance to offer our members, we wanted to let Colorado REALTORS® know what we have been doing in the midst of this confusion and that we are currently waiting for clarification from both the Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office on exactly which parts of a real estate transaction will be permitted under the current stay at home order.
As we have for nearly 100 years, CAR is still fighting for you – we haven’t given up. We’re still looking for solutions that will keep the community safe while also allowing members to transact and consumers to buy and sell real estate. We hope to gain further understanding within the next day or so but we are asking for members’ patience as we work to clarify these orders.
No matter how difficult the situation is, the Colorado REALTOR® family stands strong. We want to thank you for your patience and understanding. We will make it through this unprecedented time together and emerge stronger advocates for our industry and communities.