Vancouver, BC – March 20, 2020. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) supports recommendations made by local real estate boards to stop open houses during the COVID-19 pandemic. “As British Columbians face this unprecedented health risk, it is vital that everyone does their part to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” says Darlene Hyde, Chief Executive Officer of BCREA. “While only the provincial government or the real estate regulator has the ability to mandate an end to open houses, we urge REALTORS® to encourage clients to take advantage of digital tools like virtual tours when buying or selling a home.”

With the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to expand, BCREA is working hard to support the province’s 11 real estate boards and 23,000 Realtors in adapting to changes to real estate practice. As part of this, we are:

• leading a steering group with leadership from real estate boards across BC to support Realtors and their clients in this time of uncertainty;
• offering our support to the Real Estate Council of BC in sharing information and best practices with Realtors and consumers; and
• liaising with other real estate sector and government partners to help real estate practice evolve to better protect Realtors and consumers.

As the professional association for BC’s Realtors, BCREA is also working with government partners to ensure Realtors will have access to emergency relief funding as the real estate market slows as a result of the pandemic.

“We are seeing the curtailment of face-to-face commerce across all sectors and real estate is no exception. The sooner we act to slow the spread of this virus, the sooner we can help our communities and economy recover,” adds Hyde. “In the meantime, we continue to rely on our government for guidance and support in meeting the COVID-19 challenge, including ensuring Realtors can also access emergency relief funding in the weeks and months to come.”

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