Government Notice
Toronto remains subject to the Lockdown Regulation – Shutdown Zone Opens in new window and Stay-at-Home Order Opens in new window. City-led and City-permitted major outdoor events have been cancelled through July 1.
Review the Dos and Don’ts Guide and learn more about the COVID-19 immunization program rollout.
During these changing and unprecedented times, York Region continues to take decisive and meaningful action to protect residents, businesses and staff from COVID-19.
York Region is in constant collaboration with provincial and national health agencies, receiving regular updates as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. This allows the Region to take well-informed and meaningful steps towards stopping the spread of COVID-19.
Industry Notice
Please see below for the latest industry updates on COVID-19 and RECO’s operations.
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) supports the provincial government ban on in-person real estate open houses for the second time in the Greater Toronto Area COVID-19 hot spots.
FAQ
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Update on Real Estate Open Houses
As of October 25, 2021, Ontario has lifted capacity limits in the vast majority of settings where proof of vaccination is required, such as restaurants, bars, gyms and indoor meeting and event spaces.
In addition, the government has announced that it will also allow “Open house events provided by real estate agencies” to lift capacity limits and physical distancing requirements if they choose to require proof of vaccination.
The announcement does not make it mandatory for real estate registrants to ask for proof of vaccination when entering an open house after October 25, 2021. Instead, the Plan creates two options for real estate registrants hosting open houses. Members should work with their sellers to determine which option meets the best interests of their clients.
No matter which option you choose, Ontario is still in the middle of a global pandemic. The public health situation is improving; however, as experience has shown, things can change quickly.
With that in mind, TRREB strongly encourages Members to take every effort to keep themselves and their clients safe while participating in an open house and other in-person activities. We suggest you continue to limit open houses to one family group in the property at a time, use technology and virtual tools to the greatest extent possible, and follow these best practices which are applicable to in-person open houses and showings, as well as review how the vaccination policy impacts REALTORS® .
If you do decide to require proof of vaccination status for your open house, Ontario has created the Verify Ontario App for businesses and REALTORS® to scan COVID-19 proof of vaccination at entry.
RECO strongly recommends that brokerages and salespeople limit in-person showings to situations where they are necessary.
If you offer to conduct an in-person showing, take steps to reduce the risk of transmission by following guidelines from health authorities.