On December 19, we shared that the 10 Alberta Real Estate Boards had agreed to phase out the Temporary Rule Relaxations that were in place to support the health and safety of our communities during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As a reminder, the rules relaxations were related to showings and withdrawing listings:
• Active listings are not required to be available for showings at this time.
• Sellers may instruct their REALTOR® to decline any or all showing requests due to COVID-19 concerns, and their listing will continue to be marketed on third-party
websites and REALTOR.ca. Instructions must be in writing. There is no need to amend the listing contract.
• Members are required to disclose in the remarks section of the MLS® System that the seller will not be accepting showing requests due to COVID-19 concerns.
• Listings may be withdrawn from the MLS® System for more than ten days when requested in writing by the seller.
Beginning on February 1, 2024,
- All active listings must be available to show as directed by CREB® Rule Part III 2.03(b):
Active properties listed on the Board’s MLS® System shall be available for showings within 24 hours of a request being made to view it, with the following exceptions:
- If the property is occupied by a tenant as defined in the Residential Tenancies Act, that property will be available for showing as prescribed by the Residential Tenancies Act.
- If the property is a judicially ordered sale, the property will be available for showing as prescribed by the judicial order.
- Commercial properties, which are not subject to Rule 2.03(b).
- Any listing that it temporarily withdrawn from the MLS® System follows the CREB® Rule Part III 3.05:
An MLS® Listing may be temporarily withdrawn for up to ten (10) Calendar Days per withdrawal request, provided that the Listing Brokerage provides written instruction to the Board that are signed by the person(s) who signed the MLS® Listing Contract and that state the reason for temporary withdrawal/suspension.
Showings
If members have any active listings that are not permitting showings due to COVID-19, we encourage listing agents to update their sellers to clarify that showings will need to be facilitated beginning February 1, 2024.
We understand that some sellers are still cautious about their exposure to illnesses and infections. Member Practice has heard that many showing agents and their clients understand that unique situations sometimes arise, and buyers are willing to work with listing agents to schedule showings to consider the seller's requests. We appreciate hearing that buyers and sellers are exploring mutually beneficial arrangements before reporting listings to CREB®.
Withdrawn Listings
If listing agents have withdrawn a listing due to COVID-19 concerns, those listings should be reviewed. If the listing needs to remain in withdrawn status, additional seller instructions need to be obtained to ensure each withdrawal request is for a maximum of 10 calendar dates.
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