Covid-19 — New State-wide Order

Governor Greg Abbott issued a new state-wide order regarding “essential services” that may continue during shelter-in-place orders pertaining to Covid-19. That order supersedes local rules, and real estate services are now deemed essential. That includes real estate brokerage and associated businesses (inspections, appraisals, and title/closing services), along with residential and commercial construction.

Here is the governor’s order:

Texas Governor’s Order re Covid-19

That order makes reference to comprehensive guidance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

ADVISORY MEMORANDUM ON IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE WORKERS DURING COVID-19 RESPONSE

A builder that I talked to today will be back at work tomorrow (April 2), and I plan to move forward with new listings and showings — with caution. I plan to provide more ways for interested consumers to get familiar with my listings without in-person showings, trying to limit that exposure for them and for my seller-clients until their interest is real and clear. With buyers I will be providing gloves and hand sanitizer, and we’ll likely caravan in two cars instead of sharing.

With that said, it was always true that a truly functional real estate sector is essential to the functioning of the whole economy, and I am glad that Texas has recognized that fact. Feel free to contact me for more about how I plan to proceed from here.