CCARToday - Contra Costa Association of REALTORS

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Social Distancing Protocol for Essential Services

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URGENT! DEADLINE THU, APR 2 by 11:59 pm– Real Estate Firms Must Prepare/Post Social Distancing Protocol to Qualify as Essential Services

Brokers and Office Managers must follow the instructions below by 11:59 PM THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2020:

1.  Print, complete the Appendix A: Social Distancing Protocol 

2.  Print County Order HO Covid19-03

3.  Post completed form and County Order at all business facilities where they can be easily viewed by the public and employees: (1) at the entrance (i.e., front door/window) and (2) in staff rooms or wherever employers display employment and wage information.

4.  Send an email to each employee and agent and attach County Order HO Covid19-03; retain a copy of each email on file to present to enforcing agencies.

5.  Every week confirm to employees and agents that this Covid-19 “essential services” social distancing protocol remains in effect and is enforceable; maintain weekly record of confirmation that this has been executed.

CCAR continues to work with county officials on your behalf to further refine and define the standards of practice for residential real estate firms. We will provide updates as they become available.

Residential Real Estate Classified as Essential Service

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Real Estate classifed as an “essential service” by Bay Area counties; expanded social distancing orders apply

In response to increased cases of coronavirus in the Bay Area over the past two weeks, local counties* issued a joint press release today which includes updates to existing Bay-Area-wide COVID-19 stay-at-home mandates for all residents and a revised list of “Essential Services” which now includes residential real estate. Acceptable business practices for essential service providers, along with expanded health and safety restrictions have been instituted. All REALTORS®, Affiliates and their clients must comply (see County Health Services FAQ). CCAR leadership and staff continue to work with County officials to further refine and define these orders to better meet the unique needs of members and their clients. Ongoing updates will be provided.  

 

In addition to naming real estate as an “essential service” this joint order extends the stay-in-place expiry date from April 7 until May 3, 2020, to further protect public health and preserve critical hospital capacity across the region. This new order, effective tonight, March 31st at 11:59 pm, supersedes the previous Contra Costa County order and serves as a supplement to Governor Newsom’s indefinite statewide stay-at-home order.

 

READ CONTRA COSTA COUNTY ORDER   |  READ ALAMEDA COUNTY ORDER

 

Important Guidelines for REALTORS®

While real estate has been classified as an “essential service” both locally and nationally,” it does not authorize a business-as-usual atmosphere. REALTORS® must follow strict industry-specific guidelines. Failure to comply is a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment and may result in discipline from State and other organizations.

 

Among the comprehensive list of guidelines set forth in the new multi-county order, the following orders pertain specifically to essential service providers—CCAR members, including real estate agents, escrow agents, notaries, and title companies (updates will be provided on an ongoing basis):

–      Residential viewings may only occur virtually, or if virtual viewing is not feasible and the residence is unoccupied, by appointment with no more than two visitors from the same household and one person showing the unit. 

 

Guidelines for Clients & Customers

–       Individuals may move residences only if it’s not possible to wait until after the Order expires. In other words, you can move if the move is already planned or if it’s necessary to maintain shelter, to stay safe, or to stay in a livable residence.

–       Moving services that facilitate residential or commercial moves allowed by the order require mandatory social distancing for everyone, including essential workers.

–       Arborists, landscapers, gardeners, and similar service professionals are essential businesses, but only to provide services necessary to maintain the habitability, sanitation, operation of the business or residence or for the safety of the residences, employees or the public.  This means they can provide services for fire prevention, like weed abatement, but they cannot provide services that are cosmetic or that constitute general upkeep.   

 

* Contra Costa, Alameda, Berkeley, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara

 

MLS RULE CHANGES Dec ’19

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For Sale

MLS RULE CHANGES (CCPA)

Effective January 1, 2020, the following MLS Rules & Regulations changes will be enforced. Additions, deletions and changes identified in red.

11. OWNERSHIP OF MLS COMPILATIONS/COPYRIGHTS;

DATA RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SERVICE

11.8  Database Preservation.  No data may be removed from the MLS compilation other than by the service. Although a listing may be removed from display in the MLS compilation of current listing information, all data submitted to the MLS will remain in the database for historical and other purposes approved by the service (unless the service itself removes said data in accordance with other provisions of these rules).

11.10.  Data Privacy.  By participation in the service, Participants and Subscribers: represent and warrant that they have given all lawfully required privacy notices asn opt-out rights to their respective seller and buyer clients whose personal information, as defined in the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) may be submitted or included in the MLS compilation. C.A.R. Standard Form CCPA may be used to satisfy the notice requirements set forth in this rule, but if an alternate document is used, it must show that required privacy notices and opt-out rights have been given. All Participants and Subscribers are required to comply with this rule’s notice requirements regardless of whether they are considered a “business” or “third party” or otherwise under the CCPA. The service shall have the right to demand a copy of written verification that such lawfully required privacy notices and opt-out rights have been given at any time. If the Participant or Subscriber fails to provide documentation requested by the service within 1 day after the service’s request, the service shall have the right to immediately withdraw any listings from the database in addition to disciplining the Participant and Subscriber for a violation of MLS rules.

In the event the MLS receives a consumer opt-out or deletion request, the MLS reserves the right to remove or delete personal information as may be, in its discretion, necessary to satisfy or otherwise accommodate the CCPA. The MLS’s obligation to do so will vary given the circumstances and the extent to which the MLS is covered by the CCPA, thus the MLS also reserves the right to reject what it determines are unfounded or non-mandated opt-out or deletion requests, if any.

11.1011  Indemnification; Limitation of Liability.  Participant and Subscriber shall indemnify and hold harmless the service for any claimes, costs, damage or losses, including reasonable attorney fees and court costs incurred by the MLS resulting from or arising out of any content Participant and/or Subscriber submit to or in any way wrongfully reproduce from the Service. In no event will the MLS be liable to any MLS Participant, Subscriber or any other party for any indirect, special or consequential damages arising out of any information published in the MLS and all other damages shall be limited to an amount not to exceed the MLS fees paid by the listing broker.

11.1112  Pursuing Complaints of Unauthorized Use of Listing Content.  MLS Participants and Subscribers may not take legal action against another Participant or Subscriber for alleged rules violation(s) unless the complaining Participant or Subscriber has first exhausted the remedies provided by these rules…

MLS RULES & REGULATIONS  >

CONTACT:

CCAR MLS Compliance Dept.
[email protected]

Contra Costa Association of Realtors logo

Paragon Reverse Prospecting

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PARAGON TIPS & TRICKS

Reverse Prospecting allows sellers’ agents to be proactive in finding buyers for their listings, but in order for the system to work, buyers’ agents must “opt-in” their clients for this service.

HOW TO RUN A SEARCH

Click Contacts and Reverse Prospecting to begin search for buyers; listings will appear.

Depending on your agent security level, you may have the option to select My Listings, My Office Listings, My Firm Listings or Other Agents’ Listings;

Select the listings you wish to review, then click Update; a new set of results will display;

Clicking the Listing’s ID will display basic information and the primary image for the listing;

Clicking anywhere on the line (except on ID) will select the listing for reverse prospecting.

In the Days Back field you may enter a value for the number of “days back” to show only the number of days back that match your selected listing;

Clicking Count will display the number of prospects that match with your listing;

Click Search to see buyers’ agents who have prospects that match your listing;

Your reverse prospecting search will yield 2 types of results:

1.  Your Prospects, which includes names and contact information so you may contact your own prospects directly;

2.  Other Agents’ Prospects, where other agents’ contact information is displayed, along with only the nickname or alias of the prospect. For these prospects, you are not authorized to view their real names/contact information, but referred back to their buyers’ agents’ for follow up;

You may select up to 5 reports to send by clicking on either your prospect’s or the buyer’s agent email address;

When you’ve finished selecting the reports, click Email to open the email template;

Compose your own email message using the rich text editor or use the default message;

When you have finished composing your email, click Send.

 

how to oPT-IN YOUR PROSPECT FOR REVERSE PROSPECTING

Buyers’ agents must “opt-in” prospects for reverse prospecting. Please note that when you do so, you do not compromise your exclusive relationship with your prospect. Sellers’ agents still must work with you. Paragon only gives your contact information to the seller’s agent on the Reverse Prospecting search report.

Here’s how:

Click Contacts and Add Contact to enter a new prospect and opt them in for the service.

Enter contact information, check the box next to Use Reverse Prospecting and enter an alias or nickname for this prospect.

When finished, click Save; then the Contact Manager Wizard will open;

Click Add New Saved Search to associate a saved search with this prospect;

Click the appropriate Property Class link to open the search criteria template;

A modal window will open and provide a recommended name for your prospect’s associated saved search. You may change the name to anything you wish as long as it does not contain special characters or already exist as another prospect.

When you’ve created the desired search name, click Save.

Maximize your MLS experience

Learn how to maximize Paragon’s helpful user features. Attend live monthly training courses at CCAR and/or explore Paragon’s comprehensive online training videos.

Schedule a live demo in your office by calling (925) 295-1270; email: [email protected].