Coronavirus: Should Realtors Stop Working

Q: Gerald, I’m a realtor. I keep seeing businesses shut down because of Coronavirus–should realtors stop working? Karen, Bloomfield, NJ.

A: Thanks for asking such an important question, Karen. To start things off, let’s set priorities: Keeping yourself, your family and your community safe and flattening the curve which means slowing down the spread of the coronavirus should be paramount to everyone–you, me and everyone else. The precautions that you are seeing more and more of (i.e. business closings etc.) serve that purpose–to slow the spread of the virus and we should all do our part to adhere to those precautions. To answer your question, here’s a hypothetical question that you and everyone else should ask themselves: Can you do your job as a realtor while observing social distancing practices that help ensure public health? The answer is yes, you can. You have your phone, email, skype, zoom–a plethora of digital devices and platforms that can help you continue working during the shut down. We should change our behavior now and for the foreseeable future in light of the corona virus but that doesn’t mean you have to crawl up into a ball and hide in the corner. Communicate openly and honestly with your clients–many people don’t trust much of the information they’re receiving regarding the virus so take your lead regarding protecting yourself and others from qualified health care professionals, adhere to social distancing guidelines but there is no reason not to continue working, our economy needs our participation now and during the long recovery after the peak of the virus. Thanks for your question, Karen.

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