CTR Letter - March 29, 2020


March 29, 2020 Dear CT REALTOR®: We all heard Saturday night’s directive from the CDC about non-essential travel. CTR urges your compliance with that along with the earlier guidance about limiting ANY unnecessary visit to a property. Our state is trying to save lives and CTR is working to ensure the strictest possible adherence. As a quick reminder: Be sure to limit how many people enter a property when essential services are performed. Refrain from violating State orders by hiring services to enter homes that have not been deemed essential on the DECD exemption list or other direct confirmation from DECD. Please refer back to the Guidance from CTR as provided on March 23. It can be found on our dedicated web page at ctrealtors.com/coronavirus On Friday you received information from the CT Fair Housing Center regarding anti-discrimination concerns related to COVID-19. This anti-discrimination organization spelled out the Federal and State protected classes of national origin and disability. You can find the CT Fair Housing Center’s instruction at this link. Be sure to read both pages. NAR is working on comprehensive guidance related to REALTORS® and Unemployment Protection Assistance. CTR is getting clarification from the CT Department of Labor (DOL) as it relates to independent contractors which we are hopeful we will have by Tuesday afternoon. However, for anyone wishing to file right away, you can find the link on the DOL site at http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/UI-online/Index.htm. Look for the coronavirus section. Note, if you are an independent contractor you would use your name under Employer. NAR reported last night that FEMA is granting grace period extension for Flood Insurance renewals. Read more about that important development at this link. This is important information to pass on to your clients who may not have heard this from another source. Three other excellent sources of information include: NAR’s “Right Tools, Right Now” site listing free and discounted programs; The Small Business Administration’s comprehensive guidance site; and The SMART MLS Toolki t for products and options now available to you. CTR is working on a Legal FAQ for commonly asked questions related to real estate practice and COVID-19. We hope to have the FAQ document posted by Tuesday morning. CTR is compiling all relevant information we receive related to COVID-19 onto our site at ctrealtors.com/coronavirus and in Facebook posts. Please stay home when you can, eliminate non-essential travel, be safe when performing essential services, and help keep the Connecticut economy moving. Our clients, families, municipalities and the state are depending on us. Regards, CONNECTICUT REALTORS® ctrealtors.com/coronavirus
This has been prepared for informational purposes and general guidance only. CTR is not DECD, DOL, CDC, FEMA, DCP, CHRO, NAR, the CT Fair Housing Center, a regulatory agency, your attorney or accountant. Information changes regularly and all general guidance is subject to change at any time. Check with your attorney, accountant, designated broker or manager, state agency, or other professionals for guidance specific to your situation. To sign up for CTR text alerts, go to ctrealtors.com/text. For the CTR President's Latest Video Message (Friday, March 27), watch here.

March 29, 2020

Dear CT REALTOR®:

We all heard Saturday night’s directive from the CDC about non-essential travel. CTR urges your compliance with that along with the earlier guidance about limiting ANY unnecessary visit to a property. Our state is trying to save lives and CTR is working to ensure the strictest possible adherence. As a quick reminder:

Be sure to limit how many people enter a property when essential services are performed.
Refrain from violating State orders by hiring services to enter homes that have not been deemed essential on the DECD exemption list or other direct confirmation from DECD.
Please refer back to the Guidance from CTR as provided on March 23. It can be found on our dedicated web page at ctrealtors.com/coronavirus

On Friday you received information from the CT Fair Housing Center regarding anti-discrimination concerns related to COVID-19. This anti-discrimination organization spelled out the Federal and State protected classes of national origin and disability. You can find the CT Fair Housing Center’s instruction at this link. Be sure to read both pages.
NAR is working on comprehensive guidance related to REALTORS® and Unemployment Protection Assistance. CTR is getting clarification from the CT Department of Labor (DOL) as it relates to independent contractors which we are hopeful we will have by Tuesday afternoon. However, for anyone wishing to file right away, you can find the link on the DOL site at http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/UI-online/Index.htm. Look for the coronavirus section. Note, if you are an independent contractor you would use your name under Employer.
NAR reported last night that FEMA is granting grace period extension for Flood Insurance renewals. Read more about that important development at this link. This is important information to pass on to your clients who may not have heard this from another source.
Three other excellent sources of information include:
- NAR’s “Right Tools, Right Now” site listing free and discounted programs;
- The Small Business Administration’s comprehensive guidance site; and
- The SMART MLS Toolki t for products and options now available to you.
CTR is working on a Legal FAQ for commonly asked questions related to real estate practice and COVID-19. We hope to have the FAQ document posted by Tuesday morning.

CTR is compiling all relevant information we receive related to COVID-19 onto our site at ctrealtors.com/coronavirus and in Facebook posts.

Please stay home when you can, eliminate non-essential travel, be safe when performing essential services, and help keep the Connecticut economy moving. Our clients, families, municipalities and the state are depending on us.

Regards,
CONNECTICUT REALTORS®

ctrealtors.com/coronavirus

This has been prepared for informational purposes and general guidance only. CTR is not DECD, DOL, CDC, FEMA, DCP, CHRO, NAR, the CT Fair Housing Center, a regulatory agency, your attorney or accountant. Information changes regularly and all general guidance is subject to change at any time. Check with your attorney, accountant, designated broker or manager, state agency, or other professionals for guidance specific to your situation.

To sign up for CTR text alerts, go to ctrealtors.com/text.
For the CTR President's Latest Video Message (Friday, March 27), watch here.