Last year as we entered the holidays, COVID was germinating in the population, preparing for a surge to come in the New Year. It was a scary time, and in real estate sales we were still taking extraordinary precautions when showing homes. Buyers needed to sign a PEAD (COVID disclosure advisory) form for each property they visited. It was mandatory for broker entry rules to be posted outside of each house. Public open houses and brokers open houses were banned. When I showed houses, the windows in every room had to be open, there was PPE stationed by the front door, and commonly touched surfaces were wiped down after every showing. We were doing our best to stop the spread.
With the vaccine, things have mostly returned to normal in the business of selling homes. The PEAD form is gone, rules to entry have been taken down, PPE stations dismantled, and open houses have been back for months. Marin County has done an exemplary job vaccinating a high percentage of the population, and as a result case numbers have remained below levels that would raise alarms. Now, with everyone over 18 allowed to get booster shots, things are bound to get even better!
When visiting open houses, everyone is still wearing masks. While mask-earing may no longer be mandatory, I think everyone feels a lot safer in these types of public settings with masks on. Going on listing appointments is another matter. I still wear my mask when I first meet people. Most of my clients don’t wear masks around me, but I still feel a little uneasy when I go without a mask around people outside my household. If we are meeting outdoors, I have no problem not wearing a mask. Indoors feels a little sketchier. I know I will feel more comfortable once I’ve had my booster shot.
We’ve come a long way since December of 2020 when the first vaccinations were rolling out. Fueled in part by the pandemic, the real estate market has been on an epic run since the Shelter in Place was lifted in mid-2020. Things are a little cooler now, but that’s to be expected with the cooler weather. We still have very little inventory and very low interest rates, which make for prime selling conditions.
From my vantage point in the real estate industry, I’d say 2022 should get off to another strong start for sellers. The biggest wildcard in the deck is inflation. If it persists and worsens as we move through the year, the whole economy, not just the housing market, could be in trouble.