COVID-19 Update to All GRAR Members
March 20, 2020
Today, Governor Cuomo issued a statewide executive order called New York State on PAUSE . PAUSE stands for P olicies that A ssure U niform S afety for E veryone. This order takes effect at 8pm on Sunday, March 22 and involves the following two rules:

  • Only essential businesses can have workers at the job location. Non-essential service businesses must have 100% of the workforce work at home.

  • Remain indoors to the greatest extent to protect physical and mental health.
Included in the order is social distancing of at least 6 feet from any person with whom you do not currently live.

The Governor stated, "These provisions will be enforced." He went on to say there will be civil fines and mandatory closures for businesses that are not in compliance with the order.

As a result of this most recent development, GRAR recommends that all in our industry follow the rules of this order. During today's press conference, the Governor said that a real estate agent cannot show an apartment that is for rent while this order is in effect. We interpret this to also include no in-person showings of houses for sale while this order is in effect. All brokerage offices will also need to close by Sunday at 8pm.

If you have any questions about a specific circumstance that you are unsure whether or not falls within the category of "essential", please consult with your broker before taking any action that is contrary to this order. Contact the banks and attorneys involved for any closings you have coming up in the near term.
View the video of the full press release
35:50 - Governor Cuomo states that a real estate agent cannot be showing an apartment according to this mandate
GRAR will continue to monitor the situation closely and send updates, as needed. Also, please watch for a page on GRAR.org dedicated to Coronavirus updates that will be live tomorrow, March 21. The link to the page will be in the News Center on the GRAR Portal.

Thank you and we wish you all the best during this unprecedented and challenging time.
Andy Kachaylo, GRAR President
Jim Yockel, GRAR CEO
Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS® | grar.org