COVID-19 UPDATES
Are Open Houses Permitted?
Prior to June 1, 2020, open houses were prohibited per the guidance interpreting the St. Louis City and St. Louis County Executive Orders.

Beginning on June 1, 2020, real estate brokerages in St. Louis City and St. Louis County were legally allowed to begin holding open houses so long as all of the safety measures can be observed. These include limiting groups to ten people or less (including owners and brokers who might be present in the property), social distancing where possible, with face coverings where social distancing can’t be observed and frequent cleaning.

Best Practices:
  • When conducting an open house, consider having the owner or listing broker open doors including closets and cabinets, turning on lights and opening window coverings to reduce the need to touch surfaces.
  • Incorporate a non-discriminatory appointment policy into open house day procedures to cut back on the number of attendees appearing at the same time.
  • Restrict access after each showing to allow time for disinfecting areas of the home previous attendees viewed.
  • Consider providing gloves and booties to all attendees of an open house and requiring face masks for all persons inside the home, even if social distance is maintained.

Even if legally permissible, brokerages should carefully consider whether open houses are the safest option for their clients, their brokers, and consumers. Each attendee brings a different set of contacts into the property. Brokerage policies should consider incorporating the use of technologies (like virtual open houses) to reduce physical presence for the early stages of marketing properties. Use appointments in a consistent and non-discriminatory manner to physically view the property and incorporate the best practices from above, while keeping the number of contacts smaller.

If doing a physical showing while following social distancing guidelines issued by St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and state of Missouri it has been mandated that citizens keep appropriate social distances to the extent possible, in order to slow down the spread of the virus.

Business owners are encouraged to review and familiarize themselves with these Orders as they call for businesses to follow certain guidelines, including but not limited to limiting the number of individuals in any particular location to 25 (twenty-five) percent or less of the entity’s authorized fire or building code occupancy in facilities with square footage of less than ten thousand square feet (10,000 ft²); or ten (10) percent or less of the entity’s authorized fire or building code occupancy in facilities with square footage of ten thousand square feet (10,000 ft²) or more.
 
The latest Order from St. Louis City can be found HERE .

The latest Order from St. Louis County can be found HERE .
THE REALTOR ® WAY
St. Louis Residential Trends Forum
Date: June 16, 2020
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Location: Online Webinar. Please download ZOOM on your phone or laptop to attend.

Meeting information will be sent  separate once we have received your RSVP.

Special thanks to our Forum sponsor:
Leading up to the pandemic, the housing market in the St. Louis Region and the United States as a whole was showing incredible resilience, and even promised to be the strongest year since the Great Recession.

The strength of the housing market coming into 2020 was in part due to very low mortgage rates along with scarcity of homes for sale (mostly among affordably priced homes) and strong employment and income growth. And then, COVID-19 happened.

Please join us for this panel discussion featuring:

  • Jim Dohr, Coldwell Banker Realty - Gundaker
  • Selma Hepp, CoreLogic
  • Dennis Norman, MORE REALTORS®
  • Maryann Vitale Alles, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Select

They will address the state of the residential real estate market, threats and trends, along with personal stories, successes, and challenges.
A Note From the Membership Department – Designated Broker vs. Designated REALTOR ®
Remember, the REALTOR ® Membership Structure, while mirroring the Missouri Real Estate Commission (MREC) in many ways, does have some differences that do not carry over. One example is a Designated Broker per the MREC vs. the Designated REALTOR ® in the REALTOR ® structure. These are not always the same person. The Designated Broker of a firm, as listed with the MREC, is not necessarily the same individual as the Designated REALTOR ® per the REALTOR ® structure when it comes to an LLC or a regular corporation. REALTOR ® Bylaws allow for any licensee holding a Broker Associate license (LLC) or Broker Officer license (regular corporation) to be the Designated REALTOR ® . So just something to keep in mind when choosing the Designated REALTOR ® (responsible member) for your firm if there are multiple licensees that qualify. You can choose the licensee that might best fit that role of Designated REALTOR ® with the Association.

Note:   A Designated REALTOR ® (DR) is defined as an individual that qualifies for REALTOR ®  membership and is also a Principal, Partner, Corporate Officer, or Branch Manager of a Real Estate firm. There is only one Designated REALTOR ® per company, and he/she is responsible for paying the membership fees for all actively licensed agents within the organization.
SUPRA BTLE Boxes – New and Used Available!
A friendly reminder the Association has plenty of both new and used SUPRA boxes for sale. As the St. Louis economy re-opens keep this in mind as we progress into the spring and summer.

  • Used boxes $105.00 plus tax (in excellent condition)
  • New boxes $129.99 plus tax

Remember all boxes in our SUPRA system are have 100% life-long warranty, including used boxes.

Questions or to place an order – call the Membership Department at 314-576-0033 or email to membership@stlrealtors.com
zipForm® Plus/zipTMS® is Now Lone Wolf Technologies
We would like to notify our members that zipForm is changing the name of their flagship transaction management solution, zipForm® Plus/zipTMS®, to Lone Wolf Transactions (zipForm Edition) on June 30, 2020. This change will be seen in the product with a new product title and logo, as well as on their websites (lwolf.com and ziplogix.com), invoices, and training and support documentation.
Legal Advice at Your Fingertips
Did you know that Legal Line is a “members only” service benefit that allows all Missouri REALTORS ® (both brokers and agents) direct access to an experienced real estate attorney who can provide information on a variety of real estate law topics. Legal Line is available Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 12 Noon and 1 - 4 p.m. CST, (excluding recognized holidays) by calling 573-447-5278 . 

One area in which the Legal Line commonly receives questions is St. Louis REALTORS ® contracts and forms. Agents are encouraged to seek out the advice of their managing broker before calling the hotline as often times they will know the answer. Additionally, members are encouraged to review the contract in its entirety as it is apparent that some questions submitted are answered within the document itself.

For more on the Legal Line, click HERE !
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
REALTORS ® Win at the Ballot Box in Municipal Election
Two St. Louis REALTORS ® members, Crestwood Mayor Grant Mabie and St. Peters Alderwoman Melissa Reimer, were reelected in the June Municipal Election. St. Louis REALTORS ® also advocated for homeowners and property rights by opposing Proposition R in Bel-Nor (a new fee on rental homes) and supported Proposition S in Bel-Nor (an expansion of their sewer lateral insurance program). Both of these propositions passed last week, giving the REALTOR ® Party one more win with the passage of Prop S.
New RPAC Fundraising Plan for 2020
In an effort to keep our membership safe and healthy, we have cancelled the RPAC Dinner Auction and have replaced it with a new virtual summer un-gala and online auction scheduled on July 23. The newly revitalized 2020 RPAC Fundraising Plan ensures you will have ample opportunity to participate in RPAC events that are socially flexible and invest in your business! Keep a look out for these opportunities that will surely lift your RPAC spirits.
Support RPAC, Support Small Business Online Auction
St. Louis REALTORS ® is hosting a second small business auction beginning TODAY !

Support RPAC while supporting your local small businesses through RPAC’s online gift card auction from local eateries, shops around town, and showcasing several St. Louis black owned businesses that are staples in our communities. The auction closes on Monday, June 15 at 12 noon.
Virtual Urban Affairs Forum in June Featuring the Vacancy Collaborative
DATE: June 29, 2020
TIME: 10 - 11 a.m.
LOCATION: Online Webinar. Please download ZOOM on your phone or laptop to attend.

Meeting information will be sent separate once we have received your RSVP.
Join us for our first ever virtual Urban Affairs Forum on Monday, June 29 at 10 a.m. We will have presenters from the St. Louis Vacancy Collaborative, a coalition of partners dedicated to reducing the negative impact of vacant property in the city of St. Louis. You won’t want to miss hearing about this impressive, city-wide effort that’s working to strengthen neighborhoods.
EDUCATION AT ITS BEST
2020 Continuing Education Changes
The Missouri Real Estate Commission met on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 and the following decisions were made affecting real estate renewals and continuing education requirements for 2020:

Renewals:
  • Broker expiration dates will be extended from June 30, 2020 until August 31, 2020.
  • Salesperson expiration dates will be extended from September 30, 2020 until October 31, 2020.

Continuing Education:
  • Meeting CE requirements for Brokers has been extended from June 30, 2020 until August 31, 2020.
  • Meeting CE requirements for Salespersons has been extended from September 30, 2020 until October 31, 2020.
  • The one Core course in Real Estate Ethics will still be required.
  • CE hours for Brokers completed after June 30, 2020 and before the license is renewed cannot also be used for 2022 renewals.
  • CE hours for Salesperson completed after September 30, 2020 and before the license is renewed cannot also be used for 2022 renewal.

We encourage attendees to register for continuing educations

Have questions? Please contact the Education Department at education@stlrealtors.com or call us at 314.275.7888.
Want to learn more about our educational events & classes, click H E RE .
REALTORS ® GIVE BACK
REALTORS ® Housing Assistance Fund Donations
REALTORS ® Housing Assistance Fund's (RHAF) mission is to engage in philanthropic and community activities, positioning the RHAF as a viable and visible contributor to St. Louis quality of life, and to help make the American dream of home ownership possible for all in Greater St. Louis area.

You can become a sponsor in 2020 by donating to the RHAF today as part of its Giving Program. See our levels of contribution below:

  • Homemaker ($1000+)
  • Key Holder ($651–999)
  • Roof Raiser ($301–650)
  • Foundation Friend ($100-300)

Your generosity will support the American dream of Homeownership!
REALTORS ® Housing Assistance Fund is a 501(c)(3) Organization. The RHAF was DBA as the St. Louis REALTORS ® Foundation.
HAPPENING AT ST. LOUIS REALTORS ®
ST. LOUIS REALTORS ® | 314.576.0033 | STLREALTORS.COM