NJ Open Houses are Back! (and this how they work)
In-Person Open Houses were off limits to NJ residents during the stay-at-home order that went into effect on March 21, 2020, and were quickly replaced with a Virtual Open House format.
On June 15, 2020, Governor Murphy announced that In-Person Open Houses may resume, with compliance to indoor gathering restrictions. If you plan to attend an In-Person Open House in NJ, here is everything you need to know to stay safe & be prepared.
What to Expect
New Jersey State Policies
All Open Houses must comply with New Jersey’s current indoor gathering restrictions & CDC guidelines. This includes:
The requirement of face coverings for all attendees at all times during the Open House, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Practice social distancing.
Follow the indoor capacity limit of 25% of a building’s occupancy.
Individual Home Policies
Additionally, be prepared for each individual home to carry their own policies & procedures. Read each Open House listing carefully and reach out to the Listing Agent prior to the visit for any questions. You may expect:
Potential restrictions on group sizes and “one-group-at-a-time” policies (for example, two Buyers + one Agent at a time).
Multiple Agents hosting. One at the door, and another walking groups through, etc.
An Agent requesting your name, phone number, email address for communication purposes related to the virus, if needed.
To be asked to wear [provided] gloves and/ or shoe booties for the duration of the tour (in addition to your own face covering).
The possibility of health questionnaires relating to recent COVID-19 exposure and/ or signing a “Hold Harmless Waiver” prior to entering the home.
“No-touch” tours - you may be asked to defer to the Agent for opening, closing, moving, etc. of any surfaces in the home.
Our Position & Policy
As a company, Heritage House Sotheby’s International Realty highly encourages the practice of hosting Virtual Open Houses in lieu of In-Person Open Houses , We believe this has become an effective way to promote the homes while limiting the potential virus exposure to ourselves, our Clients and attendees. From a Virtual Open House, we recommend scheduling interested parties in line with CDC guidelines for in-person showings. This limits the number of people in the home to those who are series Buyers.
However, if you prefer an In-Person Open House we’ll do our best to accommodate your request while complying with CDC Guidelines and the Governor’s Executive Order, to ensure the health & safety of all parties. These are the steps we’ll take to deliver on this promise:
Confirm, in writing, that you’re comfortable with an open house.
Establish a plan, in writing, as to what will be sanitized prior to the Open House and who is responsible for sanitizing post Open House.
Consider providing disposable gloves to all attendees.
We recommend requiring each attendee to provide their name, phone number, email address and address to enter the home for communication purposes related to the virus, if needed.
Require social distancing for all attendees.
Do not serve food or drinks.
Ensure all lights are on, doors are open and any window treatments are in place for a proper showing to eliminate an attendee from touching anything.
