By Rogers Healy
The mask mandate has been lifted and coinciding with that decision, my concern levels rose as well. As owner and CEO of one of the largest independently-owned real estate brokerages in Texas, my stress levels hit an all-time high after the announcement was made.
I worry for the over 350 Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate agents who haven’t stopped their hustle during the pandemic. I have hesitations for my clients who are either opening their homes or entering homes for showings.
I wonder how we can stop this virus if we are mitigating the tool that has kept us safe for so long.
After a rocky month of uncertainty last March, the housing market has since thrived throughout the mask mandate because individuals have gotten used to being uncomfortable. This has caused several real estate trends to change – more multi-generational housing arrangements, the need for more home offices in a home, and the need for more square-footage to create private space throughout the house.
The real estate industry has adapted to the mask mandate over the course of the year. It isn’t uncommon to pass a checklist of COVID protocol prior to walking into an open house or an office. Agents have adapted to the mask mandate for one simple reason — it keeps them, and their clients safe.
It is also now becoming more and more common to skip the in-person showings altogether, as more and more deals are being done virtually every day.
The switch to virtual home sales has proved to be an interesting trend. Yes, part of the reason that we are seeing an increase in virtual sales is due to the influx of relocations into Texas, but another large reason is simple, it is safer.
(That brings me back to how important it is to have an agent that you can trust on the other side of that virtual screen, but that’s a topic for a future column.)
Choosing to make a financial decision based purely on a virtual tour, whether online or personalized through Facetime, is a daunting decision, though it has become a common factor in so many of our recent deals.
At Rogers Healy and Associates Real Estate, we have implemented necessary protocols that are similar to several other businesses – masks required, advanced appointments required, social distancing mandatory – but our take on the mask requirement is so very different because we are in the business of selling and buying real estate.
We are in the business of welcoming individuals into a common space that other individuals currently reside in. The need for safety in this area comes at the responsibility of real estate agents.
As the mask mandate is lifted in Texas, my entire company is still expected to follow our COVID-19 safety protocols. I am focused on maintaining the same regulations out of respect to my team, our clients, and our loved ones.
My decision isn’t about protecting myself; it is about protecting the elderly, immune-compromised, and our fellow humans.
As a Texas business owner, I stress that it is too soon to remove the mandate that was keeping so many Americans safe and healthy.
The lone-star state is often a leader in many categories, and also the first to do many things, though the mask decision was a lone-decision that I fear will affect the future of Texas.
As we hit the year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown, wearing a mask has become as simple as putting on a pair of shoes, you do it when you leave your house, and you do it without even thinking about it.
We are in a solid routine where masks are part of the norm. No one was asking to open the state back up, but it opened back up anyway.
No shoes, no (mask), no service.
