Message from the President - June 11, 2020
Since late March and the arrival of COVID-19, the business of Orange County REALTORS® has been uninterrupted and moving forward. We take pride in knowing that we quickly rose to the occasion and did not miss a beat when it came to the continued delivery of the extraordinary service and resources that you, our members, are accustomed to.
Through this crisis we have learned how to effectively conduct association business and events remotely. Technology, more than ever, proved to be the light of hope for all of us. It kept us connected, informed, and educated. We wanted to make sure that our organization was reaching out to our members, making good decisions and staying on top of and adapting to the change that was occurring.
As much as we want things to return to normal, we believe it is critical that we reopen in a conscious, aware, and responsible way. There are many steps the Association needs to do before we can fully resume serving members in-person and hosting marketing meetings, committee meetings, training and other activities. These steps include creating a comprehensive risk assessment and written safety plan compliant with Cal OSHA and the CA Department of Public Health. We do not have many answers yet, but Orange County REALTORS® is laying the foundation for this as we speak.
Don’t forget to check the website below for updates regarding COVID-19 and OC REALTORS®.
We know you are anxious. We hear you. It is on our minds, too. We appreciate your patience during this time and are anxious to be able to see you in person soon!
Sincerely,
Danielle Corliss
President, Orange County REALTORS®
Latest Updates - August 31, 2020
Governor Newsom signed the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 into law.
Availability of Services - How to Get Assistance
Purchase Lockbox or Real Estate Sign
You can call to purchase supplies and we will coordinate a time for you to pick up from one of our offices.
Some merchandise is available for purchase online for pick up as well.
Lockbox Jam
Call us for assistance over the phone.
Supra eKEY Issue
Call us or use the online chat feature. You can also contact Supra directly at 877-699-6787.
Issue a New Supra eKEY
Call us and we can walk you through the necessary steps to enroll, download the eKEY app, and sign the required Supra agreement.
New Member Joining
Please apply online and we will follow up with you regarding your application.
Changes to Your Membership
Download the appropriate change form and submit it via email. Change forms can be found on our website.
Office Transfer
Download the Member Transfer Form and submit it via email.
Renew Your Membership
Call us or use the online chat feature so we can explain your options.
License Renewal
We have a variety of online license renewal options available to you.
DRE Renewals & Exemptions
DRE Renewal and Exemption assistance is now being offered by phone appointment. Please email Cassie Cardenas to schedule an appointment.
MLS Support
Call us for assistance. Press option 3 for MLS Support.
Pay Your Bill / Late Payments
We recommend that you pay your bill online through MyAccount. Services will be turned back on within 1 hour.
Professional Standard Complaint
To file a complaint, please contact Cece Robles.
Broker Compliance / Non Member Assessments
Please follow up with your assigned Association Services Representative.
If you are unsure who to contact you may send an email to bc@ocrealtors.org.
MLS Services & Support
OCR MLS Department
Call 949-586-6800
Available: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday to Friday
Email: mls@ocrealtors.org
CRMLS Support
Call 800-925-1525, Option 1
Available: 8:30 AM – 9 PM Monday to Friday
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Saturday and Sunday
Spanish Available: 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM Monday - Friday, Press Option 2
Visit www.crmls.org/support
Compliance Support & Resources
Visit www.crmls.org/compliance
Chat Available: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM; 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Email: compliance@crmls.org
Submit Exclusion Form
To submit a Listing Exclusion, visit www.crmls.org/excludelisting
CRMLS Knowledgebase
Visit www.kb.crmls.org
COVID-19 FAQs
Visit go.crmls.org/faqs-on-covid-19-and-real-estate
Resources to Conduct Business Virtually and Important changes to CRMLS to help Agents
MLS Tips
Showings
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Include a link to an unbranded virtual tour in the Public Remarks field.
Open House
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A Virtual Open House is a Listing Agent inviting any number of people to participate in a scheduled event set for a specific time to view the property and interact with the Listing Agent virtually. Currently live open houses are not permitted. Please check CAR's Guidance on Showings for additional information.
Days on Market (DOM)
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To stop DOM; Listing Agent/Broker should change the status to HOLD. CRMLS has removed the 30-day time limitation for Hold statuses.
Prevention Plans
CRMLS is allowing agents to upload their Prevention Plan as a non-branded photo.
For more information, please contact OC REALTORS® or CRMLS.
Status of Classes, Meetings & Events
Classes
All classes are currently being held virtually. Please check our calendar to register to attend.
New REALTOR® Orientation
Orientation for New REALTORS® is now available online! New members will be sent an invitation to complete Orientation online. If you have questions, please email us at orientation@ocrealtors.org.
Marketing Meetings
All Marketing Meetings are currently being hosted virtually. Live preview tours are not currently allowed. Check our Marketing Meetings & Previews page for details.
Committee Meetings
Committee Meetings are currently being held virtually.
Other Events
All events are currently being held virtually. Check our calendar for the latest virtual events. If you have additional questions, please contact Zhipi McDougald.
Updates
August 31, 2020
Governor Newsom signed the COVID-19 Tenant Relief Act of 2020 into law.
August 13
The Judicial Council of California voted to end two temporary emergency rules governing evictions and judicial foreclosures, which will stay in effect through Sept. 1.
July 29
Guidance for Real Estate Transactions is updated.
July 24
The State of California prepared an Employer Playbook for a Safe Reopening to help plan and prepare for reopening business.
July 14
Governor Newsom Issues Executive Order Impacting DRE Applicants and Licensees
- Review DRE News Release
July 13
CAR has Updated Guidance and Forms regarding Open Houses
- Review Open House Guidance
- All showings still require either an appointment or a digital sign-in process prior to entry, including completing a PEAD form. Any such showings still must follow these rules:
- Have protective equipment like masks and hand sanitizer made available.
- Thoroughly clean all shown properties and disinfect commonly used areas such as doors and doorknobs, cabinet handles, switches, etc.
- Control the number of people in the house by only allowing in one buying party at a time (which could consist of more than one person). The listing agent and buyer's agent may also be on the property at the same time.
- All showings require appointments OR digital sign-ins.
- For more information, visit https://www.car.org/riskmanagement/covidlegaldocs and find the updated forms and documents on zipForm® under the “COVID-19” category in the forms library.
Governor Newsom Orders Several Sectors to Shut Down
- Review Roadmap by County
- Effective July 13, 2020, ALL counties must close indoor operations in these sectors:
- Dine-in restaurants
- Wineries and tasting rooms
- Movie theaters
- Family entertainment centers (for example: bowling alleys, miniature golf, batting cages and arcades)
- Zoos and museums
- Cardrooms
- Additionally, bars, brewpubs, breweries, and pubs must close all operations both indoor and outdoor statewide. Counties that have remained on the County Monitoring List for 3 consecutive days will be required to shut down the following industries unless they can be modified to operate outside or by pick-up.
- Fitness centers
- Worship services
- Protests
- Offices for non-essential sectors
- Personal care services, like nail salons, body waxing and tattoo parlors
- Hair salons and barbershops
- Malls
July 2
CAR has updated its FAQ Guidance for Showings.
- Review Guidance for Showings
California Department of Public Health & Cal OSHA updated COVID-19 Industry Guidance.
June 18
Governor Newsom issued an order requiring cloth face coverings in public.
June 15
Governor Newsom issues Executive Order Impacting DRE Applicants and Licensees. On June 15, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-69-20 which, among other things, extends several provisions in prior Executive Order N-52-20 pertaining to Department of Real Estate (DRE) statutory deadlines by an additional 60 days.
May/June COVID-19 Form Updates
C.A.R. COVID-19 forms, including the BPPP, Posted Rules of Entry, PEAD-V, PEAD-S and others, are available on zipForm®.
- Find more information, including a quick summary of the forms
- C.A.R. Legal Documents
May 8
California moves into Stage 2 of modifying the state’s Stay-at-Home order
April 24
Certain Employees at Some Essential Businesses Must Wear Face Coverings Effective Friday, April 24
April 16
Governor Gavin Newsom Extends DRE Statutory Deadlines by 60 Days.
DRE Issues Warning to Homeowners in Financial Distress.
March 28
U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) updated its list of essential services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and expressly included residential real estate.
Notwithstanding this new development, all real estate licensees must take into account the health and safety of their clients and fellow licensees, and follow the existing protocols for protecting against the spread of COVID-19. If such heath safeguards and protocols are not followed, the rule for the state could easily change to stop or restrict all real estate activity. To that end, in conformity with current health guidelines, real estate licensees should follow all CDC and local health mandates.
- No open houses should be held.
- Showings should be done virtually, if at all possible.
March 27
Governor Newsom Takes Executive Action to Establish a Statewide Moratorium on Evictions.
March 27
Congress has just passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a stimulus package that provides direct financial assistance to small business owners and independent contractors, as well as direct financial payments to individual taxpayers.
- Learn more about REALTOR® Relief.
Additional Resources
Pandemic Unemployment Assistance via EDD
Financial Relief for REALTORS®
Review C.A.R.'s Best Practices for Real Estate Professionals
Judicial Council Emergency Order Halts Evictions
FAQs on Unemployment Assistance (via NAR)
Protect Your Investment: A Guide for At Risk Homeowners
NAR Offers 2 Free Months of TeleHealth Service
Coronavirus: A Guide for REALTORS® (via NAR)
COVID-19 Updates (via C.A.R.)
Recorded Webinar on C.A.R.'s New Coronavirus Form (via C.A.R.)
Steps to Prevent Illness (via Center for Disease Control)
Governor Newsom's Stay at Home Order
Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) (via Orange County Public Health Agency)
Payment Plan Due Dates
The payment plan deadlines were extended starting the April. If you are on our 6-month payment plan, please note the new Payment Plan due dates are as follows:
- 5th Installment was due July 11
- Last Installment is due August 11