Guidance on Resuming In-Person Public Open Houses and Broker Tours

As of Thursday, June 25th, the ability to schedule in-person Broker Tours and Public Open Houses was re-enabled in the Greenwich MLS system. Public Open houses may resume this weekend starting Saturday, June 27th, and Broker Tours will begin Tuesday, June 30th, and Thursday, July 2nd. The GAR/GMLS Board of Directors strongly urges members to adhere to all safety recommendations, guidance, and policies from your Broker/Head of Office, the CDC, State of CT, Connecticut Association of REALTORS®, and National Association of REALTORS. Specific guidance for protocol pre-, during, and post- in-person showings is available in The Point.

Stay of Evictions Expanded through August 1

The Connecticut Judicial Branch has extended the stay of the service of all issued executions on evictions through August 1, 2020. The stay was initially set to expire on July 1, 2020. More information about mortgage relief for residents and businesses, as well as residential rent protections that remain in place is available via CT.gov.

2020 NAR Annual Conference will be Virtual

The National Association of Realtors® announced Wednesday that the 2020 REALTORS® Conference & Expo, previously scheduled from November 13-16 in New Orleans, will be transitioned to a fully virtual format in light of ongoing health and safety concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. NAR completed the first-ever virtual iteration of its Legislative Meetings from May 12-14, where 28,000 participating Realtors® nearly tripled the annual conference’s average attendance. Read the full press release on NAR.realtor.

Conveyance Tax Increase for Residential Sales over $2.5 Million Effective 7/1

On June 26, 2019, Governor Ned Lamont approved the budget passed by the Connecticut State Legislature. This new budget increased the conveyance tax on residential real estate sales where the sales price is more than $2.5 million. The new tax rate, which takes effect on July 1, 2020, is as follows: (1) 0.75% on the first $800,000 of the sales price plus (2) 1.25% on the portion of the sales price between $800,000 and $2.5 million plus (3) 2.25% on the portion of the sales price greater than $2.5 million. More detail on the increase, and tax credits available to impacted sellers who remain residents of CT will be available from the DRS soon.

NAR Implicit Bias Training and Test for REALTOR® Members

As part of its commitment to addressing racial injustice in America, the National Association of Realtors® has begun circulating a new 50-minute implicit bias training video to its members and association staff. Partnering with the New York-based Perception Institute, NAR’s online video draws upon recent research to illustrate how the human brain’s automatic, instant association of stereotypes with particular groups can cause people to treat those who are different from them unfairly. Scientific evidence also suggests these biases persist despite people’s best intentions and often without conscious awareness. Test whether you have a hidden bias.