The State of Real Estate Right Now

Hi everybody!

We're going to make it a GREAT day!

Okay, things are in a real estate of flux right now. We don't know what's going to be in the relief package currently being negotiated in Congress. We don't know exactly what's going to happen with closings, with all the county clerks offices closed.

But I wanted to summarize what we do know:

1. Showings
New York has indicated that showings are not allowed, but it's not clear whether anyone is going to be enforcing that. If you're going to do showings, be careful and follow safety protocols. In New Jersey, we've gotten some indication that showings are allowed.

2. Do Not Call
In New York, we've received guidance that cold calling is not allowed in state emergencies. We've not gotten the same advice in NJ, but we expect you should follow the same protocol. Now, this does NOT mean you can't call past clients, friends, family, old leads, etc. You just can't do blind cold calling. So it shouldn't be a big deal for most of you.

3. Closings
Closings are still taking place,usually in situations where the title work was already completed. Below, we've set out some guidelines from Hudson United's James Coombs about closings with Hudson. Government agencies are trying to adapt to the new realities, evidenced by FHFA's statement that they'll relax some rules about confirming employment history with records difficult to get.

We will give you updated information as we get it.

We also have updates below about the following:

• Hudson United Title closings info.
• Hudson United Insurance contact info.
• New rules for notarizing documents by video.
• R4L mailings suspended, digital only -- and subscription fees waived for April.
• And lots of other stuff....

So make sure to check out the rest of today's Daily GWM....

Message from James Coombs of Hudson United Title

From James Coombs:

Hudson United Title Services is fully operational, conducting closings and

processing new orders. We are of course, taking every precaution and following

all protocols established and recommended by the Federal Government, New

York and New Jersey State and the CDC. Our staff is working from home and closings

are being conducted under the parameters set by our Underwrites and our recommended

practices.

New orders are being processed with the potential for delays because of limited

staff and closures of County Clerk's, Buildings Departments and Tax Departments in

our region. Despite these limitations, we are working diligently to insure that when

things return to normal, files are complete and ready to close ASAP!

All of us at Hudson United Title Services hope everyone is well and thank you for

your continued support through these tough times that will soon pass!

Message from Hudson United Insurance

Hudson United Insurance Services is up and running!

With all of our staff working from home, we and the insurance companies are working at full capacity. The producers that you work with are able to quote new policies for your clients and answer any questions you may have. You can always call the service team who are happy to help.

If you are a client of HUIS and you have a claim please contact your carrier directly. If you do not have your insurance information handy please call the office and we can help you report your claim.

Below there are a list of contact numbers for your convenience.

Please be smart and stay safe!

Nancy Dickson
Director of Insurance

Hudson United Insurance Services

268 S. Main St.
New City, NY 10956
845-579- 8127

Nancy.dickson@hudsonunited.com

No Realtor for Life Fees in May, and no Hardcopy QMR -- Digital Only

Given the circumstances, we are not going to be producing a hard copy of the next R4L mailing, the First Quarter Market Report. We will still be doing the report, and making it available for digital distribution, but we don't think we could get you your copies to mail out safely. So we're not going to be printing them up. If you want, you can always print them at home and mail out the pages you want.

Since we're not publishing the QMR, we're not going to be charging the R4L monthly fees for subscribers until we are able to send out hardcopies again. Hopefully by this summer.

New Easier Rules for Notarizing Documents

My thanks to Paul Adler for alerting me to this.

Pursuant to Gov. Cuomo's Executive Order #202, the Public Officer's Law has been modified as relates to the rules of notarization:

1. Notarization need not be in-person, and now through the use of audio-visual technology we can get your documents notarized.

2. The person seeking Notary service, if not known to the Notary must present a valid photo ID to the Notary during a live video conference. We cannot accept accept the photo ID before or after the video conference.

3. The video conference must be direct between the notary and the person seeking the notarization. (No pre-recordings of the person signing)

4. The person must affirm that they are physically in NYS.

5. The person must transmit by fax or email a legible copy of the signed document directly to the Notary on the same date it was signed.

6. The Notary must return the document to the signer.

7. The Notary has up to 30 days to receive the original document if you need that signed/notarized as well.

IMPORTANT: Contact us if you need groceries, medicine, or other help

We want to make sure that if any of you need help in any way, that you should let your manager, regional, or a Rand know.

• if you need someone to pick up groceries or medication for you.
• If you need a ride.
• If you have a question you can't find the answer to.
• If you just need someone to talk to.

Joe is at 914-755-1561

Matt is at 914-755-1828

Dan is at 845-825-0499

Marsha is at 239-229-0202 (not available for deliveries, though....)

We're a family here. If you need us, just let us know.

Joe Rand's Books Selling for Cost

Because I know people are going to be looking for stuff to read over the next few weeks, I've reduced the price on all my books and ebooks to cost -- as low as I possibly can on Amazon:

How to be a Great Real Estate Agent (Paperback) ($9.99)

How to be a Great Real Estate Agent (Kindle Ebook) ($2.99)

How to be a Great Real Estate Agent (Audiobook) (free with Audible membership)

Disruptors, Discounters, and Doubters (Kindle Ebook) ($2.99

Disruptors, Discounters, and Doubters (Paperback) ($9.99)

You all got free copies of these hardcopies at some point, but for those of you who like reading ebooks, the $2.99 price should give you the opportunity to buy a copy for yourself.

Coronavirus Update Every Weekday at 9AM -- Call 563-999-1362

Every day at 9AM, Joe does an open call called the "Great Day Call," which for the time being will have updates about the coronavirus and announcements from the company.

Call 563-999-1362 every day at 8:59AM to connect directly to the call. We will also record it and put it on RandConnect on Facebook every day.

Here are links to all the recent calls since we started talking specifically about the Coronovirus Pandemic:

Tuesday, March 24

Monday, March 23

Friday, March 20

Thursday, March 19

Wednesday, March 18

Tuesday, March 17

Monday, March 16

Reminder: New Policies in Place -- Especially regarding showings in NJ

Reminder that we have a new "Coronavirus Policy and Advisory" which has been updated to reflect that we've gotten some guidance that New Jersey is allowing real estate showings. Specifically, an Assemblywoman has stated that showings are allowed, and says she's confirmed that advice with the governor's office

Here is a summary review of these policies:

1. Our offices are closed.
2. You should not be working outside the home in New York. In New Jersey, you can still do showings but should follow our guidelines.
3. If you do work outside the home, take special precautions.
4. Be aware that closings will be delayed.
5. Be careful about sharing information that’s not vetted.
6. Public-facing advisories on the blog have been updated.
7. Follow our Coronavirus Protocols to stay safe.

Google Hangout Minimum Requirements for iPhone and iPad

With so many of us using Google Hangouts, we wanted to alert you to the fact that it will only work on relatively recent phones and tablets:

• iPhone 5s (which came out in 2013) or later
• iPad 5th Generation (2017), iPad Air (2013) , and iPad mini 2 (2013) or later.

So your iPhone and iPads should probably work, but you should check the model numbers. You can do that by going to Settings->General->About and then look at the Model Name. You can also look up the Model Number or Serial Number on that screen to check out the exact dates and whatnot.

Search Your iPad Model #

Wiki on Models

Phishing Alert

With so many of us home all day with limited access to colleagues, phishing expeditions are increasing -- scammers trying to get your login information or your passwords, things like that.

Here's a great article from the FTC that you should review about avoiding Pfishing scams.

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recogniz...

h/t Marianne Garvey for the alert.

Training Schedule

Rand Weekly Webinar Schedule

Rand Webinar: G -Suite Tools

Wednesday March 25, 2020 1:00pm -1:30pm

Have you ever had your computer crash and lose all of your files? Most of us have or know someone that this has happened too. Learn how to use the G-Suite tools so you never have to worry about this again.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/334068173

Rand Webinar: Op City with Alex Dale

Friday March 27,2020 1:00pm -1:30 pm

Join us for a very special webinar featuring Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty's very own Alex Dale. Alex will go over the Op City platform with us and the requirements to qualify to start receiving leads. If you are new to the company or need a refresher on the way Op City works this is the webinar for you to get all of your questions answered.

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/819297061

Our Coronavirus Advisories

Here is a list of active advisories and explainers about the coronavirus:

Rand Realty 3.21.2020 Statement on Company Policies
Our statement on company policies following the "Essential Business Guidelines" orders from the states.

Client Letter with our Coronavirus Protocols
Rand family letter to clients with information about our offices and company policies.

General Advisory about how to Protect Yourself.
Our initial advisory with General Protocols for protecting yourself from the virus.

Showing Protocols for Buyers
Advisory for agents and buyer clients about showings.

Showing Protocols for Sellers
Advisory for agents and seller clients about showings.

OLD POLICY STATEMENTS

These policies are mostly superseded by events, and by the release of the 3.21.20 Statement on Company Policies and the Client Letter with our Coronavirus Protocols:

Client Advisory about Showing Protocols
Our initial client advisory about company policies (mostly superseded as of 3.21.2020)

Agent Advisory: How to Protect Yourself and Your Clients
Our initial agent advisory about working with clients during the crisis (mostly superseded as of 3.21.2020)

Weekly Newsreal

Coronavirus Links and Numbers

Here are some links and numbers you might want to get more information.

Center for Disease Control

NY Health Department

NJ Health Department

Rockland

Orange

Westchester

Putnam

Bronx

Bergen

Passaic

Morris

Hudson

New Jersey State Hotline: 1-800-222-1222

New York State Hotline: 1-888-364-3065.