The Delta Variant is no joke. Team Diva has already implemented many safety measures to cope with the pandemic. For instance, we required everyone on our team and our vendors to be vaccinated. And will continue to pivot to protect our community. Unfortunately, the vast majority of real estate companies can’t seem to overcome their wild-wild west way of managing brokers to do what is right for the health and safety of the larger community. As of now, there are large real estate industry gatherings planned and zero requirements for the members to be fully vaccinated to attend.
Team Diva is different and will continue to take the lead when it comes to our larger community. As you may know, Team Diva was one of the first real estate organizations to shut our offices before the state ordered the initial lockdowns. Kim wrote up standards for showing our Diva Dwellings. Those were later adopted by our larger parent company. Chavi wrote protocols for our Team. That was later published as a guideline by Inman. The bottom line is that we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our community as we navigate the challenges that the Delta Variant will bring.
We’ve got over a year of experience now serving our buyer and seller clients during a pandemic. This has taught us that not only can we still help our Diva Dwellers successfully buy and sell. We can do it all while keeping everyone safe. As we learn more and more about the new Delta Variant, we are doubling down on our safety protocols. Keep reading for what to expect from Team Diva now and in the coming months.
Below let’s dive into what we are changing to move us forward during the Delta phase of this endless pandemic.
Team Diva’s COVID Safety Protocols for the Delta Variant
Our team has already been working with the following COVID Safety Protocols for some time now. And thankfully we have all remained fairly safe.
The protocols include the following:
- 100% Team Members Must Be Vaccinatinated
- No Public Open Houses for Our Listings
- Limited Number of People at Our Listings At One Time
- Mandatory Masks Inside During Showings
- No Large Real Estate Industry Gatherings
- Supporting Restaurants That Require Vaccinations
- Continuing to Implement Our Previous COVID Protocols for Buying and Selling a Home in Seattle
Just as a quick note all of Team Diva’s team members (employees and contractors) have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. However, we know that being vaccinated is not 100% foolproof. We also know that the Delta Variant spreads more easily and is even more aggressive in how it affects people. Of course, we want to protect ourselves. But it is also deeply important to us that we continue to protect the most vulnerable members of our community who may not be able to receive the vaccination yet.
Here are Team Diva’s COVID current safety protocols to keep us all safe from the Delta Variant:
Mandatory Team Vaccination Requirement
Team Diva works in a close community with our fellow team members and our clients. This also means that we must have policies in place that protect the health and safety of everyone. In accordance with Team Diva’s duty to provide and maintain a healthy workplace. We require all team members to receive vaccinations. Obviously, there are reasonable accommodations that might need to be made on a case-by-case basis. We make sure that our vaccination policies comply with all applicable laws. Our policies are also based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And we take seriously the guidelines set forth by our local health authorities.
This is serious stuff—we don’t take it lightly!
In fact, full-time employees receive paid time off to get their vaccines. Team Diva also provides our team members with reasonable assistance in finding and booking an appointment for vaccination. Chavi has been known to make appointments for folx and even drive them to get their shots. She is on a mission to make sure that everyone is vaccinated!
COVID Safety Protocols Includes No Open Houses On Our Listings
There is no open house necessary to sell your home when you get access to Team Diva’s robust marketing strategy! When COVID-19 first hit, we were one of the very first real estate teams to provide virtual tours. People could kick back on their quarantine couches at home and enjoy immersive 3D tours of any home we listed. And that’s only the beginning. Every Diva Dwelling has an in-depth video tour. We also include a huge collection of photos so you can see into every nook and cranny. There is also an in-depth blog post that tells you everything you need to know… and much muchhhhh more. Team Diva already had a robust marketing strategy for every single Diva Dwelling. It wasn’t a huge deal for us to up our marketing game even more.
No More Than Four People at a Showing
We’re not having any open houses! But that doesn’t mean potential buyers don’t get to step foot inside your home for sale. We are still making sure that people get to see your home in person. To keep everyone safe, Team Diva is limiting in-person home showings to just 4 people. Typically there are not more than 4 people in a home at once anyway. In addition, when we are working with buyers we are asking for no more than four people in a home at a time.
We Have a Blog For That
Just in case you want to catch up on how to “Sell a Home During an Endless Pandemic” – we have a blog for that.
Mandatory Masked For Indoor Showings
Let’s be real: We need to mask up again. After we got vaccinated, it became a luxury to be indoors with other vaccinated folx sans masks. It was absolutely glorious for a brief moment. Well, thanks to the Delta Variant, we need to mask up indoors again. Yes, even if we are vaccinated! This means that if we have meetings or if our team members are going to show you a house, everyone (even if you’re vaccinated against COVID-19!) needs to be masked up.
We Have a Blog For That
For a reference point check out our “How to Safely Buy a Home in Seattle During COVID” blog >
Team Will Not Be Attending Large Industry Gatherings
Team Diva is frequently invited to conferences throughout the country as guest speakers. Earlier this summer we started to put together plans to attend a few conferences in October. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the events do not require people to be fully vaccinated. In addition, Inman Community just asked what various organizations will be doing to require their respective teams to be vaccinated. Let’s just say that the comments were crazy even by normal real estate crazy. It cemented a gut feeling that we had that these industry gatherings were not a safe place to be right now. But hey Chavi was quoted as being one of the few folx requiring their team to be vaccinated.
Team Diva will not be participating while COVID-19 and the Delta Variant are still threats to our own health and our community’s health.
We cannot tell you how much we miss being able to connect with our real estate friends. But as long as these crazy people have influence in our real estate community. We will stay safely tucked away in our various bubbles.
Supporting Restaurants that Require Vaccination Verification
Restaurants are once again having to adjust to the way they do business as a result of COVID-19. Team Diva is not the only ones with evolving COVID safety protocols!
We wholeheartedly support all Seattle restaurants that are requiring proof of vaccination to dine at their establishment.
In fact, there are over 100 restaurants in Seattle (as of early August) that are requiring guests to be vaccinated. According to this Seattle Eater article, most restaurants accept a cell phone photo of vaccination cards as acceptable verification. You also have a valid ID to show. Some restaurants will also accept proof of a negative COVID test within the past 48 or 72 hours as an acceptable alternative.
And as usual, keep supporting restaurants doing Take Out >
Continuing COVID Safety Protocols
Not once have we stopped doing our listing safety protocols for all of our Diva Dwellings. Every listing is thoroughly clean before we list the home. As soon as a buyer walks into one of our listings there is signage regarding COVID, a handwashing station, and hand sanitizer.
Team Diva’s COVID Safety Protocols Throughout the Pandemic
Check out the following content on all of the resources we have been providing to our community.
- How to Sell Your Home Safely During Coronavirus
- Buying a Home in Seattle During Coronavirus
- Kim Interviewed by the Seattle Met About How to Sell a Home During COVID
- Roy and Kim Interviewed By SeattleMet About Buring During Quarantine
Our team will continue to keep the health and safety of our community front and center in our actions. Vaccinations are so important. And like we said if you need a shot. Need someone to drive you. Need emotional support. Or whatever, we are here for you!
