How the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP) Works

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Home Buyers’ Plan

The First Time Home Buyers’ Plan allows qualified first-time buyers to withdraw up to $35,000 tax-free from their RRSPs, to purchase or build a home. If a couple is buying together, and both are qualified first-time buyers, they can withdraw $35,000 each for a total of $70,000.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the First Time Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP), you must:

• Be a Canadian resident
• Be considered a first-time homebuyer
• Not have owned a home within the past four years
• Not have lived in a home that your spouse owned within the past four years, if you are now buying together
• Sign a written agreement to buy or build a home
• Intend on living in the home within one year of buying or building it
• Not own the home for more than 30 days before making the withdrawal
• Close the sale before October 1 of the year after you made the withdrawal

Buyers with special needs or who are purchasing homes that are more accessible for an individual with special needs, and/or who are eligible for the Disability Tax Credit, may also be eligible to use the HBP, even if the other eligibility requirements are not met.

Withdrawing from your RRSP

When you find a home you want to buy, you put in an Offer to Purchase (with any conditions you want—a home inspection and/or time to confirm your financing being the most common). Once the seller agrees, you finalize the Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) and book your home inspector. At the same time, you can fill out Form T1036, take it to the financial institution that holds your RRSPs, and withdraw the amount you need for your down payment, once you have a firm and binding APS.

To withdraw funds from your RRSPs, using the First Time Home Buyers’ Plan, you must print a copy of Form T1036. Fill out Section 1 yourself then bring the form to the financial institution that holds your RRSPs, so they can fill in Section 2 and make your withdrawal.

Once the withdrawal has been made, your financial institution will send you a T4RSP form, which confirms how much you withdrew. You’ll need to reference this form in the income tax return for the year you made your withdrawal.

Repaying your Home Buyers’ Plan

Because the Home Buyers’ Plan is considered a loan, it must be repaid. You have to repay at least 1/15 of the amount you borrowed each year. Repayment begins the second year after your withdrawal, and the full amount must be paid off within 15 years of that date. For example, if you withdrew funds in 2019, your first year of repayment will be 2021.

If a condition is not met, after you have made the withdrawal, you will have to claim the amount as income on your personal income taxes and you will pay tax on it. If you’ve already submitted an assessment for the year you made the withdrawal, you will be required to submit a reassessment.

Zoocasa © 2007–2020

MLS Home Price Index Expanding

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The MLS^® Home Price Index (HPI) will soon offer coverage from coast-to-coast.

The MLS^® HPI is the most advanced and accurate tool to gauge a neighborhood’s home price levels and trends.

There are currently 19 participating real estate boards, which represent more than two thirds of all Canadian resale housing activity, however that number is set to double in the near future.

The additional boards slated to join this year, including the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of REALTORS^®, will add more than 10% to the coverage of the MLS^® HPI based on national sales activity—covering the country from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.

“We would like to congratulate the new boards joining the MLS^® HPI and offering their members access to the best price measure available. The expansion strengthens the national coverage of the MLS^® HPI and increases the value to all industry stakeholders,” says CREA Economist Chris Jokel.

The MLS^® HPI provides an invaluable source of timely, accurate and detailed price information for thousands more members and their clients after the expansion.

Average or median prices can change a lot from one month to the next and don’t tell a complete story.  They don’t consider how a home’s features, like the number of bedrooms or bathrooms, can affect its price—the MLS^® HPI does.

With the MLS^® HPI you get access to:

• home price trends for a specific type of house in a given neighbourhood;
• data on how a home’s features, like the number of bedrooms or bathrooms, affect its price; and
• a more accurate comparison of home prices across the country.

Watch The Video

Your expertise as a real estate professional, backed by the comprehensive data generated by the MLS^® HPI, can help you make better informed pricing decisions and validate your pricing recommendations as part of your comparative market analysis.

To unlock exclusive local market insights, talk to your local board or association.

© 2020 CREA

How agents can best serve their clients during and after the pandemic

Evelyn Anders
REM

With public health safety measures in effect across the country, real estate agents have been quick to find innovative ways to serve clients who need to buy, sell or rent a home during the pandemic. Here’s an overview of how agents can best serve their clients during this time while following local real estate board guidelines, plus a look at how these changes could impact the future of real estate sales.

Be the Voice of Reason:

In these unfamiliar times, clients are looking for clarity. With most people spending more time at home, you have an opportunity to reach out and check in with past and existing clients.

Not all clients are looking to buy and sell at this time and some may be directly impacted by the pandemic. Make sure you’re sensitive and helpful, no matter what their circumstances are. Some clients may just be curious about prices or market conditions in their area, so arm yourself with relevant data to facilitate these conversations.

When working with clients who do need to buy or sell right now, make them feel confident that you’re prepared with market knowledge and are well-informed on real estate board and association guidelines for operating in the current environment. Brush up on tools that facilitate virtual interactions, as this will be your lifeline to accessing clients and properties. Educate clients on the current guidelines for conducting showings and transactions, such as limited in-person contact, and keep clients updated as those guidelines evolve.

While it is important to showcase your expertise in these changing market conditions, also consider this an opportunity to simply check in and build meaningful relationships with them.

Go virtual, electronic and use COVID-19 clauses in offers:

It is important to educate clients on how technology is no longer optional but is necessary for the home-buying process. Many Realtors are pre-screening properties solo, recording videos or streaming showings to clients using their smartphones. These are great options in lieu of halted in-person open houses. Agents who are familiar with current technology will be a step ahead in servicing clients.

In addition to ensuring that technology-powered interactions are prioritized, pay extra attention to instructions in broker remarks. Here are examples of remarks you may see, or can consider using:

• In-person showings are not allowed for tenanted listings due to COVID-19.
• Live virtual tours and showings will be offered through smartphones provided either by the tenant, listing agent or buying agents due to COVID-19.
• Please insert the COVID-19 clause outlining that all offers shall be conditional upon viewing the property.

Technology can benefit your real estate practice beyond showings and client interactions. Going paperless by using electronic signatures for documents, and wire or electronic transfers for deposits and back-to-vendor cheques will help you streamline your business now and in the future. Speak to co-operating brokerages and your own brokerage in advance to ensure all parties support these types of transactions.

Another way to provide value to your clients during the pandemic is to use COVID-19 clauses in purchase and sale agreements to address potential delays in closing timelines or limiting in-person contact to protect yourself and your clients. Here are examples of conditions, but contact a lawyer and consult with your broker of record for specific direction:

• Make offers conditional upon the buyer or tenant inspecting the property in person.
• Acknowledge and agree to the use of electronic fund transfers and wire transfers when/if required.
• Acknowledge and agree to the use of electronic signatures by all parties.
• Acknowledge and agree to the requirement to close the transaction notwithstanding any impacts of COVID-19, excluding the closing of land registry offices and financial institutions.
• Acknowledge any keys shall be left in a lockbox at the property with the codes released upon transfer of ownership.

Post COVID-19 and brokerage operations:

As the COVID-19 situation improves and life goes back to normal, we may see technology continuing to play a bigger role in all aspects of real estate transactions. Perhaps virtual showings and virtual meetings are here to stay.

Despite the limitations on in-person interactions right now, technology has allowed clients and agents to continue working through all aspects of a real estate transaction seamlessly. It is possible virtual tools will remain for the long-term if they prove to be convenient, efficient and effective. If that happens, we may see a world in which training and licensing criteria for all brokers and agents are updated and adapted by provincial licensing bodies to set new standards of virtual-first service. Agents who take the time to update their virtual skills and adapt to these changing circumstances are already two steps ahead.

© 1989-2020 REM Real Estate Magazine

A survey indicates buyers waiting for the end of the pandemic

Ephraim Vecina
Mortgage Broker News

The results of a recent Ipsos survey suggested that accelerated borrowing and home-purchasing activity is just waiting in the wings to pounce upon the Greater Toronto Area housing market once the coronavirus crisis passes.

Polling found that 27% of respondents are likely to buy a house in the GTA within the next 12 months. The most likely to purchase in the near future are young professionals aged 18 to 34 (45%) and child-rearing households (37%).

“While COVID-19 has temporarily impacted home sales and listings in the GTA, the Ipsos survey results that show homebuying intentions have remained quite stable certainly suggest that many people will be looking to satisfy pent-up demand for ownership housing once recovery starts to take hold,” said Michael Collins, president of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board. “As people gradually return to work, consumer confidence will improve, and a growing number of people will look to take advantage of very low borrowing costs to purchase a home.”

In a report earlier this month, RE/MAX predicted that elevated housing demand and prices remain likely in Toronto this summer despite the market lethargy brought about by COVID-19.

“We cannot be sure that this [slowdown] will continue into the summer and that prices will necessarily drop further,” RE/MAX said. “[TRREB] notes that the pause on activity will lead to more demand once measures loosen… We expect buyers who have been waiting patiently to continue their home search will quickly re-enter the market when we return to some normalcy.”

Copyright © 2020 Key Media

West opposes China’s move

Jessie Pang and Yew Lun Tian
The Vancouver Sun

Canada , the United States, United Kingdom and Australia scolded China on Thursday for moving ahead with a proposal for a new security law

China’s parliament approved a decision on Thursday to go forward with national security legislation for Hong Kong that democracy activists in the city and Western countries fear could erode its freedoms and jeopardize its role as a global financial hub.

China says the legislation will aim to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in the city but the plan, unveiled in Beijing last week, triggered the first big protests in Hong Kong for months.

Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia scolded China on Thursday for moving ahead with a new law that they said would threaten freedom and breach a 1984 Sino-British agreement on the autonomy of the former colony.

The four allied nations said in a joint statement that the new legislation would “curtail the Hong Kong people’s liberties, and in doing so, dramatically erode Hong Kong’s autonomy and the system that made it so prosperous.”

“China’s decision to impose the new national security law on Hong Kong lies in direct conflict with its international obligations under the principles of the legally binding, UN-registered Sino-British Joint Declaration.”

Riot police were out in force in Hong Kong as its lawmakers debated another piece of legislation, a bill to criminalize disrespect of China’s national anthem, while the United States piled on pressure aimed at preserving the city’s autonomy.

Dozens of protesters gathered in a shopping mall to chant slogans but there was no repeat of disturbances the previous day when police made 360 arrests as thousands took to the streets in anger over the anthem bill and the national security legislation proposed by China.

Last year, the city was rocked for months by often violent pro-democracy demonstrations over an unsuccessful bid to introduce a law governing extradition to China.

‘Two systems’

The Chinese government’s security law for the city is fuelling fear in Hong Kong and beyond that Beijing is imposing its authority and eroding the high degree of autonomy the former British colony has enjoyed under a “one country, two systems” formula since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. It’s meant to operate under that framework until at least 2047.

Members of China’s mostly rubberstamp parliament, the National People’s Congress, in the Great Hall of the People to the west of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, burst into prolonged applause when the tally showed 2,878 votes to one in favour of moving forward with legislation, with six abstentions.

Details of the law are expected to be drawn up in coming weeks. It is expected to be enacted before September.

Chinese authorities and the Beijing-backed government in Hong Kong say there is no threat to the city’s autonomy and the new law would be tightly focused.

China’s Premier Li Keqiang said the law would be good for Hong Kong’s long-term stability and prosperity and the “one country, two systems” formula would remain a national policy.

Conflict between China and the U.S. would harm both sides while both stood to gain from cooperation, he told a news conference.

Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam said her government would work with Beijing to complete the legislative work as soon as possible.

“The law will not affect the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents,” she said in a statement welcoming the Chinese parliament’s vote.

Democracy campaigners in the city were despondent, however.

“This is the death knell for Hong Kong, make no mistake of it, this is the end of ‘one country, two systems’ … the Hong Kong that we loved, a free Hong Kong,” pro-democracy lawmaker Dennis Kwok told reporters.

‘Show time’

The U.S., Britain and the European Union have also expressed concern about the security legislation and its implications for China’s freest city.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday Hong Kong no longer qualified for special treatment under U.S. law, potentially dealing a crushing blow to its status as a major financial hub.

The proposed security law was “only the latest in a series of actions” undermining Hong Kong freedoms, he told Congress.

“No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground,” he said.

The security law could see Chinese intelligence agencies set up bases in the city.

Relations between the two countries have been tense over China’s claims in the South China Sea and trade, with the coronavirus pandemic adding to the acrimony.

“Already, international business is facing the pressure of increased tension between the U.S. and China, but the enactment of China’s security law for Hong Kong could take the tension to a whole new level,” said Tara Joseph, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

“This is show time for Hong Kong,” she said in a commentary in the South China Morning Post.

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised action over Hong Kong, with an announcement at the end of the week. More than 1,300 U.S. companies have offices in the city, providing about 100,000 jobs.

China said it would take necessary countermeasures against foreign interference in what it insists are its internal affairs.

Trump’s possible response could include visa and economic sanctions, David Stilwell, the State Department’s assistant secretary for East Asia, told reporters.

© 2020 National Post

Labour shortage amid Depression-level unemployment

Tom Blackwell
The Vancouver Sun

When Johnny Tzouvelakos and his partner at LaSalle Drive-in decided to provide free meals to hospitals across Montreal during the pandemic, he was heartened to see the response from his staff.

They showed up to help prepare the food every morning for two months on a purely voluntary basis.

Not among them, however, were the four employees who quit shortly after the federal government announced its crisis support program in late March.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was designed for workers who had lost their jobs or saw dramatically reduced hours because of stay-at-home orders to contain COVID-19.

But Tzouvelakos never had to lay off anyone; the four LaSalle employees left to rely on the federal payments instead, citing the dangers of remaining on the job in a city that would become the virus’s Canadian epicentre.

“People had the notion that they were going to be getting $2,000 for staying home,” he said. “My partner was saying, ‘People are leaving, what are we going to do?’ At first I said, ‘We should close.’ “

They stayed open, but Tzouvelakos’s experience underscores the unusual labour dynamics created by the COVID-19 lockdowns, CERB, and the slow re-igniting of the economy taking place now.

Amid Depression-level unemployment, some employers in low-wage industries are actually struggling to fill jobs, business groups say.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says a third of its members report having trouble staffing up, as potential employees fear returning to work amid the ongoing pandemic, while still able to rely on federal emergency benefits.

“Businesses are starting to re-open and as they do, the shortage of labour is a growing concern,” said Dan Kelly, the CFIB president. “I fully expect that we are going to have record unemployment and a shortage of labour at the same time.”

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has heard similar stories from its members, chiefly in industries like retail, hospitality and agriculture where wages are low, said Leah Nord, the chamber’s senior director of workforce strategies.

She said the availability of benefits is only one factor keeping people at home and “we can’t dismiss concerns around health and safety, concerns around child care and elder care.”

CERB — meant for people who made at least $5,000 in the previous 12 months and were put out of work by the pandemic — pays $500 per week, the equivalent of $12.50 an hour over a 40-hour work week.

That’s slightly more than the minimum wage in four provinces.

“I get it,” said Kelly. “If you’re at or near minimum wage and your bills are now being paid by the CERB benefit, you’re not going to make much more by going back to work.”

And, he said, those people have been told for weeks to shelter inside or risk contracting a dangerous new disease.

Still, both business groups suggested the federal government will have to eventually scale back or end CERB to increase the incentive for people to return to work.

Hassan Yussuff, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, does not believe reluctance to rejoin the workforce is a widespread problem. But “adjustments” to the benefits programs to ensure people on CERB don’t suffer a drop in income when they go back to their jobs would help — as will solid efforts by employers to make workplaces safe, he said.

“The vast majority of workers know that whatever benefit they’re getting right now from the government, these benefits are not going to be in perpetuity,” said Yussuff. “If you can have your job back, there will be far better security at the end of the day for yourself and your family.”

Marielle Hossack, a spokeswoman for Carla Qualtrough, the employment, workforce development and disability inclusion minister, said workers who have qualms about the safety of their working conditions should discuss that with their employer.

“Canadians applying for the CERB cannot voluntarily quit their job,” said Hossak. “If and when it becomes possible for Canadians to safely go back to work, they should do so.”

The CERB program has been widely praised as an efficient, if hugely expensive, way to offset the lockdown’s devastating economic effects, which put millions of Canadians out of work. Claimants can receive the payments for up to 16 weeks, until October. But there has been controversy over some aspects of its administration, including directives to officials that they should approve any claimant who quits voluntarily and adjudicate “contentious issues” later – despite rules to the contrary.

Tzouvelakos had 40 employees when the lockdown in Quebec began in mid-March and planned to keep them all, with a steady stream of take-out and delivery customers keeping his business in the Lasalle borough of Montreal afloat.

The four who quit cited fears about working amid the pandemic, and the need to look after children whose schools were closed. He told the four recently they would be replaced if they did not return to work now, and two are back.

But Tzouvelakos isn’t dwelling on their situation. He, partner George Tsimiklis and high-school friend Glenn Kelly, split the more than $20,000 cost of providing 65 meals a day to employees of various hospitals around Montreal.

The response of those beleaguered health-care workers to the daily deliveries is something he says he won’t soon forget.

“Food makes people happy,” said Tzouvelakos. “When they see food, it changes their mood. If you saw these people coming out of the hospitals, they were ecstatic.”

© 2020 National Post

Realtors continue to help clients feel safe

Ephraim Vecina
Mortgage Broker News

The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) has published its latest guidelines on home purchase transactions in the era of COVID-19.

“The health and safety of our realtors and their clients is OREA’s top priority during this pandemic,” said Sean Morrison, president of OREA. “As Ontario’s economy reopens, many Ontarians are looking to get back into the real estate market. Realtors are here to help make home buyers and sellers feel comfortable and safe while they work to find their dream home. OREA’s guidelines have been informed by up-to-date information from public health, best practices from the industry and experiences in jurisdictions across North America.”

OREA was among the earliest organizations to have petitioned a shift to mostly online transactions once the coronavirus pandemic took hold in late March.

“Now that the Ontario government has announced stage one of its plan to re-open the economy and with many consumers looking to get back into the market, it is important that realtors continue to help their clients feel safe and secure and keep the virus at bay,” OREA said in a statement this week.

The association is mandating its agents to “continue [using] virtual tools, conduct virtual open houses and virtual showings to the greatest extent possible,” despite the restarting of the economy. This includes maximizing the use of phone, email, and video communications with clients, as well as processing all documents via electronic channels.

Agents should also “thoroughly disinfect surfaces, leave doors open and keep lights on at all times during in-person showings,” OREA said. “When interacting with clients, maintain physical distancing and use personal protective equipment when distancing is not possible.”

Copyright © 2020 Key Media

Canadian real estate prices will remain stable

Ephraim Vecina
Canadian Real Estate Wealth

Housing industry players are opposing Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s dire forecast of an 18% decline in home prices over the next 12 months, claiming that demand remains elevated and inventories continue to hover near record lows.

“Assuming that demand continues its current course, Canadian real estate prices will likely remain relatively stable or experience a single-digit price correction at worst,” RE/MAX said, adding that its agents are still reporting multiple offers on a regular basis.

“CMHC doesn’t seem to understand the sheer number of sellers that would have to accept this kind of price reduction, in order for average housing prices to plummet to this degree in such a short time span,” said Christopher Alexander, executive vice president and regional director with RE/MAX of Ontario Atlantic Canada. “Sellers simply won’t accept that kind of discount on their listings. A statement of this nature is panic-inducing and irresponsible.”

Government agencies should instead focus on how the housing markets – and the Canadian financial system as a whole – could weather the unprecedented impact of the coronavirus, according to the C.D. Howe Institute.

“Ottawa and the provinces need to recommit to fiscal and monetary anchors in light of the unprecedented stimulus response provided by all levels of government and the Bank of Canada throughout the COVID-19 crisis,” C.D. Howe said. “Canada is emerging from the first wave of the pandemic with very high public and private debt loads and is increasingly dependent on domestic and foreign investors to finance them. With the loss of Canada’s fiscal anchor, maintaining investor confidence so that public and private debt can be carried at a reasonable cost is essential.”

Copyright © 2020 Key Media Pty Ltd

Nanos Canadian Confidence Index

Ephraim Vecina
Canadian Real Estate Wealth

While Canadian consumer confidence is steadily recovering, the same cannot be said about the public’s views towards the housing market, according to the latest Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index.

Polling found that 48.54% of respondents are anticipating a decline in home prices within the next few months – a level approximately three times above the average for this metric, Nanos Research said.

“Even as sentiment has improved around the economic outlook and personal finances, expectations around real estate are weakening,” Nanos said.

The overall confidence index went up for the fourth consecutive week, reaching 39.3.

“While the index remains near its worst-ever readings recorded last month, the rise in confidence in recent weeks suggests negative sentiment may be finding a floor amid talk of reopening the economy,” Nanos said. “Regionally, the gains in sentiment have been mostly in Western Canada, aided by a recent rebound in oil prices and relatively fewer coronavirus cases.”

Overall confidence remained at near-record lows in Ontario and Quebec, however.

Sentiments toward personal finances over the past year have soured to 36.7%, from 42.3% last month.

There was less pessimism towards the economy, although the overall level was still quite high. Around 73% of respondents said that the economy will worsen within half a year, down from 80% last month.

Copyright © 2020 Key Media Pty Ltd

Bidding war erupts for heritage home during the pandemic

John Mackie
The Province

Real estate listings, and sales, have plunged during the COVID-19 crisis. But some properties are still selling.

Realtor David Richardson recently listed a handsome heritage home at 2120 East Pender for $1.588 million. Open houses have been nixed during the crisis, so his office set up private viewings by appointment on April 25 and 26.

So many people wanted to see it they had to extend the viewings for two days. They received 14 offers, and the buzz in the real estate industry is that the house sold for $1.928 million, $340,000 above the asking price.

Richardson wouldn’t confirm the price because the deal hasn’t closed yet. But he said there was a lot of action.

“We sent out 8,000 flyers (for the listing, noting it was) by appointment only,” said Richardson. “We lined them up every 20 minutes, and it took four days to show 75 people.”

The house was built in 1906, when its neighbourhood (Grandview) was vying to be one of Vancouver’s elite areas.

It’s big (four bedrooms, 2,500 square feet) and is brimming with character, with a turret on the outside, big open spaces on the main floor and lots of old growth wood and stained glass. It’s also on a large lot, 50 by 66 feet.

In short it’s the kind of home you might find in parts of Kitsilano or the West End. But you’d have to pay much more for a house like this on the west side, so Richardson said many of the people looking were west siders looking east.

“There’s a 20 per cent price difference (between the west and east sides),” said Richardson, who usually sells west side properties. “On a $2 million house, that’s $400,000.”

Richardson thinks one of the reasons the house attracted so much attention was a lack of listings during the pandemic.

“Normally a guy like me carries 12 to 15 listings at this time of year. I’m carrying one or two, and they’re being snapped up right away.

Realtor Les Twarog said things have been slow.

“The real estate board normally has 120 sales a day, and we’re doing about 40 or 50 sales a day,” he said.

But things are starting to pick up: Twarog has listed eight properties in the last couple of weeks.

“I listed a property on Kingsway and Boundary, $350,000, and I got eight calls in two days on it,” said Twarog. “I have another property I listed in Victoria yesterday at five o’clock, and I got 15 calls. The price is $500,000.”

Twarog said the two key factors in selling seem to be “a lack of inventory and the price point.”

“Things are happening, but most sales are under $1.2 million,” he said. “Five hundred, six hundred, seven hundred thousand, those are the hot price points.”

On Vancouver’s west side, there were 421 detached houses for sale in April, but only 37 sales, which is down from 699 listings and 64 sales in April, 2019. In east Vancouver, there were 349 detached house listings and 49 sales, down from 664 listings and 66 sales in April, 2019.

There were 647 condos and townhomes listed on the west side in April, and 78 sales, down from 977 listings and 137 sales a year ago. Fifty-seven of the 78 sales were for $1 million or less.

On the east side, there were 386 condos and townhomes listed and 67 sales, down from 583 listings and 141 sales last April. Thirty-three of the 67 sales were for condos $600,000 and under.

Selling a home is a bit different during the COVID crisis. Realtors have been using online tools like Zoom, Google Meet and Instagram to try and show listings.

To see 2120 East Pender, you had to book an appointment in advance, and not be late.

“Each appointment was individually booked at a time,” said Sarah Starling, who works with Richardson.

“So we had 11, 11:20, 11:40, 20 minute intervals. Everyone was required to wear a mask and gloves, and we provided booties. So everybody had to go with mask, gloves, booties, one group at a time.”

© 2020 Postmedia Network Inc