Coronovirus (COVID-19) Updates & Resources
In light of the developments locally, state-wide and nationally over the past few days regarding the spread of the Coronavirus and COVID-19, the REALTORS® Association of Lincoln has decided to cancel all committee meetings, events, training sessions and task force meetings through the end of March.
MLS and Lockbox services for current members remains unaffected at this time (please see note below about checking out new boxes).
By nature, our organization’s goal is to bring members together to collaborate and work for the betterment of the industry and our community. Out of an abundance of caution, we will temporarily put a small portion of this mission on hold in order to do our part in following recommendations on social distancing to help curb the spread of the virus.
As your Association Executive, my other task is to ensure the safety of our staff members at the Association office. Therefore, I would like to communicate a few changes regarding on-boarding new members during this time period.
Kyle Fischer
Executive Vice President
New Member Process
- All “in-person” new member appointments will be delayed until after March 31st. New members will still be able to join the Association. However, we ask that they contact Peggy Bohrer only via phone (402-441-3621) or email (peggy@lincolnrealtors.com) to begin the process. Peggy will email the forms to the individuals and they will need to return them via email. To complete their financial obligations, they will need to do so on-line or via phone with a card. Peggy will relay the log-in information for on-line payments and she will also be able to take payments over the phone.
- SentriLock service – New agents will be able to pick-up their SentriLock card from the office if they need to use it for showings. However, they will need to make an appointment with Peggy in order to do so and this would not alter the current 4-5 day processing period that we have today. This should help to limit the amount of physical interaction between individuals.
Member Transfers
Members may continue to email Peggy or call the office to notify us of transfers.
Lockboxes
Lockboxes will still be available to checkout during this time period. All we ask is that agents call ahead so we can have the lockbox ready for processing prior to the agent’s arrival. We will still accept payment for the box in the office for the time being. This could change if State or City orders additional measures to combat the spread of the virus.
Disaster Preparedness
IF one of our staff members were to contract the virus, our office would most likely close for a 14-day quarantine period. Our staff has the ability to work remotely. ALL communication with staff would have to occur via email or phone and ALL payments would need to move on-line. We would not be able to check out new lockboxes during that period and we would ask for your flexibility in allowing someone to borrow an unassigned box until the Association office could reopen.
These are unprecedented times for our nation and we would ask for your patience during any service interruptions.
As always, feel free to reach out to the RAL staff with any questions you may have.
Kyle Fischer, Executive Vice President: Kyle@LincolnREALTORS.com
Peggy Bohrer, Director of Membership & Education: Peggy@LincolnREALTORS.com
Reya Christensen, Director of Marketing & Events: Reya@LincolnREALTORS.com
Tomi Coffey, MLS Administrator/RETS Coordinator: Tomi@LincolnREALTORS.com
Terri Bayne, Financial Services Coordinator: Terri@LincolnREALTORS.com
N.A.R. Guidance and Resources for REALTORS®
The National Association of REALTORS® has put together a web page for additional guidance and resources regarding the virus outbreak. You can visit their page: https://www.nar.realtor/coronavirus-a-guide-for-realtors for additional information.
State & Local Information
You can stay up-to-date with the latest information from the City of Lincoln and the State of Nebraska through these links:
Lincoln – https://lincoln.ne.gov/city/health/
State of Nebraska – http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx