City of Boca Raton Real Estate Guidance
"Stay Home, Stay Safe" Emergency Order
March 27 – Recently, Boca Raton announced the implementation of Emergency Order Stay Home. Stay Safe to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, people should remain in their homes or on their own property. Individuals may leave their places of residence only for essential activities. FULL EMERGENCY ORDER HERE
Understanding that the language in the Emergency Order is vague and does not include real estate services, your Public Policy Team is continuing to monitor and lobby for further clarifications as this situation evolves. In the meantime, it is encouraged to continue working virtually! If you deem it necessary to leave your place of residence, please be smart and respectful and follow the CDC Guidelines.
Boca Raton falls within Palm Beach County, therefore Palm Beach County Emergency Order Number 2 also governs the residents of Boca Raton. After extensive dialogue amongst Palm Beach County Staff and your Association’s Public Policy Team, we were able to include in the Palm Beach County Emergency Order a provision for Realtors®. The Order states that Realtors® are allowed to conduct all current transactions until they are finalized, but all future work must be electronic until further notice.
The county attorney provided further clarification stating “…we allowed all current transactions to be finalized, but future work must be electronic for now. In many ways, Realtors® can service clients without in-person contact”. This clarification allows Realtors® living within the City of Boca Raton to continue to conduct business within the parameters of the two (2) Orders. The Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors® Public Policy Team is continuing to monitor the situation and when appropriate will lobby for less restriction as this situation evolves. In an effort to assist our members, we're offering the following general guidance after consulting with legal professionals; however, we encourage brokers to seek legal advice from their own legal counsel, as opinions can vary with other factors.
What the new Order means to our Members:
1. Are brokers allowed to continue practicing real estate?
Answer: Yes, brokers are allowed to continue practicing real estate but all real estate offices within the City of Boca Raton should be closed to the public until further notice. Brokers living within the City of Boca Raton must do so within the parameters of the Boca Raton - Stay Home, Stay Safe Order.
2. Are agents allowed to list homes?
Answer: Yes. Agents are allowed to work with sellers and list homes, although agents that live within the City of Boca Raton must do so within the parameters of the Boca Raton - Stay Home, Stay Safe Order.
With the technology available today, we are confident Realtors® can, and will, seek to provide essential real estate services, including the active marketing of properties, through virtual practices. Just recently, in an effort for members to continue doing business while also maintaining social distance, we've added the ability to schedule Virtual Open Houses and Virtual Broker Opens. Use any online virtual service, such as Facebook, Zoom or Microsoft Teams to schedule a live online walkthrough of the home. To learn more, visit your association’s NEW Virtual Open House Feature in the MLS!
City of Boca Raton Resource Pages
To view all updates chronologically, visit the City update webpage. The Citizen’s Information Center (CIC) is available for residents to talk with City staff regarding any concerns, questions or information. The CIC can be reached at 561-982-4900.
City Resource Pages
City Communication
Additional Resources
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the COVID-19 pandemic is evolving daily. Make sure to observe the CDC Guidelines as well as the Federal, State, and Local Orders. For legal questions, please contact the Florida Realtors® Legal Hotline.