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With half of the nation in a new wave of lockdowns, the Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) is calling for equal opportunities for buyers, sellers and agents alike in order to keep the property sector alive and healthy.
Currently, Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra remain in lockdown following a surge of COVID-19 infections, which means most activity related to real estate are currently restricted.
Regional areas across New South Wales and Victoria are also subject to restrictions.
Pertaining to home inspections and auctions, here’s what restrictions look like for these areas:
- Victoria: In-person inspections and live auctions are banned and can only be conducted remotely/online.
- Canberra: In-person inspections and live auctions are banned and can only be conducted remotely/online. Property inspections required by law for a sale to proceed (e.g. energy, building inspection), as well as photography and filming, can be done by one person provided no one else is present in the property.
- New South Wales: Open homes are banned, but private one-on-one inspections are allowed by appointment. Greater Sydney residents can also obtain a permit to inspect real estate in regional NSW if it is a home to live in, not an investment property. Live auctions are banned and can only be conducted remotely/online.
Pointing out the looser restrictions in New South Wales, REIA president Adrian Kelly has argued Sydneysiders are being given an “undeniable comparative advantage” over other states for no justifiable reason.
“The Australian real estate industry has been in the headlines for record property prices, but we, too, have played our role in the fight against COVID-19,” the president said.
“We have done an incomparable job of ensuring compliance [to policy] and have rapidly adopted new rules and technology so the show can go on.
“Given this contribution, it is with sadness and disappointment that agents and customers in both Victoria and the ACT are now unable even to list properties in advance of spring sales.”
While both sales and tenancies can continue to function in New South Wales, albeit with limitations, Canberrans and Victorians are being left without options, he added.
“Every Australian needs access to the same options when it comes to housing… but the citizens of NSW now have an advantage over their counterparts in Victoria and the ACT for no apparent reason at all,” he continued.
Mr Kelly expressed this as “beyond unfair, given that real estate has never had a single case of community transmission… We do not need to accept this ad hoc and inconsistent approach, with our industry continuing to be largely unrecognised.”
The president is calling on the government to urgently address the consequences of the ongoing lockdowns and put a stop to the “fractured approach to policy-making across states and territories”.
He has recommended “risk-based pragmatic rules that are consistent across Australia” in order for the housing sector to continue to function for the benefit of all home buyers, owners, tenants and investors.
Depending on the length of the lockdown period, Mr Kelly suggested these measures for the singular national code of practice for the industry:
- Short, snap lockdowns (<7 days): Contactless activities should be allowed to proceed, including virtual inspections, settlements, filming for listings.
- Longer lockdowns (>7 days): A base-level continuity plan including one-on-one inspections and pre-listing photography.
With those requests, Mr Kelly is urging the entire property industry to unify and “do what we do best: help all Australians into homes”.
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