Michigan construction, real estate industries re-open today after coronavirus shutdowns
A road work ahead sign alerts motorists on M-13 during the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, April 20, 2020. In Bay County, the MDOT will resume work on M-13 from North Street in the city of Pinconning to the Arenac County line.Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com
The jackhammers are oiled and the 鈥渟old鈥� signs are ready.
Michigan鈥檚 construction, real estate and other 鈥渓ow-risk鈥� industries have gotten the go-ahead to restart business Thursday, May 7. Previously deemed nonessential commercial activity, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer suspended real estate and nonessential construction March 23 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
They鈥檒l now reemerge with new safety rules and guidelines in place.
As of February, Michigan had 182,000 workers in the construction industry, according to the . There are 42,419 real estate agents, 9,942 associate brokers, 11,348 brokers and 716 branch real estate offices in the state, according to the .
鈥淲e鈥檙e happy,鈥� said Maureen Francis, president of Michigan Realtors and an associate broker with Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel in Birmingham. 鈥淢ichigan and Pennsylvania has the most restrictive executive orders in the country. Other states, realtors were deemed essential; they were not in Michigan, so we were not allowed to leave our houses to do anything …
“That鈥檚 pretty limiting when you typically meet with the public to show houses or whatnot.鈥�
On the eve of the real estate market鈥檚 reopening, Francis said she鈥檚 鈥渂ooked,” and expects other agents and brokers are negotiating equally busy itineraries as the market comes back to life.
, which represents nearly 34,000 real estate professionals, submitted a list of proposed safety guidelines to the governor before she announced she would allow the industry to reopen.
鈥淲e kind of took the best of everybody鈥檚 (guidelines from other states) and made those as a proposal to the governor,鈥� Francis said. ”
Many of those industry-wide. Similarly, the state Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity on Wednesday for construction companies to follow.
While both industries resurface, it won鈥檛 be business as usual.
Among the new real estate guidelines are the following:
No 鈥渙pen houses.”
The maximum number of people allowed at a property simultaneously is four.
No showing rental properties until the tenants have vacated.
Maintain 6-foot social distancing recommendations.
Sellers are asked to disinfect surfaces, open doors and cupboards, and leave lights on in preparation for a showing.
Buyers are discouraged from touching surfaces during showings.
Agents and clients are urged to arrive at showings separately.
Post-showing discussions should take place over the phone or by email.
New construction guidelines:
Workers and patrons must be at least six feet from one another at a job site, to the maximum extent possible.
Designated site supervisors should enforce COVID-19 controls.
Hand-washing or hand-sanitizing stations should be provided at work sites.
Entry points or other indicators should be established, if possible, to assure all workers are health-screened every day.
Francis said she expects the market to rebound.
鈥淲e had a shortage of supply going into this … and that鈥檚 why prices had steadily risen,鈥� she said. “There were bidding wars and things like that in many segments of the market prior to COVID-19. Interest rates are at a historic low.
鈥淲e still saw demand going on during the shutdown. Especially coming out of this, we鈥檙e expecting that things will be quite brisk. It鈥檚 nothing like the financial crisis and last recession.鈥�
COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS
In addition to , officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus.
Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible.
Use or in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and when you go into places like stores.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued an executive order requiring people to wear while inside enclosed, public spaces.
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