L E G I S L AT I V E U P D AT E
2020 Wins for Real Estate— Year at a Glance I
n March 2020, stay-at-home orders, mask mandates, and uncertainty left real estate professionals unsure of how to proceed with their businesses during the height of the pandemic. But, the Realtors® Political Action Committee and New Jersey Realtors® were there to spring into action and advocate for the industry. The work began on March 24 when New Jersey Realtors® President Angela Sicoli submitted a letter to the New Jersey Congressional Delegation asking for pandemic unemployment benefits for independent contractors. Before last year, independent contractors were never eligible for benefits, meaning if you were unable to work or you lost your job, you would not receive help from the government, even if you didn’t have a source of income. Four days after the letter was submitted, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law by President Trump in response to the deteriorating economy. It included benefits for independent contractors—a win for the industry. In mid-March, Gov. Murphy signed Executive Order 107 which called for all New Jersey residents to stay home, and all non-essential businesses had to close, but where did that leave real estate?
addition, NJ Realtors® Government Affairs Department contacted every municipality and numerous state and local departments to ensure real estate transactions could occur during the pandemic, following the governor’s clarification of EO 107.
“ New Jersey Realtors
®
advised members
to take necessary precautions while conducting business.
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In response to the clarification, New Jersey Realtors® advised members to take necessary precautions while conducting business, such as wearing gloves and masks, and a number of forms were added to New Jersey Realtors® Forms Library to ensure members were legally protected. Other states in our region were not as lucky to have the ability to continue to conduct business. If it wasn’t for the continued efforts of RPAC you would not have been able to help your clients with critical life changes during the pandemic.
“ If it wasn’t for the continued efforts of RPAC you would not have been able to help your clients with critical life changes during the pandemic. The Government Affairs Department contacted Gov. Murphy’s office until the governor clarified EO 107 stating, “Realtors® can operate and show houses to prospective buyers on a 1-on-1 basis or to immediate families.” In 8 | NEW JERSEY REALTOR® | May/June 2021
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In April, New Jersey Realtors worked with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce to host webinars to help members through the process of applying ®
