Overview
On March 10, 2021, Congress passed a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package known as the “American Rescue Plan of 2021.” President Biden signed the bill on March 11, 2021. Read the summary of the major provisions of that bill impacting REALTORS®.
The National Association of REALTORS® is providing guidance to help REALTORS® respond to COVID-19 – commonly referred to as coronavirus – and its impact on the real estate industry and real estate transactions. Any updates from NAR and its response to the coronavirus emergency will be collected on this page. You can also type your questions in the COVID-19 Chatbot to get answers on a variety of issues related to the pandemic and how it affects you and your business. NAR has issued information and guidance for the following:
Guidance for REALTORS® | Property Owners | Commercial Real Estate | Employers | Workplace Re-Entry | Workplace Vaccination Policies | MLSs | REALTOR® Associations | Sample Preparedness Plan
Read details about the federal government's actions and its effect on real estate professionals:
Political Advocacy
The National Association of REALTORS® is committed to ensuring that lawmakers continue to take into consideration the real estate industry, including independent contractors and small business owners.
Frequently Asked Questions and Quick Reference Guides
- Coronavirus FAQs
- The American Rescue Plan Act: Homeowners Assistance Fund FAQs
- The American Rescue Plan Act: New Health Insurance Options FAQs
- SBA CARES Act FAQs (PPP & EIDL)
- Unemployment Assistance FAQs (PUA)
- Housing Providers FAQs
- Mortgage & Personal Finance FAQs
- Health Insurance Quick Reference Guide
- Commercial Real Estate Guidance
Legislative Summaries
- The American Rescue Plan Act (passed by the House on March 10, 2021)
- 900-Billion COVID-19 Relief Package (signed into law on December 27, 2020)
- HEALS Act (Released by the Senate on July 27, 2020)
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Extended Through August 8 (passed by the Senate on July 1, 2020)
- Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (passed by the Senate on June 3, 2020)
- HEROES Act (introduced on May 12, 2020)
- CARES Act II (signed into law on April 23, 2020)
- CARES Act (signed into law on March 27, 2020)
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act (signed into law on March 18, 2020)
Infographics, Flowcharts, Flyers, Surveys, and Checklists
- Back-to-Normal Barometer Survey Results
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Overview
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Forgiveness
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for Second-Draw Borrowers
- Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for 501(c)(6) Organizations
- Flyer: The Intersection of SBA Loans and Unemployment Assistance
- Infographic: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) vs. Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)
- Flowchart: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Benefits
- Checklist: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Benefits
- Flyer: How To Obtain and Remain Eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Benefits
- Interactive Map: Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) By State
Videos
References
NAR Library & Archives has already done the research for you. References (formerly Field Guides) offer links to articles, eBooks, websites, statistics, and more to provide a comprehensive overview of perspectives. EBSCO articles (E) are available only to NAR members and require the member's nar.realtor login.
Impact on Real Estate Market
This State Has The Least Affordable Housing Market In The U.S. Based On Income — And It’s NOT California (MarketWatch, Mar. 18, 2021)
A Surprising Twist In The COVID Housing Market: The High End Is Sizzling Just As Much As The Low End (Fortune, Mar. 7, 2021)
U.S. Home Prices Rise 10.1% In December, Fastest Since 2014 (AP, Feb. 23, 2021)
U.S Home Prices Surge To 6-Year High as More People Flee Cities, Case-Shiller Finds (MarketWatch, Dec. 29, 2020)
5 Housing Trends For 2021 (The Oklahoman, Dec.26, 2020)
These U.S. Real Estate Markets Are Poised for a Post-Pandemic Boom (MarketWatch, Dec. 22, 2020)
Homebuyers Will Be The Biggest Factor In The Future Of Real Estate Tech (Forbes, Dec. 14, 2020)
What A COVID-19 Vaccine Would Mean For Mortgage Rates And The Housing Market (MarketWatch, Nov. 12, 2020)
Niche Data Center Real Estate Market Boomed During Pandemic And Could Keep Growing After (CNBC, Nov. 11, 2020)
Real Estate Transactions Go Virtual (The New York Times, Nov. 11, 2020)
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Affecting Real Estate and Life at Home (realtor.com®, 2020)
COVID-19’s Impact on Real Estate (REALTOR® Magazine)
REALTORS® Confidence Index (National Association of REALTORS®)
Long-Term Implications of the Pandemic
COVID-19 Set America’s Housing Market On Fire. That Could Alter U.S. Politics For A Generation (Forbes, Mar. 11, 2021)
One Year With COVID-19: The Pandemic’s Temporary And Permanent Impacts On CRE (RE Journals, Mar. 5, 2021)
Commercial Real Estate’s Pandemic Pain Is Only Just Beginning (Bloomberg, Dec. 22, 2020)
Experts Predict What the Housing Market Will Be Like In 2021 (Forbes, Dec. 16, 2020)
When the Coronavirus Pandemic Settles Down, so Will Homeowners (The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 24, 2020)
Covid Pushes Real Estate Into the Future (The New York Times, Nov. 13, 2020)
Behind Real Estate’s Surprise 2020 Boom and What Comes Next (Fortune, Oct. 20, 2020)
COVID-19 Has Changed the Housing Market Forever. Here’s Where Americans Are Moving (And Why) (Forbes, Oct. 11, 2020)
Sell Your House Without Ever Showing It in the Age of Coronavirus (CNet, Aug. 27, 2020)
House Tours Go Virtual and May Never Go Back (The East Hampton Star, Aug. 26, 2020)
Covid Will Have Larger Impact on Commercial Than Residential Real Estate, Says New York Architect (Mansion Global, Jun. 15, 2020)
Millennial Homeownership Could Be Delayed By Years As COVID-19 Eats Into Down Payment Savings (realtor.com®, Jun. 8, 2020)
Reopening Workplaces
Back to the Workplace: How to Plan Your Reopening (SHRM, Mar. 18, 2021)
16 Useful Tips For Safely Reopening Offices (Forbes, Mar. 10, 2021)
COVID-19 Employer Information for Office Buildings (World Economic Forum, Oct. 29, 2020)
Thinking about reopening? 7 considerations for HR (HR Executive, Aug. 25, 2020)
How Workplaces Can Keep Employees Safe During the Pandemic (World Economic Forum, Jul. 15, 2020)
A Rush to Reopen Could Undo New Yorkers’ Hard Work against COVID-19 (Scientific American, Jul. 12, 2020)
CDC Freshens Guidelines for Reopening Businesses (EHS Today, Jun. 1, 2020)
As Businesses Reopen, Workplace Testing Is the ‘Wild West’ (Pew, Jun. 8, 2020)
Guidance on Returning to Work (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Jun. 2020)
The Cubicle Is Back. Blame (or Thank) the Coronavirus (Wired, Apr. 30, 2020)
Recovery Readiness: A How-to Guide for Reopening your Workplace (Cushman & Wakefield, Apr. 30, 2020)
Prepare your Small Business and Employees for the Effects of COVID-19 (CDC, Apr. 4, 2020)
Preparing Your Business to Reopen After Coronavirus Outbreak (NOLO, Apr. 2020)
Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans With Disabilities Act (EEOC, Rev. Mar. 21, 2020)
Related References
Best Practices for Virtual Meetings
Virtual Showings and Virtual Tours
Best Practices for Working From Home
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The inclusion of links on this page does not imply endorsement by the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR makes no representations about whether the content of any external sites which may be linked in this page complies with state or federal laws or regulations or with applicable NAR policies. These links are provided for your convenience only and you rely on them at your own risk.