The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A prominent realtor yesterday described Bay Street's virtual shut-down as a "lifetime first" as his firm moved to join others in working from home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Mario Carey, principal of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate MCR Group Bahamas, told Tribune Business that the decision to close the company's office was designed to give staff "a mental destress button" as he marvelled at the site of an empty Bay Street outside of hurricanes and Christmas Day.

"Have you ever seen Bay Street shut down other than for a hurricane or Christmas Day? It's the first time in my lifetime," he told this newspaper, as the 30-day cruise industry shutdown made an immediate impact on downtown Nassau.

"Think about all the heat the cruise ships were getting, and now they're not coming in it all goes away. It was quite an eye opener." Royal Caribbean has faced significant criticism in recent weeks over its efforts to lease Crown Land on Paradise Island for its Royal Beach Club destination - a move many observers believe will negatively impact Bay Street and others reliant on the cruise industry for their livelihoods.

Mr Carey, meanwhile, said the realtor's business will not be disrupted by the decision to close its office with effect from yesterday. "We decided to close the office and sort of give people a mental de-stress button," he explained. "We're still dealing with clients but staying distant and not standing in front of them, avoiding face-to-face contact.

"We said we'll go through the rest of the week and then revisit and see if we need to rethink. Luckily real estate is an industry where you can work remotely. There have been people who have bought properties by video conference.

"We've just got to hold our breath that we don't get a lot of [coronavirus] cases," Mr Carey added. "I think this is a good wake-up call. A lot of people in general may have got away from good hygiene practices.

"We shut the office to give everyone some sense of relief; just to give them peace of mind. Most people come in for appraisals or to pay cheques. We feel we can mitigate our risk and shut down for a while and just maintain things."

Mr Carey's company, in an e-mailed notification to clients, listed the contact details for all its agents, and said appraisals will continue to be performed and electronically sent to the relevant banks and parties.

"As you know, COVID-19 has become a health crisis around the world. We are watching as the situation continues to evolve here in The Bahamas. In order to protect our staff, agents and wider community we will be closing our office until further notice," the firm said. "We are committed to providing an atmosphere that is safe for our customers, staff and agents.

"Our appraisers will continue to complete appraisals and submit electronically to the appropriate banks and customers. Customers can make payments or transfers directly to our company account. Your appraiser will provide you with the banking information upon request."

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate MCR Group Bahamas was not the only realtor taking such action. Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty also yesterday confirmed that its Nassau office will close from 1pm today "until further notice" as The Bahamas and world step up their response to the coronavirus pandemic.

It added that the showing of properties will "cease temporarily for the most part" to protect the health of all parties involved, while all staff will work remotely from home using e-mail, phone, Skype and virtual property tours complete with phones and video.

"On behalf of everyone at Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty, our hearts go out to all affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic," Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty said. "As we monitor the day-to-day developments around the globe, our company has decided to implement the following responsible steps to do our part to assist with slowing the spread of this terrible virus.

"While we don't know when things will be back to normal, we feel confident that by implementing these steps we can make a difference. We are looking at the bright side of things, and look forward to spending quality time with our families. We are grateful to live in a place abundant with sunshine and fresh air. Our beaches provide an ideal environment to implement social distancing while enjoying the view.

"We look forward to sharing the exciting projects our team is working on over the next few weeks. Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing and navigating through this challenging time."

Bahamian companies throughout the private sector have been readying their business continuity plans, assessing whether they can operate remotely and to what extent, and ramping up hygiene practices in response to the coronavirus.

Delaney Partners, the law firm headed by ex-attorney general, John Delaney, said in a e-mail to clients: "As the COVID-19 situation evolves, should it become necessary our firm is ready to function in a remote electronic environment to the maximum extent possible.

"This is achievable because of our existing technology infrastructure, including a state-of-the-art integrated law firm management e-system, electronic communications and conferencing capabilities, and electronic billings and payments systems.

"For the protection of clients who may attend our offices and our staff, we have in place heightened protocols for hygiene which include increased use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers, regular cleaning of high-touch areas (such as door handles), and increased procedures for cleaning of the office environment."

Meanwhile, Builders Mall told its clients: "We know that coronavirus (COVID-19) is top of mind for all Bahamians, and want to assure our customers the situation is the absolute top priority for the Builders Mall team."

Besides providing assurance on hygiene and sanitation practices, it added: "To ensure the products you want are available when you need them, our teams are working closely with our suppliers to restock our shelves as quickly as possible.

"All delivery services are running as usual to household, job-site and Family Island customers. If you have concerns about deliveries, we're here to support you and offer flexibility to reschedule at your convenience."

CBS Bahamas (Commonwealth Building Supplies) said it has postponed upcoming in-store seminars and workshops, along with its Anniversary Sidewalk Sale event as this typically gathers large crowds - upwards of 100 persons - in a confined area.

"We've relaxed our time-off and sick-pay policies so that our employees don't exhaust sick, personal or vacation time if they're directly or indirectly impacted by COVID-19," the company said. "And, as always, we're encouraging employees who are sick to stay home.

"We've seen an increased demand for face masks, hand sanitisers and general cleaning supplies. Our supply chain team is working very hard to replenish these items as quickly as possible, but stock levels of these high-demand items are limited at this time. We will update our customers via social media as we're able to replenish our inventory levels."