PROTECTING OUR SALES AND ADMIN TEAMS, BUYERS AND SELLERS - the #WakefieldsWay

At Wakefields, communication with our sales and admin teams, buyers and sellers, is one of the principal tools at our disposal. Now, more than ever, is the time to use that.

The property industry is people-centric, and although the past five years has seen Wakefields invest significantly in a wide range of digital technologies to enhance the property experience for our buyers and sellers, property is personal, and still needs to be viewed.

Wakefields would like to assure you, our buyers and sellers, that we have a series of preventative protocols in place, and we're unwavering in our attention to detail. We have also taken all possible precautions to minimise risk to our sales and admin teams, so they in turn, can reduce risk to their clients and their families.

Wakefields Office Precautions

• Sanitisers and information posters at all entrances, with clients and staff encouraged to use the sanitiser regularly.
• Our offices are being cleaned and wiped down three times daily with an appropriate disinfectant.
• Any member of our sales or admin teams who show signs of being unwell, are immediately sent home and quarantined for the appropriate time period.
• Any member of our sales or admin teams who have been overseas recently, or who have come into contact with someone who has visited a high-risk country, have been quarantined.
• We have implemented a policy of maintaining a distance between sales consultants, and between our sales and admin teams, buyers and sellers - and no physical interaction such as shaking hands etc will occur.
• Wakefields is following WHO and RSA government protocols and instructions, and monitoring each office daily so immediate adjustments can be made when needed.
• Clear protocols have been communicated to all employees, with tracking procedures in place to monitor their well-being.

Guidelines for new Prospective Buyers and Tenants

• We invite you to view as much of the prospective property via Wakefields extensive multi-media sources of professional photography, video and 3D imagery at www.wakefields.co.za
• Before visiting a prospective property, you will be advised by the Wakefields sales consultant to please sanitise your hands and request that you do not touch any item or surface on the property during the viewing.
• Sales consultants will advise their clients, wherever practicable, to drive themselves to the property to be viewed.
• The prospective buyer/tenant will be pre-screened for any obvious flu-like symptoms, and asked if they have recently returned from overseas travel. If any symptoms are flagged, the appointment to view a seller's or landlord's property will be cancelled immediately.
• Visitors to our Sunday Show Houses will follow similar procedures involving a general enquiry on their previous travel history and overall well-being, being requested to sanitise their hands, and not to touch any items or surfaces on the property.
• As much of the property buying or leasing transaction as is possible will be carried out via digital means in order to minimise social interaction.

Guidelines for Sellers

• The Wakefields sales consultant will keep accurate records of the seller's recent travel history. Any seller recently returned from overseas will result in the property not being available for physical viewing until 14 days after the sellers return from the trip and the medical all-clear is received.
• When a seller is allowing their home to be viewed by a set appointment or Sunday Show House, the seller will be encouraged to ensure the home has been well cleaned prior to the start time.
• The seller should, as far as is possible, not be present when the home is being professionally photographed/video'd or when buyers are viewing the home.
• As much of the interactions with the Wakefields sales consultant as possible will be concluded digitally to minimise social interaction.