We are here.

We are all here at The Geenty Group, Realtors. We are here to connect. We are here to help. We are here to work.

I've seen a lot of ads where companies say: "We have No Contact Delivery. We have No Touch Care. We can Serve you from a distance." I am here to say that we need contact. We need touch. We need connection. Contact, Touch and Connection might come from a phone call, a text, video chat or this open letter. Hell, we have the time, let's start handwriting letters again - connect with people and do our part for the post office while we're at it. Because for every tout of "No Touch," I see the flip side of that phrase. The one that screams Isolation.

We (meaning me and the larger world) haven’t spoken much since Pre-Lockdown days. But I assure our Clients and Friends that we at The Geenty Group, Realtors are here. Yes, for all your commercial real estate needs, but if you have a home question, we can guide you. If you can't find a resource- a contractor, a lawyer, an accountant, an SBA lender, we can help. We can even help you find an open bakery! Because. Emotional Eating.

We are working remotely through this period of social distancing and physical isolation. We review leases, complete sales contracts, begin negotiations and show space in the virtual-No Contact-environment. Email us, call us with your questions or concerns or, just reach out and let us know that you are doing okay.

We are a small business and share the same concerns as every business. We have looked to the SBA and lawyers for help and direction. Some businesses are thriving in this period and I think that we should all take hope from those entrepreneurs that are thriving. For those of that are still stumbling but surviving, let’s help each other, however and wherever we can. We can all thrive in this moment. We may need to change our definition, but we can and with help, hope and vision, The Geenty Group, Realtors and all our business friends, clients and family will meet for coffee and drinks and dinner and cake on the other side.

Meanwhile, My Pro-Tips from this experience (thus far).

*Turn off the news as often as possible. Don't obsess.

* Turn off your social media for hours a day. No one is Winning Social Distancing. They don’t even like Sour Dough Bread.

*Reach out to friends and have real conversations about your highs and lows.

* Look to business interruption insurance and force majeure clauses for help.

* If Banks have deferred your home mortgage payments and utility companies aren’t turning you off at home, be grateful.

* Understand that your Landlords aren’t in the same boat with mortgage relief. Banks are looking at business to carry their costs through these tough times.

* Some Landlords are well funded conglomerates and REIT's with cash reserves and Lines of Credit and they will weather this storm just fine. They will likely improve tand strengthen their bottom lines over Pre-lock-down days in the next 18 months (notes on that another time).

* But, a lot of Landlords are just people who decided to make owning and operating real estate their business and many do not have the same safety nets as share holder Reit's or Wealthy family office corporations. They have never been through a downturn. They don’t have reserves of cash. They may be handing the keys to buildings back to the bank in the next three months.

* The key to coming through this crisis with our humanity in tact is to remember that we are, in fact, all human. Mistakes will be made. Don’t categorize people and assume a mistake indicates intent. Don’t assume that someone else is using your tough times to improve their experience. Some undoubtedly will use these hard times as opportunity, Sadly. There is no doubt that opportunists will hunt. Scammers are already out there selling snake oil cures and bogus loans. Know that more people are helping each other.

But, many of us are here. We are working. We want to see an other side where we remember each other and that everyone struggles sometimes. Today, many of us struggle together. Understand that everyone is nervous and scared. Show empathy and patience, you are not the only one who hates wearing gloves, or a mask, or slow lines.

No one knows the future. All we can do is plan for a future and strive every day to get to the next step.

Please reach out if we can help you get to your next step. We will give you all the virtual hands that we have.