Updated November 2026. Exposure gets an agent to your listing. Showing instructions decide whether they can get inside. Beycome’s FAQ read November 9, 2026; NAR data read November 9, 2026.
MLS showing instructions tell buyers’ agents how to book and enter your home: who to contact, how much notice you need and whether there’s a lockbox. As of November 2026, 88% of buyers use an agent (NAR, 2025 Profile), so these few private lines decide whether your maximum exposure turns into actual visits.
Jump to: 📝 What they are · 🏢 Public vs agent · 🪜 What to write · 🏠 Lockbox or not · 💲 What to leave out · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- Buyers’ agents read showing instructions. The public mostly doesn’t.
- Say who to contact, how much notice you need and how to get in. Then stop.
- A missed request doesn’t hurt your listing, but a slow reply can cost you the visit.
- Offers of buyer-agent pay can’t appear on the MLS, remarks included, since August 17, 2024.
Not listed yet? A flat fee MLS package puts your home on the major home search sites and the MLS from $99 in most states (see your state page), with $0 due to Beycome at closing.
What are showing instructions on an MLS listing?
They’re the practical note for agents: how to arrange a visit. Most MLSs keep them apart from the description buyers read. Exact field names and options vary by MLS.
The lines matter more than they look. An agent with three buyers on a Saturday wants to book quickly and move on. If your note is vague, or it asks for a day’s notice in a hot week, your home tends to fall off the route. In NAR’s 2025 Profile, 88% of buyers used an agent or broker, and those agents are the ones reading this field.
What’s the difference between public remarks and agent remarks?
| Field | Who sees it | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Public remarks | Buyers, on the MLS and the search sites it feeds | Your description: features, upgrades, neighborhood |
| Agent remarks | Agents and brokers only | Practical notes for the agent, such as the seller’s contact details |
| Showing instructions | Agents and brokers only | Who to contact, notice, entry method, pets, alarms |
Write public remarks for a person scrolling on a phone. Our listing description examples help there, and the rules your listing must follow cover what MLSs refuse. Write the other two fields for a busy professional.
What should you put in MLS showing instructions?
Keep it to the five facts an agent needs.
- Who to contact, and how. One name, one method.
- Notice. “Two hours” is friendlier than “24 hours”. Ask for only what you truly need.
- Windows. Say when it can’t happen, instead of listing every time it can.
- Entry. Lockbox, or the owner lets them in.
- Anything surprising. Dogs, an alarm, a gate, a tenant.
Here are three samples you can adapt. They’re our wording, so check them against your MLS’s rules.
| Situation | Sample instructions |
|---|---|
| Owner lives there, flexible | Text or call to schedule. Two hours’ notice is fine, 9am to 7pm daily. Owner will step out. Dog will be crated. |
| Owner works days | Book through ShowingTime. Weekdays after 5pm, weekends any time. One hour’s notice. Please remove shoes. |
| Vacant home | Lockbox on the front door. Book through ShowingTime so we know you’re coming. Please turn off lights and lock up. |
How fast is fast enough? We’d aim to answer within the hour during the day. Our guide to scheduling open houses helps if you’d rather group visits together.
Should you use a lockbox or be home for showings?
Neither is required. It’s your home and your call. A lockbox lets agents come when you can’t, which helps when you work days or the home is vacant. Being there lets you control who comes in, but you’ll need to leave during the visit, because buyers talk more openly when the owner isn’t standing behind them.
At Beycome, a lockbox is an add-on, and it’s included in Concierge. If you use one, put your valuables and medications away first, and check who came through. Whatever you choose, stay in charge of the schedule. Agents like predictable access more than perfect access.
How do agents schedule a showing on a Beycome listing?
This is where our setup differs from a by-owner post on a website. Your home goes on the MLS under a licensed brokerage, because MLS rules require one, so Beycome appears as the main contact. Your name and phone number sit in the MLS owner section. They’re also in the showing instructions when available, and in the agent remarks.
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Buy a home →- Many agents call you directly. They use the details on the MLS.
- If an agent calls Beycome, we pass along your contact details and text you theirs.
- If a buyer calls, the public line (844-799-7886 plus your extension) forwards the call and the caller’s details to you, and your personal number stays off the public sites.
- ShowingTime comes with every package at no charge, where your MLS offers it.
You can follow requests from your dashboard. Missed one? Beycome’s FAQ is plain about it: “Missing a showing request doesn’t hurt your listing.” Reply promptly, apologize for the delay and offer a new time. Our ShowingTime guide for sellers explains the scheduling tool in more detail.
Prefer not to manage it? Concierge is $1,399. Your expert works with you whenever you need it, and every decision stays yours. Beycome sellers work with local agents every day, and those agents book showings as they would on any other listing. Beycome has worked with 22,000+ homeowners who saved over $225 million, with a home sold every 30 minutes (Beycome internal data, October 2026).
What should you leave out of showing instructions?
- Buyer-agent compensation. Offers of compensation can’t be shown on the MLS since August 17, 2024. You can discuss it off-MLS if you choose. Any amount is negotiable and not set by law. See NAR on what the settlement means for sellers.
- Personal schedules. “We’re away until the 14th” tells more people than you think.
- Security details. Keep alarm codes and lockbox codes out of any field that isn’t protected.
- Selling points. Those belong in public remarks.
- Restrictions on who may visit. Fair housing rules apply. Limits should be about timing and access, never about people.
How do you know your instructions are working?
Watch for two patterns in the first two weeks. Lots of views and few requests usually points to price or photos, and our guide to listing accurately can help you recheck the basics. Requests that fizzle before anyone books usually point to access. Loosen your notice or add a window.
You can change it. Every Beycome package includes unlimited listing changes, made by you from your dashboard. Nationally, the median home spent 33 days on the market in September 2026 (NAR), and the early weeks are when access counts most. For the market view, see NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers and the wider resources from the National Association of Realtors. For legal or money questions, try Nolo and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
MLS showing instructions: questions
What are MLS showing instructions?
A private note for agents on how to book and enter your home: who to contact, notice needed and entry method.
Can buyers see MLS showing instructions?
Generally no. Most MLSs keep them for agents and brokers. Check your own MLS.
What is the difference between public remarks and agent remarks?
Public remarks are your description for buyers. Agent remarks are practical notes for agents only. That’s where your number goes, as our guide on whether your phone number shows on the MLS explains.
How much notice should I ask for a showing?
As little as you can live with. Two hours is a good target when you live in the home.
Can I say how much I’ll pay a buyer’s agent in the remarks?
No. Those offers can’t be shown on the MLS since August 17, 2024. It’s negotiable and your choice whether to offer.
Do I have to use a lockbox?
No. It’s your choice. A lockbox helps when you can’t be home or the house is vacant.
What happens if I miss a showing request?
It doesn’t hurt your listing. Reply soon, apologize for the delay and offer a new time.
Sample instructions are our wording and may need changes for your MLS. Commission examples are examples only. Commissions are not set by law or NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer buyer-agent compensation, and such offers can’t be shown on the MLS since August 17, 2024.
Beycome prices as of November 2026: Basic from $99 in most states ($129 in California and Illinois; see your state page), Enhanced $399, Concierge $1,399. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; taxes, title costs and any buyer-agent compensation you agree to still apply. *No cancellation fee, except Georgia MLS’s mandatory $25; listings under contract can’t be canceled; no refund once listed. **Up to 24 months (12 in Maryland and Pennsylvania), the maximum the state and MLS allow. ShowingTime where the MLS offers it. Lockbox: add-on, included in Concierge. Beycome lists in 17 states and DC. General information, not legal advice; rules vary by state and MLS.
Sources
- Beycome FAQ, contact info on the MLS, read November 9, 2026.
- Beycome FAQ, how you receive showing requests, read November 9, 2026.
- Beycome FAQ, missed showing requests, read November 9, 2026.
- NAR, Top 10 takeaways from the 2025 Profile, read November 9, 2026.
- NAR, Existing-Home Sales, September 2026, read November 9, 2026.
- NAR, what the settlement means for home sellers, link kept from the earlier version of this post; not re-read November 9, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, November 2026, read November 9, 2026.
Disclosure & Disclaimer
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