HiCentral MLS has launched new tools for the primary purpose of enablling REALTORS®, their clients, and consumers to virtually view properties while in-person showings and open houses/brokers opens are temporarily halted. Beginning Wednesday, April 15, virtual open houses and virtual showings are enabled through our Matrix system and will be distributed on various public websites, including HiCentral.com.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: All traditional in-person open houses for both the public and brokers are still suspended until May 1st or until further notice.

Differences between virtual options

Virtual or 360 Tours
Prerecorded and accessible 24/7

Virtual Open Houses & Virtual Showings
Real-time/live events at a set day and time with a host at the property with viewers watching via a live-stream (or similar delivery).

View more details on each virtual option below and how to schedule them in Matrix.

VIRTUAL SHOWINGS	VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES
Defined as:	Defined as:
Real-time (live) scheduled property showing conducted virtually, via a live stream for a customer or client.	Broker open house - an open invitation to all participating Brokers/Agents to participate in a real-time (live) scheduled event conducted virtually via a live stream Public open house - an open invitation to any number of prospects to participate in a real-time (live) scheduled event conducted virtually via a live stream
How to enable feature:	How to enable feature:
Mark “Virtual Showing” in the showing instructions – both in Matrix, and in ShowingTime. Include specific showing instructions in the space provided in ShowingTime or in the agent remarks in Matrix. Click here for further instructions.	Go to the open house module in Matrix and schedule an open house as you normally would, except you will choose either the “Virtual Broker” or “Virtual Public” option. Schedule the date and time to hold the virtual open house which must be hosted and live – not prerecorded. Click here for further instructions. Virtual open houses can be found via traditional means – i.e. searched for via Matrix and published on HiCentral.com, and via syndication where supported by the syndicator.

Remember these key points:

Before proceeding with enabling Virtual Showings & Virtual Open Houses for your listing, you should first consult with your broker/company policy and your client to get their agreement to use this virtual option.
Follow all showing and open house guidelines as you would for in-person showings and open houses, including safety and adherence to the Code of Ethics for showings.
- Additional best practices and considerations for virtual open houses are available here.
Limit the number of people at the property conducting the virtual showing or virtual open house to only those absolutely necessary to ensure a safe and successful showing or open house and adhere to distancing protocols at all times. Remember that viewers will be watching the live-stream from their own homes.
After the virtual showing or virtual open house, take proper steps to disinfect the property according to CDC guidelines.

Virtual Open Houses - Best Practices and Considerations:

Take steps necessary to moderate the conversation – be sure to mute visitors when they’re not talking and help your visitors not talk over one another.
Maintain to the best of your ability the confidentiality of parties visiting a virtual open house.
As in a traditional open house scenario, make sure to determine if the visitor is working with another REALTOR® before offering your services.
Prepare - Script the tour BEFORE the open house to provide a coherent, logical “flow” to the open house.
Try to show the scale of the property – i.e. ceiling heights and room sizes relative to known objects, like a twin bed or the like.

Resources

HiCentral MLS has compiled some resources below to help you become familiar with these new virtual options to show properties:

NAR on Virtual Showings and Virtual Tours
Mabél Guzmán: A Strategy for Virtual Showings During COVID-19 (NAR)
REALTOR® Magazine virtual open house video (3/28/2017 – 3:35)
How to connect with your virtual open house or virtual showing audience using Facebook live!
CRMLS’ resource page
ShowingTime’s resources regarding virtual showings and virtual open houses

To further help you transition to virtual showings and virtual open houses, we can schedule one-on-one consultations, video conferences, or webinars for your office or firm. Please call or drop us a note at 808-791-3789 or [email protected].

Updated: May 6, 2026

RESOURCES: MEMBER TOOLKIT

Materials designed to support your conversations with consumers:

Member-focused resources:

NAR Settlement: What it Means for Homebuyers | What it Means for Home Sellers
FAQs about the NAR Settlement and its impact
Dos and Don’ts When Working with Buyers (10/29)
Dos and Don’ts When Working with Sellers (10/29)
Overview of HiCentral MLS Policy & Practice Changes
Clarification on Member FAQs - updated 8.21.2024
Talking points: Messages for Member Conversation with Consumers
New/Updated Standard Forms: Hawaii REALTORS® Standard Forms Committee finalized the new forms | Training: HAR Updated Standard Forms Educational Webinar - watch recording
NAR: facts.realtor - regularly updated for members and consumers with new resources

QUICK LINKS: Background | Policy & Practice Changes | Violations & Fine Structure | Key Dates | Mandatory Training

MLS Policy and Practice Changes

Offers of Compensation are no longer on the MLS

WATCH: HiCentral MLS President Cathy Matthews summarizes the upcoming changes to our MLS policies and practices and shares your Board of Directors' thoughtful reasons for how HiCentral MLS will implement our path forward.

From the utilization of Matrix fields, new/updated required forms, mandatory training class, and a new fine structure for new violation categories, there is a lot of new information coming your way!

BACKGROUND

Through thoughtful and lengthy discussions spanning over 10 hours of meetings, HiCentral MLS gathered input from Participants and Subscribers on the MLS Policy Changes needed as a result of the NAR Settlement.

Participants represented a broad cross-section of the membership including Brokers, Listing Agents, Buyer’s Agents, small to large firms, sole proprietors, franchise and non-franchise firms, members of our Professional Standards, Grievance, Ethics Citation, and Mediation Committees, instructors who teach ethics, contracts, agency and buyer representation, HAR Standard Forms members, HBR and HiCentral MLS past presidents, Directors from both HiCentral MLS and HBR, General Counsel, and Executive staff.

On June 10, 2024, your HiCentral MLS Board of Directors unanimously voted to opt in, and the required Opt-in Agreement was signed and submitted, thereby including HiCentral MLS as a Released Party, joining all local and state REALTOR® associations, including the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®, as well as all individual NAR members. View the email we sent to MLS Participants and Subscribers.

Individual NAR members are already included in the Settlement Agreement and do not need to take any action.

HANDOUT: Click image to download handout

POLICY & PRACTICE CHANGES

Mandatory requirements: Effective Aug. 12, 2024

Remove offer of compensation field from the MLS (including on historical listings)
Prohibit offer of compensation from listing broker or seller anywhere on the MLS
Written Buyer Agreement required when working with buyer before touring a home in person or virtually (e.g., visiting an open house together or a live virtual tour)
No filtering of listings based on compensation
No advertising of services as “free”

Board of Directors unanimously approved:

NO new seller concessions field on Active Listings
Mandatory MLS training for brokers, agents, and MLS assistants on NAR settlement provisions & MLS policy changes must be completed by Dec. 31, 2024 - view class schedule. Otherwise, your MLS access will be suspended until the training requirement is met. To reinstate your access, you will need to complete the training AND pay a reinstatement fee of $100 plus Hawai'i G.ET. -- updated 12/11/2024.
Violations result in fines and mandatory classes: if compensation is included on MLS or no signed Buyer's Agreement when working with a buyer before touring a home in person or virtually (e.g., visiting an open house together or a live virtual tour)

Reasons for Board of Directors' decisions:

Simplest, most prudent option that follows the intent of the NAR settlement.
Encourages open negotiations between the seller and buyer for broker compensation off the MLS, e.g., via the buyer's offer.
Allows brokers to continue using Agent Remarks to provide concessions, but may not include specific information related to compensation.
Education and training ensure brokers and agents know what to do vs. what not to do.
Enforcement and training lead to compliance.

VIOLATIONS & FINE STRUCTURE

KEY DATES

8/12/2024: Offer to Compensation field removed from the MLS. Written Buyer Agreement required when working with buyer before touring a home in person or virtually (e.g., visiting an open house together or a live virtual tour).
12/31/2024: Deadline to complete mandatory MLS training for brokers, agents, and MLS assistants. Otherwise, your MLS access will be suspended until the training requirement is met. To reinstate your access, you will need to complete the training AND pay a reinstatement fee of $100 plus Hawai'i G.ET. -- updated 12/11/2024.
1/01/2025: New compliance fines take effect for Offer of Compensation or Buyer's Written Agreement violations.

MANDATORY TRAINING - All HiCentral MLS Participants, Subscribers, and Assistants must complete by Dec. 31, 2024*

Offered as 90-minute live webinars with Q&A time at the end.
*If not completed by the 12/31/2024 deadline, your MLS access will be suspended until the training requirement is met. To reinstate your access, you will need to complete the training AND pay a reinstatement fee of $100 plus Hawai'i G.ET. -- updated 12/11/2024.
Registration and Zoom attendance required to receive credit for the mandatory training.MLS Assistants must call us at 808.732.3000 to register. Our staff will be tracking who logs into the Zoom sessions.
TIP: Once registered for a mandatory class, you will receive two reminder emails from [email protected] containing the Zoom link on the day before and the morning of your class. If you do not see these emails in your inbox, do a search for that email address in case it gets filtered to your junk/spam/promotions.
If for any reason you are unable to attend the Zoom class that you registered for, you must register for another class date.
NOTE: Attendance of the "HAR Updated Standard Forms Educational Webinar" does NOT fulfill the requirement for this MLS mandatory training. Also, do not confuse this "MLS Mandatory NAR Settlement Training" with the "MLS Rules and Regulations Fundamentals" class or the mandatory NAR Code of Ethics training class -- neither fulfills this MLS requirement.
Presentation slides for the mandatory training are available for download for your use and reference.
Verify Mandatory Training Completion» - confirm your training requirement has been fulfilled.

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