In real estate, “go and show” is a showing instruction on an MLS listing that lets a buyer’s agent walk a client through the property without making an appointment or waiting for the seller’s approval. The agent arrives, opens the electronic lockbox with their credentials, retrieves the key, and tours the home. It is the most permissive setting an agent will see on a listing, and it is almost always used on vacant properties.
How It Compares to Other Showing Instructions
Every MLS listing tells buyer’s agents how to request access. The common settings run from fully open to fully gated:
- Go and show. No appointment, no advance call. The agent uses the lockbox directly.
- Call or text before showing. The agent gives the listing agent or seller a heads-up but doesn’t wait for formal confirmation.
- Appointment required. A specific time must be scheduled and confirmed. Occupied homes almost always use this.
- Automated showing service. Requests go through a scheduling platform where the seller or listing agent approves or declines electronically.
Treating an “appointment required” listing like a go-and-show property is a Code of Ethics problem for the agent, not a shortcut. NAR Standard of Practice 1-16 says listing brokers shall not access property, or let others access it, on terms other than those the owner set.1National Association of REALTORS®. Code Comprehension – Article 1 and Article 3 – Unauthorized Access to Property SOP 1-16 and 3-9 The showing instruction on the listing is the rule.
Why It’s Almost Always a Vacant Property
The reason go-and-show listings cluster around vacant homes is practical and legal at once. Nobody lives there, so there’s nobody to inconvenience with an unannounced visit, and the tenant-notice laws in most states, which generally require at least 24 hours of advance notice before an owner or agent enters an occupied rental, don’t come into play.
The usual go-and-show properties are:
- Vacant homes between owners.
- New construction and model homes, where builders want maximum foot traffic.
- Bank-owned (REO) foreclosures, where the lender just wants the property moved.
- Vacant land and acreage, where there’s nothing to secure and nobody to work around.
If a listing has an occupant and still says go-and-show, that’s worth a call to the listing agent before you walk up.
How Lockbox Access Actually Works
The thing that makes go-and-show possible is the electronic lockbox. SentriLock and Supra are the two dominant systems, and both connect to an agent’s phone through a dedicated app.2National Association of REALTORS®. SentriLock Inside the box is the property key. The app verifies the agent’s credentials and releases the box.
Access is restricted to licensed real estate professionals with a verified local MLS membership. Lockboxes are purchased or leased through the local association, which then authorizes the agent’s credentials.2National Association of REALTORS®. SentriLock Local associations and MLSs can also deny lockbox access to anyone convicted of certain crimes within the past seven years when the conviction relates to the real estate business or puts clients and property at risk.3National Association of REALTORS®. Lock Box Section 1 – Lock Box Security Requirements MLS Policy Statement 7.31
Every entry is logged. The system records which agent opened the box and when, and listing agents can pull those access logs for their listings.4SentriLock. The SentriLock Advantage That accountability trail is one of the main reasons electronic lockboxes are preferred over combination boxes for open-access listings. A combination can be shared without the listing agent knowing; an electronic credential ties to a specific licensed individual.
Before heading over, the agent checks the private remarks on the MLS listing. Those notes, hidden from public-facing real estate sites, hold the lockbox location, gate codes, and property-specific instructions.
Go-and-show does not mean 24-hour access. Lockbox systems have default hours set by the local MLS or the listing agent. A common window runs from around 8:00 a.m. to somewhere between 8:00 and 10:00 p.m., but it varies by market. Outside those hours, the lockbox won’t release even on a go-and-show listing, and an agent who needs a different time has to ask the listing agent to open a temporary window.
Buyers Need a Written Agreement Before Touring
One change that catches both buyers and newer agents off guard: since August 17, 2024, any agent working with a buyer must have a written buyer agreement in place before touring any home, including go-and-show listings.5National Association of REALTORS®. National Association of REALTORS Reminds Members and Consumers of Real Estate Practice Change This came out of NAR’s proposed settlement of commission-related litigation and applies nationwide.
The agreement covers the terms of your working relationship with the agent, including compensation. NAR doesn’t dictate what has to be in it, only that it be in writing.6National Association of REALTORS®. Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements The easy access of a go-and-show listing doesn’t waive this step. An agent who tours you through without one is out of compliance.
What Sellers Should Do Before Allowing Go and Show
Choosing go-and-show means trading control for convenience and traffic. NAR’s consumer guide for sellers recommends preparing the property before enabling that kind of open access.7National Association of REALTORS®. Consumer Guide – Home Selling Tips for Privacy and Safety
- Lock up jewelry, firearms, prescription medications, and sensitive documents. A small safe handles most of the risk.
- Put away family photos, visible calendars, mail, Wi-Fi passwords, diplomas, and anything else that reveals personal details.
- Ask your listing agent to add a “No Photography” note in the MLS remarks and to consider polite signage in the home. Buyers often record video walkthroughs on their phones.
- Use an electronic lockbox rather than a combination box so access is limited to licensed professionals and every entry is logged.
If you’re thinking about installing cameras to monitor showings, talk to your listing agent first. Nearly every state has laws governing audio and video recording, and audio in particular carries legal risk in many places.8National Association of REALTORS®. Video and Audio Surveillance State Law Survey
Rules Agents Follow on a Go and Show Visit
Experienced agents follow the same protocol every time. Knock or ring the bell first, even on a listing marked vacant. Contractors, inspectors, or another agent’s showing may already be inside, and occasionally a “vacant” property turns out not to be.
When the tour ends:
- Put the key back in the lockbox and confirm it closes securely.
- Lock every exterior door that was opened.
- Rearm the alarm if a code was provided in the private remarks.
- Turn off any lights that were switched on.
Leaving a property unsecured is a fast route to professional consequences. If the home is vandalized or burglarized after a showing, the access log shows who was there last. That log works both ways for agents: it proves you were in the house, but it also clears you when damage happens after your visit. If you notice existing damage when you arrive, photograph it and tell the listing agent before you leave.
When something gets damaged during a tour, responsibility generally lands on whoever caused it. If an agent’s negligence contributed, the agent’s brokerage may end up paying. When no one can prove who caused the damage, the seller’s homeowner’s insurance usually handles the claim.