Overview
Florida Realtors' revised Showing Agreement (SA-4) rolled out in 2024 as part of the industry-wide practice changes following the NAR settlement, and it's still the current version buyers and agents use in 2026. It swaps "Buyer" for "Consumer," spells out broker obligations in more detail, and builds in compensation and dispute-resolution structure that the older form lacked. Florida Realtors refreshed several related compensation and listing forms again in January 2026, though SA-4 itself hasn't changed further since its 2024 revision. This article walks through what changed and what each provision means in practice.
What the Showing Agreement Is For
The Showing Agreement is a short-term, narrower alternative to a full Exclusive Buyer Brokerage Agreement (EBBA). Agents typically use it when showing a consumer a specific property or handful of properties, rather than entering a longer exclusive representation relationship — for example, showing a visiting buyer a few listings during a short trip to Miami. Since the NAR settlement, a buyer's agent generally needs a written agreement in place with a consumer before showing them a home, and SA-4 is the form built for that narrower, property-specific scenario.
Terminology: "Buyer" Became "Consumer"
The most visible change in the revised form is swapping "Buyer" for "Consumer" throughout, reflecting that the form can now apply to a broader range of interactions beyond a traditional purchase.
Broker's Obligations
The revised form expands what brokers commit to. Originally, brokers were required to assist with negotiating a transaction; the revised version specifies that brokers must help the consumer monitor deadlines, negotiate, and close the transaction — a more complete scope of support through the full process.
Disclosure of Competing Offers
The revised agreement requires brokers to notify consumers of competing offers without disclosing the material terms or conditions of those offers — a balance between transparency and confidentiality that the original form addressed less explicitly.
Consumer's Obligations
The revised form is more specific about what's expected of the consumer, requiring them to contact their broker immediately once they begin negotiating to acquire a property, reinforcing prompt, exclusive engagement with the broker they've signed with — something the original form only addressed in general terms.
Financial Information and Credit Checks
The revised agreement requires the consumer to provide accurate personal and financial information and authorizes the broker to run a credit check, giving the broker more ability to move the transaction forward efficiently. This wasn't clearly addressed in the original form.
Compensation Structure
For purchase, exchange, or lease transactions, compensation under the revised form can be structured as a percentage of the price, a fixed amount, or a combination of both — more detailed than the general terms in the original version. The form also states explicitly that commissions are negotiable and not set by law, consistent with the broader post-settlement emphasis on transparent, negotiated compensation.
Non-Refundable Retainer Fee
The revised form introduces the option of a non-refundable retainer fee for broker services, so brokers can be compensated for their work regardless of transaction outcome — something the original form didn't address at all.
Dispute Resolution
The revised agreement lays out a structured process: mediation first, followed by binding arbitration if mediation doesn't resolve the dispute. The original form's dispute resolution language was much less detailed.
Acknowledgment and Modifications
Changes to the agreement must now be made in writing and signed by both parties, with the form explicitly permitting electronic signatures — a more precise standard than the general modification language in the original.
What's Changed Since 2024
SA-4 itself hasn't been revised again since its 2024 update, but Florida Realtors refreshed a number of related compensation and listing forms effective January 5, 2026, including consolidating two separate compensation forms into a single Compensation Agreement (CASSB-1) and its companion modification form (MCSB-1). If you're working from older saved templates, it's worth confirming you're pulling current versions from Form Simplicity rather than reusing a 2024 copy, since several adjacent forms in the same transaction packet have since changed even though SA-4 has not.
