As the coronavirus pandemic arrives at the doorstep of the spring homebuying season, the rules of househunting are changing as well.

The National Association of Realtors says it’s encouraging members to limit their interaction with clients and think about alternatives to open houses such as virtual tours. The trade group also recommended changes to in-house policies, including the option of holding virtual meetings and postponing in-person meetings and events.

Kurt Thompson, president of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, said Wednesday he hadn’t seen any significant drop-off in activity yet, with two open houses last weekend receiving multiple offers above the asking price.

“We’re still very dynamic and it’s extremely busy out there,” said Thompson, team leader at Keller Williams Realty in Leominster.

A survey of members by the Greater Boston Real Estate Board said there had been strong activity at open houses last weekend, CEO Greg Vasil said.

“Even if you did have a number of people who are afraid, there are still a number of people who are in the market for housing,” Vasil said.

But he acknowledged that the crisis has been so fluid that Realtors’ outlook has changed since the beginning of the week. 

“Monday, the attitude was a lot different than it could be today,” he said. “People are just trying to maintain safe health practices. It’s basically all they can do.”

The national association said Realtors should consider limiting interaction with clients, while complying with the Fair Housing Act that prohibits discrimination against specific populations.

“While the coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, that does not provide a basis for treating Chinese persons or persons of Asian descent differently” NAR said.

Among the NAR’s recommendations:

• Speak openly with the seller about the pros and cons of an open house and propose alternatives such as video tours.
• Open houses should be equipped with alcohol-based hand sanitizer and clients should disinfect high-touch areas such as doorknobs and faucet handles afterward.
• Brokerages should implement mandatory “stay-home” policies for any staff members with signs of illness, and consider mandatory work-from-home policies.

“What we are doing is taking precautions between buyers having access to homes, and also keeping in mind the public safety,” Thompson said.

James Sanna contributed reporting.