Those who have recently cruised the information superhighway in search of homes for sale in Hampton Roads, Va., might have run into a speed bump.

On June 28, the Real Estate Information Network, the official Multiple Listing Service in Hampton Roads that provides a database of residential properties for sale, began charging consumers for access to additional details.

If you search a Web site for available homes in the region, your search results will still yield basic information — the city each property is in, the price, how many bedrooms and bathrooms, and a picture, if it’s available.

But if you want more, such as a description of the home, square footage and how many stories it has, or whether it has amenities such as a pool, hardwood floors or a backyard, you’ll have to contact the real estate agent or sign up for an MLS E-Pass.

The E-Pass is $3.95 for one day, or $4.95 a month, which is automatically renewed each month and charged to your debit or credit card. In addition to the financial facts, you’ll have to provide your name, address, phone number and e-mail address.

Carlos Rodriguez, the real estate network’s director of business development, said while other MLS programs around the country are considering charging the public for information, REIN is probably the first. Rodriguez said the fee will offset the growing cost of providing the service, now shouldered by member firms, which represent 6,000 real estate agents.

“The Internet consumer of 2005 intuitively understands that there are costs to these kinds of systems,” he said.

The E-Pass is also designed to protect home sellers’ privacy, Rodriguez said.

“Before, there was so much information about the home available to people who didn’t have to identify themselves,” he said. “Identification helps provide the seller with peace of mind, since they at least know who has information about their home.”

In addition, the new system will allow real estate agents to connect with consumers in all stages of the home-buying process.

“It’s one thing to have the listing information,” Rodriguez said. “It’s another thing to know what to do with it. A real estate agent is a trained expert, and we want to help them bring their services to the table.”

Ralph Stevenson, president and principal broker of All/Pros Realty in Virginia Beach, said the MLS E-Pass program has put his office in a better position to identify and serve serious home shoppers.

“Before, people would go online and give fictitious phone numbers and e-mail addresses, and it was difficult for brokers to figure out who they were,” Stevenson said. “Now, they have to provide correct information, and I’ve been able to contact a few of the people who have registered on the site, and in most cases, they are ready and willing to work with us.”

But at ABuyersRealty.com, there’s a disclaimer near the E-Pass instructions, letting visitors know that the site’s owners, Buyer’s Broker of Hampton Roads, “do not agree with the new program.” Maggi Davis, broker-owner of the Virginia Beach real estate company, said about one in 50 visitors to the site signs up for the E-Pass.

“It’s taking a step back in time, rather than a step forward,” Davis said. “Customers are used to equipping themselves with information before beginning a real estate transaction, and some of them resent not being able to search anonymously. And sellers have come to expect that their homes will be marketed on the Internet without people having to pay to gain access to information.”

She disagrees with the notion there was too much information being given away, especially because she has to pay for the network information to be on her company’s Web site anyway.

“Our company likes working with educated, empowered buyers,” Davis said.

“It makes our job easier.”

Davis thinks the new system will drive customers to for-sale-by-owner sites, where they don’t have to pay for full descriptions. At TidewaterFSBO.com, for instance, visitors have free access to information about homes being sold directly by their owners. Most of the listings on the site give a complete address, nearby schools, square footage and even a link to directions to the property.

“For people who are looking for a house, and they’re not willing to pay for the information, and they don’t want to have to talk to an agent, my site will work very well for them,” owner Gary Kusturin said. “My phone has rang several times about it.”