What is ShowingTime?
ShowingTime is a life-saving scheduling service that benefits not just agents but sellers as well. There is also an app called Home by ShowingTime so sellers can have their own account and login to keep track of appointments and feedback. We provide this service free of charge to our Full Service Clients, and it is available as an add-on service for those who prefer the Quick List or Seller’s choice options. Here’s how it works:
Once your house is listed in the MLS, a link will be added to the scheduling remarks in your listing. You’ve got two options as far as how agents can schedule an appointment. First is what we in the biz call a Go and Show, meaning the agent clicks the link, selects the time and date, and gets immediate approval on the appointment. Then you get notified that Jane Smith with Street Real Estate is showing your property at such and such time and date. Alternatively, we can have them request an appointment and you would get a notification that Jane Smith would like to see your house at such and such time and date. If that works for you, you simply approve the request. If not, you can suggest a time that is better for you.
Whether or not they get immediate approval or if you go in and approve the request, once the appointment is set both you and the agent will get confirmation. The agent will then receive access information and any detailed instructions you have provided. The beauty of the system is that only licensed agents are able to schedule with ShowingTime, so you have peace of mind that your lockbox combo will only be given out to an actual agent who has an approved showing.
How To Get More Showings On Your House
Agents are also conditioned to look for the ShowingTime link and they tend to freak out if it isn’t there. If a client isn’t using the service, we put a note in the agent-to-agent remarks with their contact info so agents can call directly to set up an appointment. I kid you not, I had an agent just this morning email to say that ShowingTime hadn’t been set up and he wanted to schedule an appointment. I copied the information from the listing, sent it to him, and he called the owner to set up the appointment.
That is the best case scenario; unfortunately there are agents who will just tell their client they couldn’t get an appointment scheduled if they have to make a call rather than click a link. Some of them just can’t be bothered with that, or they haven’t been taught to check the remarks or showing sections of the listing. They just don’t know what to do if that little blue link isn’t there!
But Wait! There’s More!
The appointment has been set and the agent brings the potential buyer to your house to see if it’s a good fit for them. The power of ShowingTime then kicks it up another notch. At the end of the appointment time frame the agent will receive a request for feedback on what their client thought about the house and if they are interested in making an offer.
This provides some powerful information for you as the seller. If you get consistent feedback that buyers think the house is overpriced, or a certain aspect of the home is a turn-off (unpleasant smell, bright paint colors), you now have things you can correct to make it more appealing to buyers so you can get it sold quickly. You also have a detailed list of everyone who has shown your property so you can follow up for more feedback or to discuss potential offers.
So in a nutshell, ShowingTime is a very powerful tool to help you in the home selling process. It automates scheduling, requests feedback on your behalf, and keeps a running list of all your appointments. It also offers you peace of mind in knowing that you haven’t missed a call or forgotten an appointment because you didn’t write it down. Only licensed agents will be able to use the service, and they don’t receive any access information until the appointment has been approved.
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