Showings are an essential part of an agent’s job — people rarely buy homes sight unseen. In order to help agents tackle the logistics of getting prospective buyers inside properties, more and more multiple listing services are helping their members schedule showings online.
Eight MLSs have signed licensing agreements to provide their combined 28,000-plus subscribers with appointment scheduling and feedback systems from showing management software company ShowingTime.
The MLSs are located around the country:
- Greater Fairfield County CMLS in Connecticut;
- Greater Alabama MLS;
- Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors in Louisiana;
- Greater Lansing Association of Realtors in Michigan;
- Pinehurst-Southern Pines Area Association of Realtors in North Carolina;
- Terre Haute Area Association of Realtors in Indiana;
- Piedmont Regional Association of Realtors in South Carolina;
- Northeast Florida MLS/RealtyWEB.Net.
Ron Stephan
Northeast Florida MLS is an existing ShowingTime customer that upgraded its service contract to add mobile functionality, which MLS CEO Ron Stephan said was a “big win” for subscribers.
“Since they spend so much time working and communicating with their buyers, sellers and peers in the field, we’re always looking to provide members with high quality, time-saving mobile solutions,” he said in a statement.
Seven of the eight MLSs purchased ShowingTime for the MLS, which allows members to request and manage real estate showings and feedback directly from the MLS or through ShowingTime’s mobile app at any time of day, reducing phone tag and saving members time, the company said.
ShowingTime for the MLS also includes access to ShowingCart, which allows showing agents to store and organize their showings as a buyer tour; mapping; automated text-to-voice calls; and two-way text messaging so agents can confirm, decline or reschedule appointments from their smartphones when they can’t take a call.
So far, more than 80 MLSs have embedded ShowingTime for the MLS with several others in the queue, the company said.
One of the eight MLSs signed up for ShowingTime Appointment Center, which is staffed at all times by appointment specialists and also allows agents to use the company’s mobile app to manage showings.
“Listing agents never worry about missing showing requests, while showing agents appreciate how quickly appointment specialists confirm appointments,” the company said.
In September, ShowingTime and real estate tech firm Homesnap announced they would integrate their products in markets where both platforms are available. In October, ShowingTime inked its biggest deal with an MLS at that point, Carolina Multiple Listing Service Inc.
Last week, ShowingTime competitor Showing Suite made its first foray into the MLS space, launching its first automated showing scheduling system for MLSs and offering it for free.
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