There are two types of real estate showing apps: showing schedule apps and showing service apps. Both types of apps help with part of the showing process, but they are very different from one another and are beneficial to agents in their own way.
If you’re unsure which you need for your business, the answer is probably ‘both’. Here’s the lowdown on what each type of app offers and how that can benefit your business.
Showing Service App
Now, to look at showing service apps. These are apps designed for agents in need of home-showing help when they are unavailable. They work by putting agents in touch with licensed showing agents who are able to show homes on their behalf. This can be a huge help to real estate professionals looking to make the most of their working (and non-working) hours.
Have Reliable Showing Agents On-hand
Sometimes things happen that throw schedules out the window. That could be an illness, a family emergency, or a broken-down car. When that happens, trawling Facebook groups and calling around contacts to find cover for pre-booked showings is less than ideal. Showing service apps negate the need for this by having a database of trusted showing agents ready to go at a moment’s notice.
These agents are simply there to help open the door for your clients. They are not to solicit to them, give an opinion of price, condition, or quality of the home or neighborhood to your client. They are simply there to assist with showing your clients the property.
Manage Your Time More Efficiently
The schedules of real estate agents are entirely at the mercy of clients; if a potential buyer wants to see a property it can feel impossible to turn down the appointment and potentially lose a sale. By utilizing a showing service app, agents can set their schedule and stick to it by relying on showing assistants to cover additional appointments. This can also allow agents to spend more time focusing on growing their business rather than spending entire days dashing from appointment to appointment. Learn more about leveraging showing services.
Grow Your Business
There are only so many hours in the day that agents can physically attend showings, and that puts a hard limit on the number of clients that can be taken on. The traditional solution to that problem is to hire permanent help, but with that decision comes significant expenses. A more flexible, low-cost approach is to use a showing service app to hire showing agents only when help is required. This could be a mid-term solution until permanent help is a more practical and affordable option, but it’s also a legitimate long-term growth strategy for real estate agents and brokerages.
Get Your Clients in Properties First
Most agents have experienced that dreaded call from a client wanting to immediately see a property but it clashing with another appointment or personal matter. Showing service apps allow agents to get their clients in properties first without physically having to be there. Showing service apps give agents the opportunity to rate showing assistants, allowing other agents peace of mind that their client is in good hands.
Show Properties Even When You’re Not Working
Taking a vacation or a personal day as a real estate agent can be difficult because of how quickly the market moves. As such, it’s not uncommon for agents to continue working during planned downtime because they don’t have any cover. Showing service apps allow agents to pre-book showing assistants to cover planned vacation periods, ensuring that support is lined up and clients are well taken care of.
Showing Scheduling App
First up is the showing scheduling app. These are apps are designed to help facilitate showings between an agent and their client. A showing scheduler can be extremely useful for busy showing agents who are struggling to keep track of their diaries.
Maximize Your Time
Scheduling appointments by email or social media leaves agents open to the possibility of missed messages, which could mean a missed sale. Booking appointments over the phone is another option, but that means that an agent needs to be glued to their cell and be ready to pick up at any moment (including evenings and weekends). By using an automated system and staying organized, agents can use their time with maximum efficiency, which can translate into closing more properties.
Keep Appointments Organized
If a client would prefer to have a video viewing or consultation, showing agents also have the ability to schedule online meetings via a scheduler app to keep all appointments organized in one place. Showing scheduling software can even send reminders to home buyers to help reduce the amount of time lost to no-shows.
Make Life Easy for Buyers
House hunters may also be more inclined to book home showings if there is an easy-to-use platform for them to use. Going back and forth on emails or social media can be draining, and making appointments over the phone can sometimes feel a little archaic. By utilizing a showing scheduling app, would-be clients can easily see when you’re available and find a time that fits in with their equally busy lives.
Open Your Office 24/7
By letting an app do all the hard work, agents can automate the calendar management part of their business and focus on closing more sales. It essentially allows them to have an open office 24/7 because potential clients can log on at any time without the agent needing to be online. Most scheduling apps can also be used across multiple devices, allowing agents to keep an eye on their diaries from the office or on the road.
Integrate with Your Existing Online Presence
Many showing scheduler apps have the ability to integrate with social media and websites, so agents can use their online presence to send potential buyers to their bookings page. And, it’s usually possible to customize the interface to include branding elements such as logos, too.
Manage Your Brokerage
Brokerages can also utilize showing scheduler apps by setting up bookings pages for each agent on the team. Those agents can manage their own calendars and bookings while ensuring that their managers can track team performance and availability.
How Can Different Types Of Showing Apps Benefit Your Business?
Research suggests that 61% of real estate businesses have adopted at least one automation solution. If your company isn’t part of that majority, it’s time to ask yourself why not. With most showing apps being free or low-cost to sign up for, it’s worth trialing some options to see what fits your business best. You’ll know you’ve found the right ones when you suddenly find yourself with more clients, yet more free time.