Beginning this month, StreetEasy users will have free access to ShowingTime’s property tour scheduling platform.
ShowingTime is a showing management platform that was purchased by Zillow for $500 million in October 2021, and Zillow has now integrated the platform into its New York-based portal StreetEasy.
With StreetEasy, real estate agents can seamlessly schedule in-person and virtual showings from the ShowingTime app at no cost to them.
StreetEasy Vice President and General Manager, Caroline Burton, said:
“The home tour is a critical part of the NYC moving process and one that is in need of innovation.
“ShowingTime’s unmatched tour scheduling technology helps us deliver a more seamless home shopping experience in NYC, and allows agents to spend more time focusing on what they do best — acting as trusted advisors for their clients.”
For-Sale-By-Owner listers and listings advertised through StreetEasy’s Building Showcase offering won’t be able to use ShowingTime, the company said.
ShowingTime organises showings on a dashboard that lets agents view people’s personal calendars, so showings don’t overlap with other personal or professional events. Agents can also use ShowingTime to remotely unlock listings, view buyer and seller information, read documents and provide live updates—all from the app.
Zillow’s acquisition of ShowingTime was initially met with controversy. The FTC scrutinised the deal under antitrust laws, should Zillow exploit the consumer data collected by ShowingTime to strengthen its own position in the market.
However, the deal ultimately went ahead without the FTC getting involved, and there is no indication of any foul play by Zillow.
StreetEasy recently announced that it will launch an augmented reality tool that will allow house-hunters to shop for their next place to live while walking the city’s streets.
The tool, dubbed StreetScape, will let users of StreetEasy’s app scan streets and interact with residential buildings to discover information about the building, its amenities, and see floorplans and virtual tours of the building’s units.