ShowingTime has unveiled a new feature for agents, brokers and homebuyers that displays real-time home tour availability on brokerage websites.

Currently available in Houston, Dallas, Denver and Atlanta markets, the new feature will speed up the process of booking a home tour and reduce scheduling challenges. It will roll out nationally later this year, according to a press release.

“Back-and-forth conversations about tour availability and scheduling hassles are time-consuming and a potential deal-killer in today’s fast-paced market,” said Michael Lane, vice president and general manager of ShowingTime. “This new feature’s functionality has long been sought in the industry because it helps everyone involved in a transaction — buyers, sellers and agents — by making it crystal clear when a home is available to tour, more quickly and easily getting buyers into the homes they want to see.” 

Agents and brokers will be able to implement the feature on their websites through ShowingTime’s application programming interface.

While interest in 3D and virtual tours rose during the pandemic, the demand for in-person tours is heating up again, the release noted. The number of markets averaging double-digit showings per listing jumped 45% year over year, from 75 to 109 in February, according to ShowingTime’s latest Showing Index report.

Typical buyers surveyed by Zillow in 2020 and 2021 went on three private home tours, compared to two in 2018 and 2019.