Renters Can Now Instantly Book Apartment Tours on Zillow

Rhea-AI Summary

Zillow has launched a new feature allowing renters to schedule apartment tours online, streamlining the process akin to booking restaurant reservations. This functionality is now available for over 2,600 apartment buildings and is supported by integrations with Knock® CRM and Funnel Leasing®. Data shows that 71% of recent renters conducted up to four in-person tours, with 58% preferring to schedule these tours online in 2021. This automated scheduling ensures that renters secure appointments without delays, receiving reminders via email and text. Zillow aims to enhance the rental experience, reducing coordination time for property managers.

Positive

• Introduced online tour scheduling for over 2,600 buildings.
• 71% of recent renters have taken multiple in-person tours.
• 58% of renters favored online scheduling in 2021.

Negative

• None.

Zillow is improving the challenging tour-scheduling process by enabling renters to automatically schedule tours in the same way they book restaurant reservations

SEATTLE, Jan. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zillow today announced a convenient feature which enables renters to book an apartment tour online, making the once-cumbersome process as simple as booking a restaurant reservation.

More than two-thirds (71%) of recent renters reported taking up to four in-person tours, according to Zillow's 2022 Consumer Housing Trends Report. In 2021, 58% of recent renters said they preferred to schedule in-person tours online. Zillow is now allowing apartment shoppers to do just that – scheduling tours instantly, online, without the hassle and delay of having to get in touch with someone directly.

With automated tour scheduling, renters are assured that they will see the apartment they're interested in at a time that works in their busy schedule, without needing to wait for a response from a property manager. Renters also receive automated email and text reminders for their appointment time.

"Touring is a major milestone in the journey of finding a rental, and it's due for innovation," says Michael Sherman, vice president of Zillow Rentals. "Allowing renters to instantly book a tour removes barriers and delivers a more seamless and convenient experience for renters and property managers. Freeing up the time it takes to coordinate schedules allows renters to focus on finding their perfect place without worrying about when they'll get a chance to see it, and gives property managers valuable time back for other important tasks."

Renters can now directly book tours for listings at more than 2,600 apartment buildings on Zillow, and more properties are continually adopting the technology. This functionality is made possible through Zillow's integrations with Knock® CRM and Funnel Leasing®, two leading leasing and customer relationship management platforms used by multifamily properties across the country. And soon, renters will be able to specify the type of tour they want to take (in-person, self-guided or a live virtual tour) when booking.

Along with the ability to instantly book apartment tours on Zillow Rentals, the No. 1 most-visited rental network^[1], renters can take advantage of other free features available now to help streamline the process. By creating a Zillow Renter Profile, renters can more quickly put their best foot forward and potentially expedite the screening process. And even before they schedule the in-person tour, renters can take an immersive virtual tour of a property using Zillow 3D Home tours to help them make a decision about which properties are worth touring in-person, and get them into their next home faster and more confidently.

About Zillow Group
Zillow Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make it easier to unlock life's next chapter. As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow® and its affiliates offer customers an on-demand experience for selling, buying, renting, or financing with transparency and ease. 

Zillow Group's affiliates and subsidiaries include Zillow®; Zillow Premier Agent®; Zillow Home Loans™; Zillow Closing Services™; Trulia®; Out East®; StreetEasy®; HotPads®; and ShowingTime+℠, which houses ShowingTime®, Bridge Interactive®, dotloop® and interactive floor plans. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org).

About Knock
Knock®, a RealPage Company, offers an integrated suite of front office technology that provides multifamily owners and operators with the levers they need to more profitably acquire and retain high-value, long-term residents. Knock CRM empowers leasing teams with tools to accelerate successful leasing and renewal outcomes, provides marketers the data to optimize spend, and ensures executives have the business intelligence and insights needed to outperform their competitors. Learn more at www.knockcrm.com.

About Funnel
Funnel exists so multifamily operators don't have to pick between antiquated monopolies or single solution challengers. After decades of the status quo, operators are no more efficient, and renters still dread the process of leasing an apartment. We fixed that with an independently-owned platform that turns the entire business model on its head. Renter Management Software is a new category of connected tools built around the renter. The software delivers a consistent, connected experience from the initial inquiry through years of renewals. All this while simultaneously saving operators quantifiable money through the smaller, and happier teams that only a renter-centric platform can enable

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SOURCE Zillow

FAQ

What new feature did Zillow announce on January 23, 2023?

Zillow announced a new feature allowing renters to automatically schedule apartment tours online.

How many apartment buildings offer the new tour scheduling feature?

The feature is available for over 2,600 apartment buildings.

Which two platforms assist Zillow's automated tour scheduling?

Zillow's tour scheduling integrates with Knock® CRM and Funnel Leasing®.

What percentage of recent renters reported taking multiple tours?

71% of recent renters reported taking up to four in-person tours.

When was the automated tour scheduling feature launched?

The feature was launched on January 23, 2023.