A huge swath of enterprise software over the past half-decade has focused on productivity and streamlining tools. We’re talking about everything from Slack to Trello. It seems that helping knowledge workers get things done faster and with fewer headaches resonates… let’s call it ZenTech.
Somewhere in that bucket is Calendly. For those unfamiliar, it lets you share your available timeslots with anyone through a link, which they can use to self-book a call or appointment. Speaking anecdotally, it reduces endless email cycles to align calendars when scheduling briefing calls or podcast recordings.
It seems that the product folks at Zillow are fans of this functionality… enough that they’ve replicated it into their own bookings. Specifically, Zillow offers property tours to renters. Now agents or property managers can offer a single link for self-bookings, thus avoiding all those annoying email cycles.
Optionality & Convenience
So how does this compare with what Zillow previously offered? For home tours, it had two options. The first was a self-serve virtual tour that could be taken anytime on demand. And the second was to be put in touch with an agent or manager for an IRL tour… which gets us back to manual email back & forths.
The new Calendly-like function adds an instant-booking option for IRL tours and is available initially on 2,600 Zillow rental properties. This volume will increase over time says Zillow, as will the types of tours. For example, renters can use the instant-booking option for virtual tours that are guided by a live agent.
Beyond optionality and convenience, Zillow is no doubt hoping that the new instant-booking functionality lowers friction in getting more renters in front of properties. And there’s a direct correlation there, given that renters in 2022 visited up to four properties on average before deciding to rent one.
So if Zillow can lower barriers to all those tours (outside of actually doing the tour itself), it can get from point A to signed rental agreements faster. Beyond getting potentially more tours booked, the new feature could go a long way in boosting renter and rentee overall satisfaction, and thus repeat use.
“Touring is a major milestone in the journey of finding a rental,” Zillow Rentals Lead Michael Sherman said in a statement,” and it’s due for innovation.”
