Realtracs, the largest multiple listing service (MLS) in Tennessee, announced Thursday that it is launching a new service to let its subscribers schedule home showings.
The new offering is called Realtracs Showings, and it will be free to all of Realtracs 18,000 members. According to a statement, Realtracs Showings will let users set up showings, track and manage appointments and request feedback, among other things.
Users can access those tools via an app, and the statement adds that the goal is to provide “a more efficient, seamless MLS experience, and to help agents and brokers increase their volume of showings.”
The debut of Realtracs Showings comes at a tumultuous period for showing services. That period began in February when Zillow announced it was acquiring ShowingTime, a widely used and liked platform for scheduling home showings. Though Zillow has said it plans to keep ShowingTime’s privacy policies in place, many agents expressed concern about their data eventually making it into the portal’s hands.
The result was many industry members vowing to find an alternative to ShowingTime. And in the ensuing months, a host of providers have raced to bring showing services to market.
This week has been particularly active in the showing service space; on Monday, MLS Aligned — a company owned by a group of multiple listing services — said it was preparing a new offering called Aligned Showings. Then on Thursday, the Houston Association of Realtors announced its own showing service, dubbed ShowingSmart.
Julie Davis
In the case of Realtracs, Julie Davis — the MLS’s chief relationship officer — said in Thursday’s statement that “Realtracs Showings was developed as a result of feedback from our users, and is the equivalent of a virtual showings assistant for real estate agents.”
“Agents wanted a simple, streamlined and reliable showing service – one that could easily be used within our system and app,” Davis said. “This is just the latest example of how we’re evolving our MLS to meet the needs of our customers.”
Nashville-based Realtracs also announced the new service just days after saying it is expanding into new markets with the goal of becoming the first statewide MLS in Tennessee.
Stuart White
On Thursday, Realtracs CEO Stuart White ultimately concluded that “we are proud to be the first MLS to offer an in-app showing service at no additional cost to our users.”
“Home buyers and sellers should be confident,” White added, “that agents who use Realtracs have the tools they need to help them have a successful real estate journey.”
