The Uber of open houses. When you can’t be there, this app can
When a $5 million listing needed a last-minute showing, ShowingNow helped one Boca Raton broker save the appointment—and close the sale.
Ben G. Schachter, LCAM, GRI, broker and president of Boca Raton-based The Signature Real Estate Companies, had a $5 million waterfront listing that hadn’t received high enough offers. Unfortunately, when a serious, qualified buyer appeared, they needed to see the property while Schachter was on a two-day trip to New York. Schachter promised the seller that he would handle all the showings but if he didn’t outsource this one, the prospect would move on.
Fortunately, Schachter had a solution: ShowingNow. This app is like Uber for real estate showings. Listing agents can post gigs for showings, open houses and other appointments, like inspections, which other licensed agents can accept.
The listing agent can choose to share the job only with agents from their brokerage, a preset list of their “favorite” agents from different brokerages or all agents on the network. Instead of commission splits, payments are flat fees.
While the app suggests regionally optimized rates, listing agents can determine what to pay. While ShowingNow continues to build its usage base, the app is free and does not take a cut; however, eventually, the firm will get a small cut of each transaction.
Seller permission first
Schachter’s seller gave him permission to outsource the showing, and Schachter posted the gig to the app. After vetting one interested agent over the phone, Schachter awarded them the showing. They showed the property; and the property sold to this prospect.
ShowingNow saves Schachter time periodically, he says. Before his agents started using this app, Schachter would receive up to three emails daily about showings and other appointments they couldn’t make.
Schachter would forward each of these messages to his 1,000-plus agents asking for back-ups. He no longer needs to field these requests.
The app also helps his agents make extra money, critical in a slower market. Several months ago, one asked about part-time work. Although Schachter had no opportunities to offer, he suggested this agent accept showing gigs on ShowingNow. Since then, she has been earning an extra $200 per month thanks to this extra work.
“Using ShowingNow is a complete no-brainer,” says Schachter. “It solves a lot of problems. I encourage every agent to sign up, especially while there is zero cost.”