“I Would Never Use A Showing Appointment Service …”

One of the great things about residential real estate is that agents can decide how to run their businesses. You can plan your schedule based on other commitments, which is harder to do in a traditional 9-5 job; you can decide how to market your listings; you can choose how many calls to make; you can take a sales course to improve your skills; you can leave one brokerage and join another.

And, when it comes to scheduling showings, it’s literally your call … you can choose to take calls from showing agents requesting to show your listings vs. having your front desk take those calls, or having a service handle those calls for you.

There isn’t necessarily a ‘best’ approach – though agents would disagree strongly on this – but there is a best approach for you. It’s not unlike one of the other very big considerations for agents: how to manage your web presence.

You can be listed on your brokerage’s website; you can also build your own site; and, you can choose to work with a firm to build or enhance your site or help implement search engine optimization practices.

Is an Appointment Center Right for You?

For agents on the fence about using an appointment center service, here are a five questions to consider:

1. Am I ready and can I afford to pay for a service?

2. If I go it alone, can I stay organized and keep calls and appointments straight?

3. What’s my breaking point (how many listings can I effectively manage) so I don’t get overwhelmed with scheduling duties?

4. Is there anything more valuable I can do with my time than schedule showings?

5. Will an appointment center provide better service to my sellers?

Two Sides to the Coin

On the last question, one agent who likes handling all the calls herself recently commented, “It is a disservice to the seller” to use an appointment center service.

But is it?

Another agent commented, “I think this is fabulous … and have been very happy with the service. I will gladly recommend you to other agents.”

Clearly, each agent made his or her own choice, right for them. And each has the ability – and responsibility – to decide what’s best for their sellers, what’s going to get the listing sold quickly and at the right price, and what will help him or her win more listings.

Often, business professionals think in terms of “high-payoff” and “low-payoff” tasks; and, all of us catch ourselves on occasion doing too many low-payoff tasks. It’s important to think that way so you spend your time effectively … whether for you that means handling showing appointment calls yourself or enlisting the services of an appointment center.

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Are you looking for tools that will help you win more clients? Learn more about how ShowingTime products can help you ease your burden, save you time and enhance your business.