Credit: Zillow
In Zillow's pursuit of helping builders attract more clients to new-construction homes, the company has introduced a new home tour feature, On-site Tour Booking, that allows buyers to request a tour while browsing homes on Zillow.
If an individual sees a home they'd like to tour on Zillow, they can simply click a button and choose the time and date that works best for them to take a tour. According to the company, in early tests, the feature led to builders receiving more leads overall.
On-site Tour Booking adds to Zillow's mission to encourage more consumer interest in new-build homes—a mission that gained renewed public interest following the release of Zillow's 2019 New Construction Consumer Housing Trends Report. The report revealed that although nearly two-thirds of all buyers (64 percent) consider new-construction homes, just 9 percent actually end up going that route.
The report also found that those homebuyers who are most interested in purchasing new construction fall into one of two demographics: millennials, who are aging into the housing market, and baby boomers, who tend to be retired, repeat buyers.
"At Zillow Group, our No. 1 priority is delivering a world-class experience for both consumers and our customers," Ben Alton, senior group manager, New Construction at Zillow Group, tells Housecall. "We know buyers are eager to tour a potential home, and On-site Tour Booking not only makes it easy for them to request a tour; it gives busy builders a direct connection to high-intent shoppers."
When builders respond to interested buyers within 24 - 72 hours on Zillow, 61 percent of those buyers end up being interested in going on a tour, says the company. And 89 percent of buyers that actually end up going on a tour report having a positive experience.
It's the home builder's responsibility, in today's fast-moving real estate market, to attract potential buyers. With online features like Zillow's On-site Tour Booking, it's easier than ever to connect with future clients.
