Zillow is testing the waters of self-guided home tours with its new program, Tour it Now.
The company is piloting the “iBuyer” program through its app for a “handful of homes in the Phoenix metro,” Zillow told Inman. The app allows potential homebuyers to access homes for sale without an appointment or agent. The app, which is only available for properties Zillow owns, gives users directions to the home and unlocks the door when they arrive.
There are some built-in safeguards: The homes have sensors that capture still images and detect movement when there shouldn’t be any, according to Zillow. In cases where such movement is detected, Tour it Now is disabled and the property is “flagged for investigation by the local Zillow team.”
“We realize that buyers are looking for the ability to visit and tour homes on their own timeline,” a spokesperson for Zillow said. “And ‘Tour it Now’ will allow them to do just that.” [Inman] — Kathryn Brenzel