Premier Agents and prospective buyers can now talk to each other without leaving the Zillow Premier Agent app, thanks to a new in-app call feature released on Wednesday. The feature is currently available for iOS users nationwide, with a phased rollout for Android users slated to finish by August.
Raquel Russell
“We are always looking for new ways to support our Premier Agent partners in their business, and these app improvements help agents make the most of each new connection and set more showing appointments,” Zillow Vice President of Partner Success Racquel Russell said in a written statement. “Ultimately, we want to help buyers get into their dream home, and giving agents the tools to provide exceptional service to our shared customers is a key factor in making that happen.”
With the update, Premier Agents no longer have to follow a series of prompts to accept a buyer’s call. Now, they’ll receive a call notification within the Premier Agent app with the buyer’s name, home search preferences, and the specific listing they’re inquiring about.
They’ll have 30 seconds to answer the call by either clicking the ‘accept’ button or saying ‘yes’ for a hands-free experience. Agents can also have their calls routed to an assistant or inside sales agent (ISA) by setting up a team profile and creating routing rules, so buyer inquiries go directly to their teams.
Russell said the new feature yielded 45 percent faster telephone connections and a 7 percent increase in appointment rates during beta testing.
“As customer expectations and the real estate industry landscape change, Zillow is evolving to meet these changes by building a platform and tools aiming to deliver a more seamless home buying and selling journey,” Russell added. “A great real estate agent is essential to helping customers successfully find and buy their next home, and Zillow is developing tools and products like the connections experience to help agents succeed now and into the future.”