Zillow announced in a Feb. 21 press release that Listing Showcase, the artificial intelligence-powered listing agent marketing stack sold under the ShowingTime+ brand, is now ready for prime time.
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After months of limited market launch, Zillow’s Listing Showcase is now rolling out nationwide.
The company announced in a Feb. 21 press release that its AI-powered listing agent marketing stack, marketed under the ShowingTime+ brand, is now ready for prime time. Zillow says that during testing it showed that, on average, higher exposure resulted in homes moving into pending status 15% faster than nearby listings.
Listing Showcase is a fusion of technologies Zillow acquired and integrated as part of a broader effort to add software-as-a-service to its business, known by many as a “super app” concept.
ShowingTime+ is able to provide a vertical marketing stack to the industry by acquiring marketing technology from companies such as VRX Media and Areyo that offer a range of creative services such as interactive floor plan, virtual staging, image enhancement and in-app photography coordination and image management. Traditionally, brokers and agents have worked with a range of unrelated third-party vendors.
The appeal of a listing presentation is broad, but primarily highlights the listing agent, clearly marking the home as one they want to sell. The page uses artificial intelligence-based image rotation to identify the images consumers respond to most and ensures these images remain prominent. Property Hero images are digitally enhanced, room photos are automatically tagged upon upload, and floor plans are interactive in response to user perspectives.
“Floor plans have recently been added to the map display in listings, giving shoppers a clear picture of the home’s orientation and location,” the release states.
While the acquisition of ShowingTime in 2021 put the real estate portal’s moves on the industry’s radar, the acquisition of the popular CRM Follow Up Boss in late 2023 put a bold and wet stamp on its plans. Zillow, long criticized as being anti-agency, is pivoting to an agency services model, proving it can serve both practitioners and consumers, and using its knowledge of the latter to give the former an advantage.
Other data shows that the right photos of a property can help it close faster. Restb.ai, a computer vision company that has been scanning millions of listing photos for years, told Inman it can directly connect increased listing traffic to well-edited, high-end exterior photos.
Restb.ai chief product officer Nathan Brannen told Inman in an interview that dark photos or washed-out skies can reduce shopper interest.
“We did do a study on overcast photos. Is it dusk? Or if it snowed, look at the impact on price. We found that photos taken in overcast conditions had an average of 12 days longer time to market. So, Companies that do sky replacement editing are worth it,” he said.
ShowingTime+ is offering Listing Showcases at various affordability levels for brokerages of all sizes, the company said. The company offers its nationwide network of photographers through another agency-oriented service, Listing Media Services.
Cynthia Taylor, vice president of ShowingTime+, said in a statement that ShowingTime+ is “unique” in helping buyers make more informed decisions about homes they want to see in person.
“This product is a prime example of ShowingTime+’s commitment to providing technology solutions that make the entire process easier for everyone involved in selling a home,” Taylor said.
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