Overview
Zillow Instant Tour lets prospects book showings more quickly, often without leaving Zillow. RentEngine is an early pilot partner of this feature, which increases conversion by letting renters see real-time availability and schedule showings instantly.
Instant Tour works with RentEngine’s showing availability and prescreening rules so your schedule, screening requirements, and notifications all stay coordinated.
What Zillow Instant Tour is
Zillow Instant Tour adds a “Book tour now” button on Zillow property listings that shows real-time availability pulled from RentEngine. When a renter clicks it:
They see available showing slots instantly
They pick a time that works for them
The tour request is submitted without back-and-forth coordination
RentEngine creates the showing according to your settings and workflows
This replaces the older two-step process where a prospect requested a tour and then waited for a scheduling link.
How it works with RentEngine
When a prospect clicks “Book tour now”:
Zillow requests availability from RentEngine in real time.
The prospect selects an available time slot.
RentEngine receives the request and schedules the showing.
The prospect immediately receives a text.
The next step depends on your prescreening setup:
If prescreening is required
If your property’s prescreening template includes required fields (credit, income, ID verification, or yes/no rejection logic, ID verification), the prospect receives a text with a link to complete that prescreening before showing is scheduled.
If prescreening is not required
If prescreening questions are optional and you do not have ID verification, the showing is confirmed immediately after booking, without leaving Zillow.
What this means for your workflow
Fewer clicks for prospects: Renters schedule tours faster without waiting for an email or SMS link.
Better conversion: Instant booking reduces drop-off before scheduling.
Consistent scheduling: All Instant Tours obey your showing windows, availability, and lockbox requirements.
Prescreening integration: Showing confirmations remain tied to your prescreening rules — no shortcuts around your policy.
You don’t need to enable or configure Instant Tour manually — it’s automatically turned on for all RentEngine properties.
Tips for success
Keep availability up to date: Ensure your showing windows and calendars are connected properly so Zillow shows accurate times.
Review prescreening logic: If tours are not being confirmed instantly, check your prescreening template.
Communicate expectations: Make sure prospects understand any verification steps if your property requires them.