When your home goes live on the MLS, showing requests start coming in almost immediately. Most of those requests come from buyer's agents using ShowingTime, the platform that handles showing scheduling for listings across SABOR, HAR, ACTRIS, and NTREIS. Some buyers find your home through the yard sign, the listing page, or a portal like Zillow and contact you directly. Each type of showing works differently, and knowing how to handle both is one of the most practical things you can do before your listing goes live.

How ShowingTime works for your listing

ShowingTime is the industry-standard showing management platform used by buyer's agents across Texas. When a buyer's agent wants to schedule a showing for their client, they submit the request through ShowingTime rather than calling the listing agent directly. ShowingTime is only accessible to licensed real estate agents. Members of the public cannot use it to request a showing, which means every request that comes through ShowingTime is from a licensed professional accompanying a client.

ShowingTime handles the scheduling, sends notifications to the seller, confirms or declines appointments, and collects feedback from agents after each showing. It is available across all four major Texas MLS boards: SABOR in San Antonio, HAR in Houston, ACTRIS in Austin, and NTREIS in Dallas-Fort Worth.

How ShowingTime gets set up

Your broker sets up ShowingTime when your listing goes live on the MLS. As part of the setup, the broker configures your showing preferences:

  • Appointment Required. A confirmation must be obtained from you before the showing is confirmed. This is the most common setting for occupied homes and gives you control over your schedule.
  • Courtesy Call. The appointment is automatically approved, but a call or notification is sent to let you know a showing is coming. Used when sellers want fewer interruptions while still being notified.
  • Go and Show. The showing is automatically approved with no confirmation required. Used for vacant homes where the seller wants to maximize showing volume.

For most occupied homes in Texas, Appointment Required is the right setting. It means no showing happens without your explicit approval, and you can decline or reschedule any request that does not work for your schedule.

ShowingTime will contact you between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM local time for non-urgent showing requests. You can set your available hours, add lockbox instructions, and include any special instructions for agents in the ShowingTime notes field. Agents see those instructions before they arrive.

Managing agent-represented buyer showings

When a buyer's agent submits a showing request through ShowingTime, you receive a notification by phone, text, or the ShowingTime app, depending on how your preferences are configured. The notification includes the requested date and time and the agent's name and contact information. You approve or decline through the app, by responding to the text, or by calling ShowingTime directly at 800-746-9464.

Once a showing is confirmed, the buyer's agent handles everything on their end. They use a combination lockbox to access the property, accompany their client through the home, and lock up when they leave. You do not need to be present for agent-represented showings. In fact, most real estate professionals recommend that sellers leave during agent showings. Buyers are more comfortable exploring and giving honest feedback when the seller is not in the room.

If you cannot leave, stay in one area of the home, do not follow buyers from room to room, and do not engage in conversation beyond a brief greeting. Your presence can make buyers feel rushed or uncomfortable, which reduces the quality of their feedback and their likelihood of making an offer.

Respond to showing requests quickly. Delayed responses cost you showings. Buyers in Texas are often scheduling multiple homes at once. If you take several hours to approve a request, the buyer's agent may have already moved on to a home where the confirmation came through immediately.

How unrepresented buyers reach you

Not every buyer in Texas is working with an agent. Since the August 2024 NAR settlement, the number of buyers navigating the process on their own has grown. An unrepresented buyer might find your home through:

  • The QR code on your yard sign, which takes them directly to your property listing page
  • The Zillow, Realtor.com, or Redfin listing, where they fill out the inquiry form
  • The Waymark listing page, where Aria qualifies the inquiry and routes confirmed appointments to your dashboard
  • Calling or texting the phone number on your yard sign directly

Unrepresented buyers cannot use ShowingTime. Their inquiry reaches you through one of the channels above, and you schedule the showing directly with them. This is a fundamentally different interaction from an agent-represented showing, and it requires more preparation on your part.

Selling directly to an unrepresented buyer can be a significant financial advantage. If the buyer does not have a buyer's agent, you may not need to offer buyer agent compensation at all, which saves you the 2% to 3% that would otherwise go to the buyer's side. That is a meaningful number on any Texas home sale.

Qualifying unrepresented buyers before the showing

Before confirming a showing for any unrepresented buyer, take two verification steps. These protect you financially and physically.

Require a pre-approval letter

Ask every unrepresented buyer to send a mortgage pre-approval letter from a licensed lender before you confirm the appointment. A pre-approval letter confirms the buyer has been through basic financial screening and can likely afford your home. It is not a guarantee of financing, but it filters out buyers who are not serious or not yet qualified to purchase.

For cash buyers, ask for proof of funds: a recent bank or brokerage statement showing liquid assets sufficient to cover the purchase price. Redacted statements are acceptable. You are looking for confirmation that the funds exist, not detailed account information.

Confirm identity before the showing

Ask the buyer to send a photo of their driver's license or government-issued ID before the showing. Do this by email or text so you have a record. When the buyer arrives, confirm that the person at the door matches the ID they sent. This step takes seconds and significantly reduces the risk of allowing an unverified stranger access to your home.

You are not required to provide this information to anyone who requests a showing without it. A serious buyer who wants to purchase your home will not object to a reasonable verification request.

What to say and do during a showing

Your role during a showing is to provide access and answer factual questions. It is not to sell the home with conversation, negotiate terms, or share personal information about your situation.

What to say

Answer factual questions briefly and accurately:

  • "The roof was replaced in 2021."
  • "The HVAC was serviced last spring."
  • "The HOA fee is $150 a month."
  • "The neighborhood elementary school is about a half mile east."

If a buyer asks a question you do not know the answer to, say so. Do not guess. "I am not sure of the exact date but it is in the seller's disclosure" is an accurate and appropriate answer.

What not to say

Do not volunteer information about your motivation, your timeline, or your flexibility on price. Specifically, avoid:

  • Why you are selling ("We already bought another home" tells the buyer you are under pressure)
  • How long you have been listed or how much traffic you have had
  • Any price you would accept below list
  • Any deadlines you are working against
  • Your opinion of how the home compares to others the buyer has seen

Every one of those disclosures weakens your negotiating position. Buyers and their agents are paying attention to what you say during a showing. Keep your answers factual, your conversation brief, and your negotiating position protected.

Let buyers explore on their own pace

Once you have greeted the buyer and walked them through the entry, step back. Stay in a neutral area, such as the kitchen or a corner of the living room, and let them move through the home at their own pace. Do not follow them from room to room or point out features as they walk through. Buyers who feel watched or pressured move faster and engage less. Buyers who feel comfortable take their time, ask questions, and form stronger emotional connections to the property.

Showing safety for Texas sellers

For agent-represented showings, the buyer's agent is a licensed professional who has verified their client's identity and financial position. The risk profile of those showings is low.

For unrepresented buyer showings, you are allowing an individual you have never met access to your home. Basic safety practices matter.

  • Be present. Never allow an unrepresented buyer to tour your home without you or a trusted adult present. This is non-negotiable regardless of how professional or friendly the buyer seems over text or email.
  • Bring a second person. If you are showing your home to someone you have never met, consider having a friend or family member present. This is especially important if you are showing alone to an individual buyer rather than a couple or family.
  • Schedule during daylight hours. Confirm showings during daylight and avoid late evening requests from unrepresented buyers you have not verified.
  • Secure valuables before every showing. Remove jewelry, prescription medications, financial documents, small electronics, and anything personally identifying from visible areas. This applies to every showing, agent-represented or not.
  • Remove personal photos and identifying information. Family photos, mail with your address visible, documents on desks or counters, and children's artwork with names should be cleared before any showing.
  • Tell someone your schedule. Before an unrepresented buyer arrives, let a friend or family member know the buyer's name, the time of the showing, and your address. Text them when the showing ends.
  • Trust your instincts. If something about a showing request or a buyer interaction feels wrong, you have the right to decline. You do not owe anyone an explanation.

After every showing

Walk through your home after each showing to confirm that doors and windows are locked and that nothing appears disturbed or missing. Do this before the next showing if showings are back to back. Most sellers never encounter a problem, but the habit takes less than five minutes and catches issues early if they occur.

Keeping your home show-ready

Once your home is active on the MLS, showing requests can come in with as little as a few hours' notice. Maintaining a baseline level of readiness means you never have to scramble before a showing or decline a request because the home is not presentable.

  • Make beds every morning
  • Keep kitchen counters clear and dishes done
  • Run a quick clean of the primary bathroom daily
  • Keep the entryway clear and welcoming
  • Take out trash before it becomes visible or odorous
  • Keep pets crated or removed from the home during showings
  • Remove pet food bowls, litter boxes, and pet beds from showing areas when possible

Showing readiness is easier to maintain if you set a standard at the start of the listing period rather than trying to reset the home before each request. Buyers notice the effort, and a clean well-maintained home during the showing reinforces the impression created by the photos.

Getting feedback after showings

ShowingTime sends automated feedback requests to buyer's agents after each showing. Response rates vary, but feedback from agents who do respond is some of the most useful market information you can get while your home is active.

Feedback tells you how buyers are perceiving the price relative to the condition, what objections are coming up consistently, and whether specific rooms or features are creating hesitation. If three separate agents mention that the kitchen feels dated or that the price is high for the location, that is actionable information.

Wait at least 24 hours before following up on feedback. Agents are busy and a prompt follow-up request immediately after a showing can feel pressuring. If you have received no feedback after 48 hours, a single polite follow-up is appropriate. Do not reach out multiple times.

Feedback for unrepresented buyer showings comes directly from the buyer, either voluntarily or because you ask. A simple follow-up message 24 hours after the showing is appropriate: "Thank you for visiting. If you have any questions about the property or the process, feel free to reach out." Keep it brief and do not ask leading questions about whether they intend to make an offer.

Your Waymark dashboard tracks showing activity and feedback in one place. Aria flags patterns across showings, such as consistent price feedback or repeated questions about a specific feature, so you can make informed decisions about pricing or presentation before your listing sits too long.

Frequently asked questions

How do showings work when you sell without a listing agent in Texas?

Buyer's agents schedule showings through ShowingTime, the same platform they use for every MLS listing in your market. You receive a notification and approve or decline the request on your own schedule. Unrepresented buyers who find your home through a yard sign, listing page, or portal contact you directly. You schedule those showings yourself and should be present for them.

Does ShowingTime work for sellers without a listing agent?

Yes, as long as your home is listed through a licensed Texas broker. The broker sets up ShowingTime on your listing and configures it so notifications go directly to you. You manage approval and scheduling from there. ShowingTime is accessible to you as the seller through their website at showingtime.com or by calling 800-746-9464.

Do I have to be present during showings when selling without an agent?

For agent-represented buyers, you do not need to be present. Leaving during those showings is usually better for buyer comfort. For unrepresented buyers who contact you directly, you should be present. Never allow an unverified individual access to your home without you or another trusted adult present.

What should I say during a showing?

Answer factual questions about the property briefly and accurately. Do not volunteer information about your motivation to sell, your timeline, or your flexibility on price. Anything you say during a showing can become a negotiating point. Let the home speak for itself.

How do I qualify an unrepresented buyer before a showing in Texas?

Ask for a mortgage pre-approval letter or proof of funds before confirming the showing. Ask the buyer to send a photo of a government-issued ID by email or text. Confirm the ID matches the person who arrives. These steps take minutes and filter out unqualified and unserious inquiries before they reach your front door.

Reviewed by a licensed Texas broker. Content reflects Texas real estate practice as of March 2026. Marelli Properties, TREC License 639078.

See how Waymark handles showings

Waymark routes buyer's agent showings through ShowingTime and sends unrepresented buyer inquiries through Aria for qualification before they reach your dashboard. Your showing schedule, feedback, and active offers are all in one place. Flat fee from $699. No listing commission at closing.

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