Will Thomas
The house viewing experience was failing sellers and burning out agents. I rebuilt it.
At Nested, agents had to manually coordinate viewings between buyers and sellers, pinging homeowners through the app or by text to ask if a time worked, waiting for replies, then juggling alternatives if it didn’t. It was inefficient, error-prone, and frustrating for everyone involved. We redesigned the experience so sellers could share their availability upfront, making scheduling easier for agents and buyers, and helping sellers feel more in control; especially important during Covid, when boundaries around home access were heightened.
I tested multiple ways of capturing availability. Too much precision was time-consuming and brittle. Too little, and the same scheduling frictions persisted.
I explored different patterns; weekday vs. weekend splits, holidays and exceptions, block-based vs. time-specific inputs. The key was giving sellers enough flexibility to set a schedule that roughly fit their routines, without asking them to micromanage it. Just as important was providing a clear weekly overview so they felt in control of who was visiting and when.
Sellers could set a weekly schedule, block out times, and see everything at a glance.
The final design allowed sellers to define a weekly schedule in hourly blocks, view upcoming appointments, and block out exceptions as needed. I tested the interface with buyers to ensure it mapped well to their needs too. The weekly view struck the right balance; structured enough to avoid confusion, flexible enough to feel human. After launch, we saw a 30% drop in unconfirmed viewings, and our agents saved hours each week chasing responses.
Designing the feature wasn’t enough, we had to make sure sellers used it.
We highlighted the availability feature within the seller app and built onboarding around it. New sellers received an email prompt encouraging them to set their schedule early, helping reduce friction before their first buyer interaction. Visibility, timing, and framing were key: we weren’t just asking them to fill in a form; we were giving them control over their time and space.
This wasn’t just a calendar feature. It was about shifting control back to the seller, streamlining operations for agents, and making the buyer experience smoother. It worked because it respected everyone’s time, without asking too much of any one person. That balance of control and simplicity is what makes great tools feel effortless. By designing availability into the heart of the experience, we turned a source of friction into a source of clarity.
