ShowingTime vs BrokerBay: Which Is Better in 2026?

At a glance

	ShowingTime	BrokerBay
Best for	Agents in markets where the MLS offers it	Brokerages that want showings tied to lockbox access
Starting price	Core tool often included in MLS dues, upgrades priced by MLS	Base tier often included through the MLS, paid tier for brokerages
Free plan or trial	Often free via your MLS	Often free via your MLS
Deployment	Cloud, web and mobile app	Cloud, web and mobile app
Parent company	Zillow	Supra, and some MLSs brand it Supra One
Lockbox connection	Depends on your MLS and lockbox provider	Opens Supra lockboxes from the app with an eKEY subscription
Call center option	Appointment Center with live schedulers	Appointment Desk at $20 a month for agents or $8 per active listing for brokerages
Listing-side extras	Automatic feedback and activity reports	Offer registration, brokerage front desk, and 3D virtual showings on the paid tier
Availability	Only where your MLS offers it	Only where your MLS offers it

ShowingTime is the better fit for agents who want the scheduler most of the industry already knows, while BrokerBay suits brokerages that want showing requests, lockbox access, and offer tracking in one platform, especially in markets that use Supra lockboxes. For most agents the choice is made upstream: your MLS or association picks one, and you get its core tool as part of your dues. This comparison helps you understand what you are getting, which upgrades are worth paying for, and what to ask if your MLS is weighing a switch.

Who owns each platform and why it matters

ShowingTime is owned by Zillow and is the most widely used showing scheduler in US real estate. That reach is its main strength. Buyer’s agents in most markets have used it, sellers have seen its confirmation texts, and training is rarely needed.

BrokerBay is owned by Supra, the lockbox company, and it powers Supra’s showing management tool. Some MLSs now present it under the Supra One name. That ownership is what makes BrokerBay’s lockbox connection so tight.

Ownership also matters for data. Some brokers do not like a portal company holding their showing activity, and that concern is part of why some MLSs have looked at alternatives to ShowingTime. Ask your MLS what showing data is shared and with whom, whichever tool it uses.

Winner: ShowingTime on familiarity. BrokerBay for brokers who would rather not route showing data through a listing portal.

Scheduling and approvals

Both tools cover the same core workflow. A buyer’s agent requests a time online, the listing agent or seller approves it, and confirmations go out automatically. Both have web and mobile access for agents.

ShowingTime’s advantage is maturity and familiarity. Its request and approval flow is the one most agents have used for years, and it handles seller approvals, showing instructions, and reschedules without much setup.

BrokerBay’s MLS-provided base tier includes an online booking portal, an agent mobile app, a broker and agent web platform, and a feedback collection system. In MLSs such as Heartland MLS, the base platform comes with unlimited listings and no contract.

Winner: tie. Both handle everyday scheduling well. Pick on the extras below, since that is where the two platforms really differ for listing agents and brokerages.

Lockbox access

This is BrokerBay’s clearest win. Agents with a Supra eKEY subscription can schedule a showing and open the Supra lockbox from the same app, which removes a step at the front door and ties every entry to a scheduled showing. Brokerages in Supra markets get a cleaner audit trail. BrokerBay also works in some SentriLock markets: REcolorado, for example, lets listing agents assign SentriLock lockboxes and generate one-day codes from BrokerBay.

ShowingTime works alongside lockbox systems too, but how tightly depends on your MLS and lockbox provider. Ask your MLS how lockbox access and showing appointments connect in your market.

Winner: BrokerBay, especially in Supra markets.

Feedback and reporting

ShowingTime collects buyer’s agent feedback automatically and builds activity reports that listing agents can share with sellers. These reports are one of the main reasons listing agents value it: showing counts and feedback give you evidence for price conversations without manual follow-up.

BrokerBay includes feedback collection and a real-time analytics platform in its base tier, though at least one MLS describes the analytics as basic for now, with more planned.

Winner: ShowingTime for mature seller reporting.

Call center support

Both offer human schedulers for agents who do not want to confirm every showing themselves. ShowingTime’s Appointment Center adds live schedulers who confirm showings by phone, and pricing is set through each MLS rather than published nationally.

BrokerBay’s optional Appointment Desk is listed at $20 a month for agents or $8 per active listing for brokerages, but MLS deals vary. Heartland MLS, for example, lists call center service at $15 a month for unlimited listings, billed to agents. REcolorado members get a complimentary BrokerBay Scheduling Center that is available around the clock.

Winner: BrokerBay on price clarity, since more of its pricing is posted by MLSs. Check your own market before deciding.

Brokerage and listing tools

BrokerBay’s paid tier is built for brokerages. It adds a brokerage front desk, so an office can manage showing requests across all its listings, along with offer registration and 3D virtual showings. Offer registration helps in multiple-offer situations by giving listing agents and sellers a clear record of what came in and when.

ShowingTime’s strength is on the agent side: broad adoption, feedback, and reports. Brokerages that want front desk workflows and offer tracking in the same system will find more of it in BrokerBay’s paid tier.

Winner: BrokerBay for brokerage operations.

Ease of use and adoption

A showing tool only works if the agent on the other side of the deal uses it without friction. ShowingTime has the edge here. Because so many agents have booked showings through it, buyer’s agents rarely need help, and sellers recognize its messages. That familiarity matters most in markets where agents regularly show homes across MLS boundaries.

BrokerBay asks a little more of agents at launch, especially in markets that recently switched to it. The payoff comes once agents use the combined scheduling and lockbox app, since it removes the step of finding a separate access code. Support comes through the MLS rollout. Heartland MLS lists a phone line open seven days a week, and REcolorado members get email support every day of the week.

Neither tool handles the paperwork that now comes before a showing. Since August 17, 2024, NAR rules require MLS participants working with a buyer to sign a written agreement with that buyer before touring a home. That step happens in your transaction or e-signature tools, not in the scheduler.

Winner: ShowingTime for adoption and a short learning curve.

Pricing and total cost

For most agents, the core tool costs nothing extra because the MLS covers it. Real costs come from upgrades: call center service, brokerage tiers, and lockbox subscriptions such as a Supra eKEY. Neither vendor publishes national pricing for every upgrade, so get the numbers from your MLS. Ask what the free tier includes, what each upgrade costs per agent or per listing, and whether there is a contract. Brokerages should also total the per-listing or per-agent fees across a full year, since a small monthly fee multiplied across an office adds up quickly.

Winner: tie. The cheaper option is the one your MLS already pays for.

Questions to ask your MLS

• Which showing platform do we have, and what does the free tier include?
• How do showings connect to our Supra or SentriLock lockboxes?
• What do the call center and brokerage upgrades cost here, and is there a contract?
• Who owns showing activity data, and is it shared with anyone else?
• If the MLS changes providers, will our showing history move with us?

Which one should you choose?

If your MLS offers ShowingTime, use it, and add the Appointment Center only if your listing volume calls for it. If your MLS offers BrokerBay, use it, and consider the paid tier if your brokerage wants front desk tools and offer registration. If you sit on an MLS committee choosing between them, weigh agent familiarity and reporting (ShowingTime) against lockbox integration, data ownership, and brokerage tools (BrokerBay). For rentals, MLS-owned alternatives, and on-demand showing help, see our ranked list of showing management software.

Pros and cons

ShowingTime

BrokerBay

Which should you choose?

Frequently asked questions