Scheduling Open Houses in IRES MLS and ShowingTime

Learn how to schedule confirmed open houses by updating your tracking spreadsheet, adding events in IRES MLS, and booking times in ShowingTime.

July 28, 2026 By Lane Lemmings

This guide explains how to schedule confirmed open houses for real estate listings. Completing this process ensures that the open house is properly registered in the MLS and that the corresponding time block is reserved in the showing management system so other agents do not double-book viewings.

This workflow is intended for real estate assistants, listing coordinators, or agents managing weekly open house schedules. It should be performed after open houses are confirmed internally and prior to publishing marketing and social media posts.

Check the Tracking Spreadsheet

Step #1: Open the Tuesday Updates-Listings spreadsheet in Excel and click the worksheet tab for the upcoming weekend to locate confirmed open houses. — Open the **Tuesday Updates-Listings** spreadsheet in Excel and click the worksheet tab for the upcoming weekend to locate confirmed open houses.

Add the Open House in IRES MLS

Step #2: Navigate to the IRES MLS portal and log in with your credentials. — Navigate to the IRES MLS portal and log in with your credentials.

Step #3: Click Agree & Log In to bypass the session prompt. — Click **Agree & Log In** to bypass the session prompt.

Click your user profile name in the top right corner.

Step #5: Select Mimic User from the dropdown menu. — Select **Mimic User** from the dropdown menu.

Use the "Mimic User" feature if you are managing listings on behalf of another agent to ensure the open house is recorded under the correct agent's profile.

Step #6: Enter the required password and click Start Mimic Session. — Enter the required password and click **Start Mimic Session**.

Step #7: Click My Listings in the left-hand navigation menu. — Click **My Listings** in the left-hand navigation menu.

Step #8: Click the edit (pencil) icon on the property you want to schedule and select Open Houses from the dropdown. — Click the edit (pencil) icon on the property you want to schedule and select **Open Houses** from the dropdown.

Step #9: Input the event date, start time, end time (checking AM/PM), and type the name of the hosting agent. — Input the event date, start time, end time (checking AM/PM), and type the name of the hosting agent.

Step #10: Click Save to confirm the open house details in IRES MLS. — Click **Save** to confirm the open house details in IRES MLS.

Schedule the Showing Block in ShowingTime

Step #11: Open ShowingTime and click Login. — Open ShowingTime and click **Login**.

Step #12: Click Listings in the left-hand navigation menu. — Click **Listings** in the left-hand navigation menu.

Step #13: Locate and click the corresponding property listing row. — Locate and click the corresponding property listing row.

Step #14: Click New Showing Request in the sidebar menu. — Click **New Showing Request** in the sidebar menu.

Search for the hosting agent's name and click their profile from the results list.

Step #16: Click Schedule Single Showing. — Click **Schedule Single Showing**.

Step #17: Select the open house date and start time on the calendar grid. — Select the open house date and start time on the calendar grid.

Step #18: Ensure the Appointment Type is set to Showing. — Ensure the Appointment Type is set to **Showing**.

ShowingTime does not offer a specific "Open House" appointment type, so you must use the standard "Showing" block to block off the schedule.

Step #19: Adjust the end time to block out a two-hour window. — Adjust the end time to block out a two-hour window.

Step #20: Select an agency type from the dropdown menu. — Select an agency type from the dropdown menu.

Agency Type	Description
Sellers (Sub) Agent	Standard selection used when the hosting agent is representing the seller's listing interests during the open house.
Transaction Broker	Used when the agent acts as a neutral party facilitating the transaction.
Buyer Broker	Used when representing the buyer's interests in a standard showing.
Dual Agent	Used when representing both the buyer and the seller.

Step #21: Review the appointment details and click Request Appointment. — Review the appointment details and click **Request Appointment**.

Update the Tracking Spreadsheet

Step #22: Return to the Excel tracking spreadsheet and update the row's fill color to indicate the listing has been successfully scheduled. — Return to the Excel tracking spreadsheet and update the row's fill color to indicate the listing has been successfully scheduled.

Q: Why do I set the appointment type to "Showing" when booking an open house?

A: ShowingTime does not have a dedicated "Open House" appointment option. Using the standard "Showing" type blocks off the calendar effectively.

Q: How long should the showing window be for an open house?

A: You should always schedule a standard two-hour window for the open house event.

Q: Does it matter which agency type I select in ShowingTime?

A: The exact agency type does not affect the actual schedule block. Selecting "Sellers (Sub) Agent" is standard practice for open houses.

Term	Definition
IRES MLS	A regional Multiple Listing Service platform used by real estate professionals to manage property data and events.
ShowingTime	A real estate appointment scheduling software used to coordinate property viewings, inspections, and open houses.
Mimic User	A system feature allowing authorized assistants or team members to log in and take actions on behalf of another agent.
Sellers (Sub) Agent	A real estate professional who assists the primary listing agent in representing the seller, commonly selected when booking open house events.