Clogged toilet? Book a plumber from your digital calendar with HomeAdvisor

By Lulu Chang September 22, 2016

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Booking that plumbing appointment is about to get a lot easier. On Thursday, the online home services marketplace HomeAdvisor announced a new expansion of its Instant Booking marketplace, which now allows users to book appointments directly on a business’s calendar. Whether you’re an Apple iCloud or Microsoft Outlook user, or a fan of ServiceTitan or MarketSharp, you’ll be able to sync your own calendar with that of a service provider, and skip the back and forth of finding a time that works for both of you.

“This announcement demonstrates our continued commitment to providing the best experience for homeowners to book home services,” said Brandon Ridenour, chief technical officer of HomeAdvisor. “Our Instant Booking Marketplace — a marketplace that will drive 1 million transactions since [its] launch last year — is unparalleled in the home services category, and the momentum we are building is remarkable.”

HomeAdvisor’s latest update allows homeowners to click a “Book Now” button to schedule appointments as needed for more than 500 different kinds of home projects. Whether you’re in need of new cabinetry for your kitchen or new rose bushes for your garden, HomeAdvisor will not only be able to connect you to the right people, but help you set up an appointment with ease.

“Our philosophy when we built this technology was to make it easy for service professionals to participate in our Instant Booking marketplace,” continued Ridenour. “One approach we see competitors taking is to build their own platform and force participation in their ecosystem. We believe the smarter approach is to let businesses keep their current digital calendaring functions and allow for seamless integration into our marketplace.”

And don’t worry — you won’t be letting just anyone into your house. All service providers on HomeAdvisor undergo a “rigorous criminal and financial background screening prior to being accepted into the exclusive network.” In the last year alone, the online platform has seen more than 11 million project requests from users looking to complete a home project, and now that booking is easier than ever, that number is only likely to rise.

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