Calendar Integration

Propel's calendar integration enables automatic booking of tours, showings, and appointments. When prospects request to see a property, Propel checks your calendar availability, suggests available times, and creates calendar events automatically. This integration works seamlessly with both Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar.

Overview

Propel's calendar integration provides:

• Automatic availability checking - Propel checks your calendar to find available time slots
• Smart booking suggestions - Offers prospects times that work for your schedule
• Calendar event creation - Automatically creates calendar events when bookings are confirmed
• Calendar invite management - Sends calendar invites to both you and the prospect
• Conflict prevention - Only suggests times when you're actually available
• Time zone handling - Properly handles time zones for properties in different locations

Works for All Use Cases:

• Property Management: Books rental tours automatically based on your calendar
• Real Estate: Schedules buyer showings when requested
• Short-Term Rentals: Confirms reservations and handles booking inquiries
• Commercial Real Estate: Manages complex showing schedules and multi-party meetings

How Calendar Integration Works

When you connect your email provider (Gmail or Microsoft 365), Propel automatically gains access to your calendar. No separate calendar connection is needed. Here's how it works:

1. Automatic Access: When you connect Gmail or Microsoft 365, Propel automatically has calendar access
2. Availability Checking: When prospects request tours or showings, Propel checks your calendar for available slots
3. Time Suggestions: Propel suggests available times to prospects based on your calendar
4. Booking Confirmation: When a prospect selects a time, Propel creates a calendar event
5. Calendar Invites: Both you and the prospect receive calendar invites automatically

Prerequisites

Before Propel can use your calendar for bookings, you need:

1. Connected Platform Account: Your Google or Microsoft account must be connected
   • See Google Platform Integration for Google
   • See Microsoft Platform Integration for Microsoft
2. Calendar Permissions: Calendar access is included when you connect your email provider
3. Active Calendar: Your calendar should have some events or be actively used (Propel works with empty calendars too)

Calendar Providers Supported

Propel supports two calendar providers:

Google Calendar

• Access: Automatically available when you connect your Google account
• Features: Full calendar access, availability checking, event creation
• Calendars: Works with your primary calendar and any calendars you have access to
• Sync: Real-time sync with your Google Calendar
• See: Google Calendar Integration for detailed information

Outlook Calendar (Microsoft 365)

• Access: Automatically available when you connect your Microsoft account
• Features: Full calendar access, availability checking, event creation
• Calendars: Works with your primary calendar and shared calendars (for work/school accounts)
• Sync: Real-time sync with your Outlook Calendar
• See: Outlook Calendar Integration for detailed information

How Propel Uses Your Calendar

Checking Availability

When prospects request tours or showings, Propel:

1. Checks your calendar for the requested time period
2. Identifies available slots by finding gaps in your schedule
3. Respects existing events and doesn't suggest times when you're busy
4. Considers booking duration (typically 25 minutes for single properties, longer for multiple properties)
5. Enforces 24-hour minimum - Bookings must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance

Suggesting Available Times

Propel suggests available times based on:

• Your calendar availability - Only suggests times when you're free
• Property time zone - Uses the property's time zone for accurate scheduling
• Working hours - Respects typical business hours (9 AM - 6 PM by default)
• Booking duration - Accounts for the time needed for the tour or showing
• Agent availability - Checks if the assigned agent has time off scheduled

Creating Calendar Events

When a booking is confirmed, Propel:

1. Creates a calendar event in your calendar
2. Includes property details - Address, listing ID, and property information
3. Adds attendees - Both you (the agent) and the prospect receive calendar invites
4. Sets location - Includes the property address as the event location
5. Includes description - Adds property details and contact information
6. Sends invites - Calendar invites are sent automatically to all attendees

Calendar Event Details

Each booking creates a calendar event with:

• Title: Property address and viewing type (e.g., "123 Main St - Viewing (ID ABC123)")
• Description: Property details, reference ID, and agent contact information
• Location: Property address
• Attendees: You (agent) and the prospect
• Time: Start and end time in the property's time zone
• Status: Confirmed booking

Booking Rules and Constraints

Propel enforces several important rules when booking:

24-Hour Minimum Notice

Critical Rule: Bookings can only be scheduled with at least 24 hours notice. This ensures:

• You have time to prepare for the showing
• Prospects receive proper confirmation
• Calendar conflicts are avoided

If a prospect requests same-day or next-day viewing, Propel will offer the earliest available time that meets the 24-hour requirement.

Multi-Unit Bookings

When prospects want to see multiple properties:

• Same Building: Creates a single calendar event with extended duration (25 minutes for first unit + 5 minutes per additional unit)
• Different Buildings: Creates separate calendar events for each property
• Duration Calculation: Automatically calculates the time needed based on the number of units

Time Zone Handling

Propel properly handles time zones:

• Property-Specific Time Zones: Uses each property's time zone for accurate scheduling
• Timezone Information: Includes timezone in all calendar events
• Default Timezone: Uses America/New_York if no timezone is specified for a property

Agent Availability

Propel checks agent availability:

• Time Off Management: Checks if agents have scheduled time off
• Fallback Agents: Automatically uses fallback agents when primary agents are unavailable
• Availability Validation: Only proposes bookings when agents are available

Viewing Your Bookings

You can view all your bookings in Propel:

1. Bookings Calendar: Go to Bookings in Propel to see a calendar view of all scheduled tours and showings
2. Dashboard: View recent bookings and upcoming appointments
3. Engagements: See bookings associated with specific conversations

Bookings are also visible in your Google Calendar or Outlook Calendar, so you can view them in your preferred calendar app.

Managing Calendar Conflicts

Automatic Conflict Prevention

Propel automatically prevents conflicts by:

• Checking availability before suggesting times - Only suggests times when you're free
• Respecting existing events - Never books over existing calendar events
• Validating before creating - Double-checks availability before creating a booking

Handling Conflicts

If a conflict occurs (rare, but possible):

1. Propel detects the conflict when creating the event
2. Booking is not created - The system prevents double-booking
3. Alternative times are suggested - Propel offers other available slots
4. You're notified - If manual intervention is needed, you'll be notified

Manual Conflict Resolution

If you need to resolve a conflict manually:

1. Check your calendar in Google Calendar or Outlook
2. Reschedule the booking if needed
3. Update the prospect - Propel can send a rescheduling message
4. Create a new booking with the corrected time

Calendar Sync

Real-Time Sync

Propel syncs with your calendar in real-time:

• Availability checks use current calendar data
• Event creation happens immediately
• Updates are reflected in both Propel and your calendar app

Two-Way Sync

Calendar events created in Propel:

• Appear in your calendar immediately
• Include all details - Property address, contact info, etc.
• Send invites to all attendees automatically

Events created directly in your calendar:

• Are respected by Propel's availability checking
• Prevent double-booking automatically
• Don't appear in Propel unless they're created through Propel

Troubleshooting

Calendar Not Showing Availability

If Propel isn't finding available times:

Possible causes:

• Calendar not connected or permissions missing
• Calendar is completely booked
• Time zone mismatch

Solutions:

1. Verify your email provider is connected in Settings > Integrations
2. Check that calendar permissions were granted during OAuth
3. Review your calendar to ensure there are available time slots
4. Verify property time zones are set correctly

Calendar Events Not Being Created

If bookings aren't creating calendar events:

Possible causes:

• Calendar permissions expired
• Calendar API errors
• Time zone issues

Solutions:

1. Re-authenticate your email provider connection
2. Check for error messages in the Propel dashboard
3. Verify the booking was actually confirmed (not just proposed)
4. Contact support if the issue persists

Calendar Invites Not Received

If you or prospects aren't receiving calendar invites:

Possible causes:

• Email delivery issues
• Calendar provider settings
• Attendee email addresses incorrect

Solutions:

1. Check spam/junk folders
2. Verify email addresses are correct
3. Check your calendar provider's notification settings
4. Review the calendar event in your calendar app to see if invites were sent

Time Zone Issues

If bookings are scheduled at incorrect times:

Possible causes:

• Property time zone not set
• Calendar time zone mismatch
• Daylight saving time handling

Solutions:

1. Verify property time zones are set correctly in your listings
2. Check your calendar's time zone settings
3. Review booking times in both Propel and your calendar app
4. Contact support if time zone issues persist

Calendar Conflicts

If you're seeing double-bookings or conflicts:

Possible causes:

• Manual calendar events not being detected
• Calendar sync delays
• Multiple calendar sources

Solutions:

1. Check for manual events in your calendar that might conflict
2. Wait a few minutes for calendar sync to complete
3. Review your calendar settings to ensure Propel is using the correct calendar
4. Contact support if conflicts continue

Best Practices

Keep Your Calendar Updated

• Add personal events to your calendar so Propel knows when you're unavailable
• Block out unavailable times by creating calendar events
• Update your calendar regularly to ensure accurate availability

Set Property Time Zones

• Set time zones for all properties to ensure accurate scheduling
• Use the property's actual time zone, not your local time zone
• Update time zones if properties are in different locations

Review Bookings Regularly

• Check your Bookings calendar in Propel regularly
• Review upcoming appointments to ensure they're correct
• Confirm bookings with prospects if needed

Use Calendar for All Events

• Create all bookings through Propel to ensure proper tracking
• Avoid manual calendar entries for Propel-managed bookings
• Use Propel's booking system for consistency and automation

Related Documentation

Service-Specific Guides

• Google Calendar Integration - Detailed guide for Google Calendar
• Outlook Calendar Integration - Detailed guide for Outlook Calendar

Platform Setup

• Google Platform Integration - Connecting your Google account (includes calendar access)
• Microsoft Platform Integration - Connecting your Microsoft account (includes calendar access)

Getting Started

• Getting Started - Complete setup guide
• Booking Tours and Viewings - How automatic booking works
• Monitoring and Reviewing Conversations - How to monitor bookings

Need Help?

If you have questions about calendar integration:

• Support Email: partners@propelhq.io
• Documentation: Browse our complete documentation for more guides
• Calendar Issues: If you're experiencing calendar sync or booking issues, include details about the specific problem when contacting support