Outlook Calendar Integration

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

Overview

Outlook Calendar integration provides:

• Automatic availability checking - Propel checks your Outlook 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 Outlook Calendar Integration Works

When you connect your Microsoft account to Propel, Propel automatically gains access to your Outlook Calendar. No separate calendar connection is needed. Here's how it works:

1. Automatic Access: When you connect your Microsoft account, Propel automatically has Outlook Calendar access
2. Availability Checking: When prospects request tours or showings, Propel checks your Outlook 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 in your Outlook Calendar
5. Calendar Invites: Both you and the prospect receive calendar invites automatically

Prerequisites

Before Propel can use your Outlook Calendar for bookings, you need:

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

Outlook Calendar Features

Calendar Access

• Primary Calendar: Works with your primary Outlook Calendar
• Shared Calendars: Can access shared calendars (for work/school accounts)
• Real-Time Sync: Real-time sync with your Outlook Calendar
• Calendar Selection: You can choose which calendar to use for bookings

Availability Checking

When prospects request tours or showings, Propel:

1. Checks your Outlook 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 Outlook 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 an Outlook 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

Account Types

Propel supports both personal and work/school Microsoft accounts:

Personal Microsoft Account

• Outlook.com calendars: Works with personal Outlook.com calendars
• Full calendar access: Full access to your personal calendar
• Standard features: All standard calendar features available

Work or School Account (Microsoft 365)

• Outlook Calendar: Works with Microsoft 365 Outlook Calendar
• Shared calendars: Can access shared calendars in your organization
• Enterprise features: Supports enterprise calendar features
• Multiple calendars: Can work with multiple calendars you have access to

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 Outlook Calendar, so you can view them in your preferred calendar app.

Calendar Sync

Real-Time Sync

Propel syncs with your Outlook Calendar in real-time:

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

Two-Way Sync

Calendar events created in Propel:

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

Events created directly in your Outlook 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:

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

Solutions:

1. Verify your Microsoft account is connected in Settings > Integrations
2. Check that calendar permissions were granted during OAuth
3. Review your Outlook 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
• Microsoft Graph API errors
• Time zone issues

Solutions:

1. Re-authenticate your Microsoft account 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
• Outlook Calendar settings
• Attendee email addresses incorrect

Solutions:

1. Check spam/junk folders
2. Verify email addresses are correct
3. Check your Outlook Calendar notification settings
4. Review the calendar event in Outlook Calendar 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 Outlook Calendar's time zone settings
3. Review booking times in both Propel and Outlook Calendar
4. Contact support if time zone issues persist

Shared Calendar Access Issues

If you're having issues with shared calendars:

Possible causes:

• Insufficient permissions on shared calendar
• Calendar not accessible to your account
• Organization policies restricting access

Solutions:

1. Verify you have access to the shared calendar in Outlook
2. Check calendar permissions in your organization
3. Contact your IT administrator if access is restricted
4. Use your primary calendar if shared calendar access is limited

Best Practices

Keep Your Outlook Calendar Updated

• Add personal events to your Outlook 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

• Microsoft Platform Integration - Connecting your Microsoft account (includes calendar access)
• Calendar Integration Overview - General calendar integration information
• Booking Tours and Viewings - How automatic booking works
• Google Calendar Integration - If you use Google instead of Microsoft

Need Help?

If you have questions about Outlook 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