Google Maps improves property search results
Google maps has recently developed their search functionality when searching for properties. The recent addition of streetview is in our view fantastic and with this new ability it further enhances googles’ progression and goal of returning the best searches result, now targeting the property search market.
The google maps search functionality allows visitors to search and specify:
- area
- number of bedrooms
- number of bathrooms
- for sale or rent
- price range
It is interesting development and certainly adds to google users’ experience though how this will be seen by the increasing number of property portals, it is yet to be seen.
Google announced their new development yesterday – Improving real estate search on Google Maps [Google LatLong].
“The web is becoming increasingly indispensable to people looking for a new home to buy. For example, you can use Street View to check out the neighborhood before driving to an open home; use driving directions to find out exactly how to get there; and Transit to work out what your new commute might be if you went ahead and moved house.”
“We want to keep making it easier for people find the real estate information they’re looking for and have it returned to them in a useful way. So, from today, if you enter a query like ‘homes for sale in san francisco’ on Google Maps, you’ll see that we make it easy for you to see all your results on a map with a one-box that will take you to real estate listings. Previously, you had to specify “real estate” from the search options menu, but now we’re making it easier to find available listings.”
We are great lovers of googles products and utilise many with great satisfaction. Googles constant development of their product ranges tends to make us think that this will not be last of the improvements they make within the property search field.
After searching within various locations we were pleased with the ease of use and the integration and ability to view the area and locality via streetview. This seamless link with streetview really is a benefit to people searching for properties in areas they are not that familar with.
For estate agents this truly is another opportunity/avenue to maket their clients’ property and possibly the best point is, it is free. For estate agents who are not currently listing their properties on Google maps there is a list of questions and answers on how to get started.
For house hunters a good starting point would be visiting Google Maps – Find properties on the market.
Most UK property portals and estate agents have maps within the property details but none we are aware of have teamed up with google to utilise the ‘Streetview’ system as yet. This surely must be a tool which adds benefit to the property portals websites, their visitors and therefore their estate agent clients; how long will it be until we see this?
Thanks to James Dearsley who we originally heard about the news via Twitter (@James Dearsley) and Ben Harris at Housing Dabble who wrote another interesting article on the development – Have you tried a Google search for property?
We look forward to your views especially on how this may affect or enhance the property portals and the property listing field in general.
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