The Evolution of Map Based Searches
John L. Scott, a brokerage based in the Pacific Northwest, launched a new version of its property search tool ”Neighborhood Wizard(sm)” today (for more read Inman News).
The big news is they are taking advantage of Microsoft’s “polygon drawing tool technology” (now there’s a mouthful - say it 5 times fast) to allow consumers to draw an outline of the search area in which they would like to shop for homes.
J Lennox Scott, CEO of John L. Scott, says “it is almost like using an Etch-A-Sketch” to conduct your searches.
It’s a neat gimmick, designed by real estate technology provider Real Tech LLC. But it’s just that, a gimmick. I gave it a shot on their web site and while fun, it doesn’t really add much to making the search experience any more intuitive.
Overseas, Properazzi has tried radius based searches (see Properazzi Takes a Snapshot of Europe’s Real Estate Market). Closer to home, there have been many sites that have experimented with different takes on the map search experience (see New Real Estate Search Mashups) too.
What all of this shows me is that no one has really hit upon the right combination of features vs. functionality in a map-based search interface. The technology is still immature, despite becoming de rigeur in nearly all Real Estate 2.0 and new broker web sites.
Unfortunately, the more time you spend searching on these sites (and I’ve spent a lot lately) - the more you realize that map based searches are still quirky, buggy and sometimes downright annoying. Scroll wheels that jump around, or having to click all over the place to zoom in and out; some sites that allow you drag the maps around, others make it down right impossible to zoom in to where you want to be.
Map mashups have been a driving force behind Real Estate 2.0 - but still remain a fairly primitive way to search for real estate. Even sites like Trulia and Redfin, who have consistently led the pack in developing next generation real estate search sites, haven’t got a handle on what works smoothly and intuitively.
I suspect that there are going to take several more generations before searching for property on a map become a truly usable way to find a home.
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3 Comment(s)
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John Schroeder | Jun 8, 2007 | Reply
If Google were to open up their “Street Views” technology (and add a lot more areas were it works) it would be great to have a map that covers just a neighborhood or town (real estate is local, right?) and have the ability to add videos/virtual tours to each listing. Imagine being able to actually “view” a neighborhood and then upon finding a house that you would like to see more of have the option to view it’s video tour or virtual tour. I don’t think it’s too far off.
Instead of looking at it from such a grand (entire country or state) scheme of things maybe being able to build a map from small to big. Start with a small area (like Waunakee, WI) and then be able to build upon that adding more cities and areas as you go.
Just typing out loud…
Beau Betts | Jun 20, 2007 | Reply
While the drawing tool may seem gimmicky at first, the real power comes when you save these “drawn searches” if you have created an account with johnlscott.com. No need to keep redrawing these searches every time you come to the site. Draw it once, save it, and then have daily, weekly emails sent to you when new properties come on the market within these areas.
Allen Minner | Jun 26, 2007 | Reply
The drawing tool really is nice when you have an irregular area that you want to search, like a school district, or just around a lake. It makes much more sense than using a square tool, or city name, especially where urban and rural properties are adjacent. I guess you just have to be willing to think outside of the box. Give it a try.