Google Maps improves listings search
Dedicated landing page aids house hunt
By Inman News, Tuesday, July 7, 2009.Google Maps now offers a dedicated landing page displaying listings the company receives from brokers and agents, and improved search capabilities that allow consumers to look for homes around specific neighborhoods.
Consumers could previously use Google Maps to search for real estate listings submitted by agents and brokers to Google Base, but had to specify "real estate" from a search options menu.
The new dedicated landing page, maps.google.com/realestate, shows results in a "one-box" that's offered to users when they use search queries like "homes for sale in San Francisco," said product manager Andrew Foster in a blog post Monday.
When users apply search filters such as price, listings type, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, or square feet, markers show the 10 most relevant listings on the map, and small circles on every other listing in that area that meet the requested criteria.
Those searches provide "a really good idea of the distribution of properties for sale," Foster said.
Clicking a listing provides more detailed information about the property, including links back to the listing agent or broker who submitted the information to Google Base.
The new capabilities were developed by engineeers at Google's Sydney office and were first launched Monday in Australia and New Zealand, according to TheAge.com.
The new development "is likely to be viewed by existing publishers as a grab for their business at a time when margins are under pressure and paid listings are being affected by the prevailing economic climate," TheAge.com opined.
Joel Burslem, writing about the new features on the blog Future of Real Estate Marketing, said that for now, the search results are "relatively confined" to Google Maps.
But if Google begins displaying listings in its general Web search results -- as is the case with "local business" results -- "we may see the Mountain View giant start to siphon off traffic," Burslem said.
***
What's your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor.
All rights reserved. This content may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this content without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.

You must login or register to post a comment.
Submitted by Kevin Turner on July 7, 2009 - 1:59pm.
It will be interesting to watch this and see how the main portals react. I interviewed Google in Australia and asked why the portals are not posting to it. Hear the interview here http://www.realestatetalk.com.au/audio.php
Seems to be an error with the listing in that the listings on Google display the 'behind the scenes' price ranges posted by agents. Sure to frustrate agents and sellers. Buyers will love it!
Submitted by Robert A. Hulme on July 7, 2009 - 2:53pm.
My buyers love the listings that my website provides, google maps is one of the integral parts that help to make them so valuable.
www.utahcountyrealtor.us/fine/real/estate/home_view/878921
www.UtahCountyRealtor.us
Submitted by Jeff Manson on July 8, 2009 - 12:37pm.
users definitely love playing around with the map searches. Some are great (easy to use and view properties) and some just horrible). It is awesome the way Google is using their resources to display so many on one page and still be fast. They have done a great job.
We are coming out with phase one of our map search next week. We are hoping our users will find it easy to use and a helpful tool for their home search.
I would love to get a list of the top map searches out there to compare them.
Jeff Manson
Hawaii - ADR