Inman

Retooling map-based search, online video

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Online real estate broker Sawbuck Realty has released a new map-driven property search and custom videos for listings are the highlights of a website revamp for online real estate broker Sawbuck Realty, the company announced today.

And the company also announced an expansion in New England, with listings from Boston and Providence now featured on its site. The company previously announced an expansion into the Chicago area.

Search results on the brokerage’s site now appear in an interactive map that allows users to view an unlimited number of home listings without "maxing out" how many listings they can see at once.

Users can zoom and pan to see listings in a particular area. They can adjust search criteria above the map to refine their search and sort results by using a hideable list on the left-hand side.

"The challenge was how to show thousands of homes at one time without overwhelming consumers. Homebuyers don’t want to be limited in how many homes they can see," said Guy Wolcott, Sawbuck’s CEO, in a statement.

Using the map-driven search, consumers will be able to compare homes at a certain price range across neighborhoods, or see all three-bedroom homes in a particular city. Users can also bookmark their location, save their search parameters, sign up for e-mail notifications of new listings, and see a live news feed of market activity, including sales, price reductions, and new listings.

Sawbuck is also partnering with online video company SundaySky to add custom videos to property listings. SundaySky uses the already available photos and other content on Sawbuck’s site to produce the videos. Users can view the videos directly from the search page.

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