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JULY 2009 A new way of searching for properties online has sprung up, thanks to Google scraping Real Estate websites. Using the well known tool Google Maps, you can now search by map position with super fast filtering of results. Searching this way is actually quite refreshing and immediately shows you if the property is right on the freeway or near a park etc. There are no ads (apart from some minimal sponsored links) and you get access to tools like Street View, you can see photos and property details all within the Google Map screen.  So is this good news or bad news for the Real Estate industry? Well, that depends if you are a real estate portal with paid listings, a potential buyer, a seller or real estate agent. As a potential buyer it is a great tool that is fast and links directly to the agents website. It provides a unique way of searching for properties. As a seller, you have another way for buyers to find your property. Google will find it automatically thanks to it “scraping” real estate property websites. Remember though, this is only a new online tool. Until it gets a lot of promotion, by far the majority of people will still use other services like REA, Domain or My Home. As an agent, it is great exposure for your agency website (perhaps time for a make over?) Yet another great online tool only goes to show the power of online listings over traditional methods. As a real estate listings portal, it’s time to lift your game! However, there are some issues raised as to Google’s power with all this, considering the SEO connections. John Brand, Fairfax general manager of classifieds said it was like putting "Dracula in charge of the blood bank". The future looks very interesting indeed! More competition can only be a good thing! Stuart Farrell - Director, Realty-TV  Google Maps: Find properties on the market. http://maps.google.com.au/help/maps/realestate/ Google wants a bigger slice of the real-estate search busines. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/google-wants-a-bigger-slice-of-the-realestate-search-business-20090706-da4l.html What is (SEO) Search Engine Optimisation? http://www.milkdigital.com.au/SEO_Search_Engine_Optimisation.html |
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