The world has become a smaller place. With Global Positioning Systems (GPS) now in the pockets of most people, maps and location services have become ubiquitous, and real estate websites have been leading the charge for over a decade.
“Location is everything” when it comes to realty, and this is true when building a really useful real estate listings site. For every address mentioned on a real estate website the viewer will now expect to see a map showing them exactly where that address is. Real estate websites lacking maps deny potential buyers and renters the opportunity to plan their research or picture themselves living in that location.
There are several services available like Google Maps and Whereis, and others like Walkscore that extend this capability to show walking distances between a property and nearby points of interest. The convenience of these services make mapping property locations a no-brainer for real estate website developers. The listing address is automatically routed through the plugin on the page to present the viewer with a neat little map showing the marked property and surrounding areas.
Maps allow web and mobile visitors to quickly take notice of local landmarks, facilities and services such as public transport, schools and shopping precincts. Moreover, maps seem to have an added benefit, in that visitors tend to connect emotionally with the location of the property when there is a map to view, rather than just an address. This is important because, as we know, anything that helps potential buyers and renters to make better-informed choices will help to draw leads and ultimately commissions.
If your real estate website doesn’t currently featuring mapping, ask your web developers why. If you’re still dissatisfied, give us a call at iProperty. We have produced hundreds of real estate websites (each and every one of them featuring real estate mapping!)