Tag Archives: google maps
Google’s Tools: Will You Use Them?
As you’ve probably read by now, Google Maps has just launched a big marketing push in Australia and New Zealand, along with a new website targeting real estate agents: maps.google.com.au/realestateagents. While this is an Australia and New Zealand-based push, the tools Google promotes here could be used by agents anywhere. What we want to know is, will agents get on board?
Google Reveals Real Estate “Vision”
Since Google first began adding real estate listings to Google Maps in mid-2009, the world of online real estate has been monitoring the company’s every move. Each upgrade brought more speculation on how Google was planning to change things for property portals, real estate agents, and property hunters.
Now, we have a clearer idea of where Google is headed.
Ads Coming to Street View?
Google Street View has been added to so many real estate websites by now that it’s almost an expected part of the listing landscape. But there could be a change on the Street View horizon.
Google previously floated the idea of ads appearing in Street View that are tied to the listings in its Local Business Centre and Favourite Places program.
What makes it seem like more than an idea is Google’s recent filing of a patent application titled “Claiming Real Estate in Panoramic or 3D Mapping Environments for Advertising”. In other words, we could see something akin to virtual billboards appearing in a Street View image as users browse through an area.
Listing as a Local Business Pays Off
Ever heard of the Google Local Business Centre? No? It could be worth investigating. For one US broker, listing his business with Google paid off in a big way.
Google Real Estate – Should Agents Bank On It?
The news just over a week ago that Google was “entering” the UK/European market has sent the share prices of Rightmove and Seloger into a tailspin. Seloger dropped by 9% while Rightmove has plummeted a whopping 17%. Seloger has since recovered to its pre-news price while Rightmove continues to be significantly down.
So let’s look at what happened, will the property portal landscape change and is this impact on the share prices is justified.
An article by the Financial Times (Dec 2 titled “Google set to enter UK property market”) seems to have set the cat amongst the pigeons. The article stated that Google is in talks with British estate agents and that “experts” say that an entry by them to the market could pose a serious threat to existing property websites. The article didn’t talk about what Google was going to do and Google didn’t comment. So there is really not much to go on. So the only guide we really have as to what Google may do in the UK and Europe is what they have done in Australia.
Google’s Latest Releases Part 3: New Maps Perspective
With so many new releases from Google over the past week, you could be forgiven for feeling a little over-saturated. As we’ve already discussed, Google’s new real-time search and personalised results raise some questions in terms of online advertising for agents. Thankfully, Google’s latest release looks positive for the world of online real estate advertising.
More Real Estate Upgrades from Google Maps
Google Maps’ Australian team have just announced another round of upgrades to the Google Maps real estate search, this time focusing on keyword use and listing information.
The Google Maps blog explains that the introduction of new search technology will bring up listing results for searches that use phrases such as “real estate,” “home for sale Sydney” or “homes for rent near Perth”.
This new search option comes after Google Maps added a real estate option to the “more” menu, allowing users to view a layer displaying listings, earlier this month.
Google Maps Highlights Real Estate
Google Maps has announced changes to its real estate listings and a new Comparison Ads tool for mortgages.
New Ad Deal a Threat to Portals?
The Ad Network has just signed deals with real estate companies including LJ Hooker, Century 21, Laing+Simmons, First National and Richardson & Wrench to represent their websites to advertisers.
The Challenges for Google Real Estate
The launch of Google Real Estate search on Google Maps in Australia, the US and New Zealand has shaken the property portal world. It is expected that Google Real Estate will make an appearance in the UK and German markets shortly.
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