The race for 2nd place has begun

OK, I’m biased and I still believe that “Zearch” is currently King of the Hill of King County home searches. However, I’m willing to give credit where credit is due and say the distance between us and the rest of the pack got smaller today.

[photopress:NewJohnLScott.jpg,full,alignright]

Today, John L Scott and their solution provider, Bellevue based Real Tech, have quietly introducted what they call “Real-Maps 2.0“. Essentially, they are now using Microsoft Virtual Earth instead of the old school ESRI based solution. Additionally, it appears they’ve AJAX-ifed their search pane on their map page, so when you change search criteria it automatically updates the map and the matching results count (which is pretty slick). It also appears that Real Tech has gone all out, and at first glance, it appears they are using the not quite released Microsoft Atlas framework (a new development tool that makes “Web 2.0” style applications easier to develop). It appears they are using JSON for the postbacks (most sites use XML, I currently send back Javascript source code). I haven’t spent much time reverse engineering it or learning Atlas yet, so it’s possible they are using a 3rd party AJAX framework. Regardless of the technical details, it does raise the bar for everybody else.

So what does this mean? Here’s my thoughts….

  • Me – Time to install and learn Atlas this weekend. If I’m going to remain competitive with the big boys, I gotta be using the same tools that the big boys are using. Besides doing complex AJAX with Asp.net 2.0 ICallbackEventHandler is bit tedious for my liking.
  • Galen – Wondering if he should rewrite ShackPrices so it uses Ruby on Rails instead of PHP?
  • ESRI – Between Google Maps & Microsoft Virtual Earth, this company won’t be serving the real estate mapping market much longer.
  • RedFin – That flash based satellite map, though very cool in it’s day, is increasingly looking like a liability. Better update it, do as Zillow did (partner with GlobeXplorer & Microsoft), or let one of the big boys handle your maps. Any map in which the Issaquah Highlands looks like polar bear eating vanilla ice cream during a snow storm, doesn’t cut it for me.
  • Zillow – Better do something cool with that MLS data you’ve been collecting. Otherwise, those eyeballs you were counting on, will be visiting the big brokers instead. Fortunately, for Zillow they could lose the local battle, but still win the national war. The NWMLS is releasing sold listing data in the near future and I’ll be shocked if the local big brokers don’t add “Zestimate” like features to their web sites in the next 6-12 months. Hell, Rain City Guide, already has one, but you already knew we’re ahead of the curve. 😉
  • Realtor.com / HomeStore / Move – Obi Won “Dustin Luther” Kenobi – Are you their only hope? Do something! Add an Rain City RSS feed, if you have to! Anything! 🙂
  • Coldwell Banker Bain – Since they are also Real Tech customers, I suspect they’ll be asking for Real-Maps real soon now.
  • Windermere – They can’t be far behind their arch-rivals, or can they?
  • Other local brokers/agents – Time to re-evaluate your MLS search/IDX vendor? Now that John L Scott’s web site has entered the 21st century, the pressure is building for you to join them.
  • John Q Home Buyer in Seattle/Eastside – The new John L Scott, is like RedFin but with better maps & aerial photos.
  • Everybody else, elsewhere – Consumer expectations are slowly being raised. I believe Seattle is ground zero of Real Estate 2.0. Those of you lucky enough to be living outside of the 206 & 425 area codes (aka the war zone), had better pay attention, because what’s happening here will happen in your neck of the woods, sooner than you think.

So what do our fair Rain City Guide readers think of this development?

28 thoughts on “The race for 2nd place has begun

  1. Hi,

    I read your comments on web2.0. I was wondering if you have visited Pageflakes (www.pageflakes.com) already? We are offering a similar service allowing you to read news feeds and setting up multiple pages that can be customized with local weather, address book, todo lists, event finders, TV guides. These pages can also be shared with family friends etc. Maybe you have some thoughts or suggestions. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Thanks and best regards
    Tegan

  2. Kudos to John L. Scott on this one.

    Things I like best: new on market are green houses and the rest are blue, making it easy to spot ones you may not have seen, if it has been a few days since you last visited the site.

    The mini-descriptors show the status and mls # so you don’t have to click on the detail to find out that it is STI and can also tell by the mls # how long the active listing has been on market. (250XXXXX is 2005 – 2604xxxx on market longer than 2606xxxx and currently 2607xxxx is new on market)

    What I don’t like: When I click on the detail, it is hard to get back to the map feature and look at other houses in the same manner, without minimizing the search area. Hitting the back button after viewing a selected property, doesn’t take you back to where you were last, but to another house that you didn’t select to view.

    A pretty nifty site though, I agree. Thanks Robbie for bringing it to our attention. Score one for the “traditional” broker today.

  3. Kudos to John L. Scott on this one.

    Things I like best: new on market are green houses and the rest are blue, making it easy to spot ones you may not have seen, if it has been a few days since you last visited the site.

    The mini-descriptors show the status and mls # so you don’t have to click on the detail to find out that it is STI and can also tell by the mls # how long the active listing has been on market. (250XXXXX is 2005 – 2604xxxx on market longer than 2606xxxx and currently 2607xxxx is new on market)

    What I don’t like: When I click on the detail, it is hard to get back to the map feature and look at other houses in the same manner, without minimizing the search area. Hitting the back button after viewing a selected property, doesn’t take you back to where you were last, but to another house that you didn’t select to view.

    A pretty nifty site though, I agree. Thanks Robbie for bringing it to our attention. Score one for the “traditional” broker today.

  4. Robbie, I think you’re going to be pretty impressed when we release the next version of ShackPrices. Powered, yes, by Ruby on Rails. I would like to point out that you’re impressed by the functionality that we already have – automatic updating every time you pan, zoom or change the criteria. Yes, Ajax!

    This is a very nice implementation of real estate listings placed on a map, which is a good start, but it’s missing some features that would put it over the top. I’ll let you know what those features are soon…

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  6. Tegan – I think PageFlakes is very slick, but Google and Microsoft are hot on your trail. I think the real challenge is getting mindshare, with those two giants playing in your sandbox. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how you’d go about doing that. I have enough trouble trying to stay half a step ahead of Galen. 😉

    Galen – Although John L isn’t the first local broker to have dynamic maps, it’s fair to say it’s probably the first by a “large / traditional” broker. It may not be as “bleeding edge” as you and I would like, but it is a big wake up call for it’s rivals.

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