You can create and link to custom maps on Google now. It’s an easy to use slick interface that would be useful for real estate agents interested in making a tour of their neighborhood. Parts of your tour will also pop up in searchers results, so don’t forget to put a link to your homepage. Actually useful for marketing? Only if you do it “right” and make some interesting tours. It’s like websites – every agent has one, but only a few (like Marlow) have great ones.
Non-agents (the home buying / renting public): it looks like it’ll be a great way to get to know a neighborhood once more maps are created.
Did you see Eileen’s new site? Talk about “bells and whistles”!
If it wasn’t so astonishingly slow, I far prefer the interface on CommunityWalk.com – especially the ability to categorize, sub-categorize and order the map points.
Compare my two Minneapolis / St. Paul maps:
http://www.communitywalk.com/map/22655
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&q=&ie=UTF8&z=11&om=1&msid=102706517330542430593.00000111c8177ae7b58a7&msa=0
if you really think that this “marlow” is a great site, I beg to differ.
everything is a pop-up window unnecessarily. the design and readability is horrible as well. however, Google Maps, My Maps is awesome.
Oh anonymous, if you could only spend the time looking at other agent sites. Marlow’s site is not great in terms of design (no offense, Marlow!), rather it is great at conveying a unique personality, approach to real estate, and passion for all things strange. It’s an easter egg hunt.
The slick flash-based agent sites with pretty pictures and generic bios convey nothing to consumers and they’re off-putting. “Just for kids?” Annoying!
Hey Galen,
I think my no frills version gives the consumer what they want.
1) They can search the mls – all properties in the mls.
2) I don’t capture their email address when they set up an account to email them the new listings.
3) They don’t have to look at my forever smiling face while looking at property 🙂
Does anyone really need a website to do more than help them find property, and notify them when new properties that meet their criteria come on market?
Now that we have blogs, do we need to give advices on websites? I read some Tips on RE Websites and think, Wow, they must have written that site five years ago and never updated the advices. Aren’t blogs a better avenue for people looking for current advices regarding buying and selling real estate, than static websites? Plus they can anonymously ask questions if they don’t understand the advices or have more questions after reading the advices.
To what extent do you see blogs changing what websites need to offer?