How to Use Online Search Tools for Real Estate Maps

Do you remember what we did before online maps?

You may have had a Thompson’s map guide in your car. You may have had printed maps from AAA in your glove compartment.

If you had to find a listing or get to a client meeting you had to write down directions before you left. Getting lost meant pulling over to figure out where you were.

It was also hard for clients to find homes that they were interested in. Now, real estate maps are everywhere. You can take advantage of online tools to create a better website experience for your visitors.

Read on to learn more about using mapping tools and why they’re a must for your website.

What Consumers Are Looking For

Is your website the centerpiece of your online marketing campaign? If it’s not, it should be. Real estate sellers and buyers are doing everything online, from educating themselves about real estate tech to researching neighborhoods.

Here’s what consumers are looking for when they are online.

A Relationship with an Agent

More people are working with real estate agents than ever. That may seem surprising, given the number of sites that are meant to streamline the home buying process.

About 92% said they did research online to find more information about an agent before deciding.

This is your chance to make the best first impression possible. Consumers want to have a personal relationship with their agent, so you want to come across as knowledgeable, warm, and personable.

They also expect the site to work on a variety of devices. They also want to find the information that they’re looking for easily and move on with their day.

You need to have everything accessible from listing information to the latest real estate trends. You want to think of your website as a one-stop resource for your clients.

Data Privacy

Consumers are starting to get wise about real estate services like Zillow. They make money by providing leads (consumer information) to advertisers (real estate agents and property managers).

They’re primarily a data aggregator than a real estate company. That means that you have the chance to provide something that these companies don’t – privacy and peace of mind.

Using Search Tools for Real Estate Maps

There are millions of searches happening online every day. People are looking for products, information, directions, and yes, real estate agents. Here are some ways you can leverage online search tools to provide a better customer experience.

Local Search 3 Pack

You want to take advantage of Google and Bing. Google owns a vast majority of market share, and Bing shouldn’t be ignored.

These two sites are where people turn to when they want to find real estate information. That usually starts by doing a search for “real estate agent near me.”

You want to position yourself to be found in these searches. Google will usually show the first few results along with a map of agents near the searcher.

You want to position yourself to be found in these searches. Fill out listings in Google My Business and on Bing Places.

You also want to get plenty of positive reviews about your business. People read and trust these reviews and they’ll make a decision according to that.

Create a Better Website Experience

How can you create a better experience on your website? You can improve your site’s copy to make it more personable. Improving site speed and performance is another way. You can also have all of the information that people are looking for, including maps.

Using Google Maps for Real Estate Maps

Google used to display real estate listings in Google Maps between 2009 and 2011. While this feature has been extinct for a while, you can still use Google Maps for real estate listings.

You can create your own custom maps through Google Maps. When you have a listing, you can enter the address can place a pin on that location.

You can then embed the map on your website. This would require maintenance to ensure accuracy.

IDX for Your Website

IDX stands for internet data exchange. IDX is a way for your website to connect to your local MLS and display real-time data directly from the MLS.

This can be much easier to do than creating and embedding your own maps on the website. This article details how you can give your customers the information they need.

Using a Search Bar on Your Website

Your website can be a search engine, too. Rather than making visitors navigate through pages and pages of information, you can just have a search bar.

This way, if they wanted to search for a certain neighborhood, they can do that. If they wanted to find listings under a certain price range, they can do that as well.

This is a simple way to empower your site’s visitors. That can create a much better user experience overall.

Your Website Needs Real Estate Maps

There’s no question that you need to make your website stand out. Potential clients expect that all of the information they need is going to be found in one place.

They no longer want to research MLS listings and individual sites. The more information you can have in one place, the better.

You can do that by leveraging the power of search tools and real estate maps. You can have a search bar on your website that allows potential clients to find what they need in seconds.

Another option is to embed IDX or other maps on your site, giving potential clients everything they need in one area.

Do you want more tips for your real estate business? Check out this site again for more great information.