Internet mapping

THESE days, it seems that everyone in the industrialized world enjoys Internet access. The Internet provides nearly everything—from groceries to Chinese takeout to industrial equipment, and real estate.

Dynamic as it is, the real estate industry has learned to avail of this trend. Real estate brokers, knowing that a huge market of home buyers exists, post listings online in blog sites and websites that are designed to be as interactive as possible. This fills the gap that remote communication with potential clients has caused. Recently, real estate brokers have began to use what search engine companies and business solution providers are offering—Internet mapping.

Recently, residential real estate search engine Trulia.com launched TruliaMap, an online tool that residential real estate professionals can use for free, to make their blogs and websites more interactive and easier to navigate.

TruliaMap allows brokers and agents to post listings and automatically match these to the broker's or agent's own website. The sites are constantly updated and made attractive through color and animation.

The Internet tool supports Trulia.com's mission to help the real estate industry attract more home buyers.

Because of its interactive features, Internet mapping is considered an effective tool in the real estate industry. It enables buyers to showcase their property listings and makes it easy as cake for home buyers to find the house that's right for them.

Trulia.com reported that since the launch of TruliaMap, the number of hits on pages with broker and agent listings has skyrocketed 400 percent.

"Since the launch we have been inundated with requests by agents and brokers to utilize some of the tools on Trulia.com on their own websites. TruliaMap is the first tool of its kind and we will be launching more services to improve the online real estate search experience for everyone," said Trulia CEO and co-founder Pete Flint. He furthermore noted, "We will continue to work hand in hand with brokers and agents to increase the visibility of their listings in ways that they want and help connect home buyers with the best source of information available online about homes for sale."

So how can brokers and agents start using TruliaMap on their website or blog? They must simply submit a feed of their listings to Trulia. Afterwards, they can sign up for TruliaMap, which can be customized for their respective website or blog.

Aerial imagery and low altitude home listing data available to home buyers

Today, increasingly more people are using the Internet for countless reasons. One of these purposes is to shop for homes. A particular website, http://www.catalisthomes.com/, features new technology that will change the way people shop for homes. With its new mapping technology that Microsoft developed, CataList Homes allows potential home buyers to see the house they are considering. This is with the help of a high-resolution, aerial imagery and low altitude home listing data. The technology is called Birds Eye View.

Here’s how it works. Birds Eye View allows a buyer to look at the house he is considering, from several different angles. With the help of a computer, the buyer sees his dream house, its exact location and neighborhood. He can even zoom in on the smallest detail he wants to see!
CataList Homes founder Michael Davin says that the Birds Eye View has awakened the sleeping technology used in home searching though the Internet. This concept was introduced five years ago. Since then, it has caused technology giants such as Yahoo, Google and Microsoft, to constantly upgrade the current system. This is done tos outdo their competitors.

Davin adds that the Birds Eye View is not only efficient, but also fun. That’s because one doesn’t only get to zoom in on what his future neighborhood looks like. Rather, he can also view other homes that are for sale. Best of all, the Birds Eye View spares one the inconvenience of scheduling problems between you and your agent, to view a house. Now, one can house-hunt in his office, or even from the comfort of his own home!

Another technology that CataList employed is complementing the efficiency of house-hunting, using Birds Eye View. The AJAX web technology allows website users to zoom in or out on the map, and still get amazing aerial photos. These shots are mostly of the interiors of the house that one might buy.

With these two state-of-the-art house-hunting technologies, it's time for people to say goodbye to long hours of travel with their real estate agents. The latter would most likely dictate the pace and choice of one’s house-hunting.

These innovations are empowering home buyers because they eliminate the need to get real estate agents. In turn, this prevents the customer from being pressured into buying a home, simply to provide the agent with his commission.

The bottom line is that with Birds Eye View, the home-buying process just involves having a computer, getting two pieces of new software, looking at your dream house and calling your agent to take a final look. Amazingly, this trip would be your first visit to the house of your dreams! The real estate industry continues to be an extremely competitive one. Using Birds Eye View helps both buyers and agents adapt to the industry’s changes,.

THE RIGHT AGENT FOR YOU

Real estate transactions aren't as easy as some people argue. This is especially true if you're putting all of your assets on the line. That's where your real estate agent becomes valuable.
A real estate agent's role is very crucial because he could make or break the transaction. While other workers will guide you every step of the way, some people allow brokers to do the essence of the work.

To help get you started, you must know the difference between a realtor, a real estate agent and a real estate broker. This is important, so you don't use these terms interchangeably and make a huge mistake in the future.

A real estate broker is a realtor who has much training and possesses a different license than the one real estate agents or realtors have. A real estate agent is someone who has a real estate license. The state where they are practicing, grants that. A realtor, meanwhile, is a real estate agent who has secured certification from the National Association of Realtors.
Here are some helpful tips that you could use to choose either your realtor, real estate agent or real estate broker:

* Real estate agencies are becoming increasingly popular. Most of the time, you'll be made to choose from among those belonging to either small or large firms. But remember, who your agent is connected to, is sometimes not the end of your decision-making process. Most of the time, it's better to choose the agent based on the quality of work he has done.

* Note the person's experience and commitment to his job. These issuesare major considerations because if your agent lacks either of these two qualifications, the transaction may not be successful. Learn how long the agent has been in the business. For example, two years of experience isn't much for agents. Regarding the agent's commitment, it's important that he devotes as much time as he can, to you. After all, you're both dealing with a very major transaction called house buying or selling. An experienced and dedicated agent will guarantee that you have a lengthy business relationship with your agent.

* Talk to the agent. By taking time to talk to him, you can determine how long he will assist you in the transaction. It is during this time that you will learn what he can do for you and whether this is what you are expecting from an agent. Don't be afraid to ask questions, because you have the right to do that.

* A real estate agent who can work with or around your schedule is important. This is especially true if you're only available to look at houses on weekends. Search for someone who's flexible enough to adjust to your unique schedule.

There are more tips to consider in choosing the perfect real estate agent for you. But in the end, it will all just boil down to who you believe is best for you.