The first step in selling your client's home is through your real estate listing. You take time to describe all that the home has to offer, add a few photos, maybe even a virtual tour and then upload it to the MLS. From there, it gets circulated to millions of REALTORS® across the country. Smart agents will also post these listings on their websites and blogs as well as adding a link to their social media (Facebook Marketplace, Twitter, etc). Zillow and Trulia should also be on a real estate professional's list of areas to post. To create a complete experience, you should also be using Google Maps with your real estate listings.
Google Maps is not just an internet mapping software. They also offer a "street view" on most addresses across the United States. Originally, street view was only available in a few of the major cities across the country. However, now you can find them in just about every town. All you have to do is go to Google Maps, search the address on your listing and click on the pin point that comes up indicating where the address is located. When you do that, a box will pop up. If it has a photo in it, there should be a link to the Street View just below it. If not, try clicking on the "More" link to find the street view.
While in street view, viewers can navigate their way around the streets of the property, including following the street or other pathway to other properties nearby. This allows the viewer to take a virtual tour of the property and the surrounding area without ever leaving the comfort of their home. If you want to add a link to the street view into your listing's description, simply click the link icon in the upper left hand side of the page while in street view. Want to really make an impression? Embed the street view into your blog post to increase the time a potential buyer stays on the listing. Whatever you can do to make your client's listing stand out is always good.
Use Google Maps to enhance your real estate listings. It's just one more way to make buyers sit up and take notice. If you need help, just let me know.
Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/12/using-google-maps-with-your-real-estate-listings/.
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