Sat 21 Jan 2006
Coldwell Banker Bain unveils a new property search
Posted by Marlow Harris under Real Estate
1 Comment
Coldwell Banker Bain (my brokerage), unveiled a new property search function this week on their website www.CBBain.com . It features an interactive search map that really helps buyers narrow down the homes for sale in the area that they’re looking for. It compares quite favorably to similar search functions offered by Redfin. I like it, but find it less informative than the regular text-based searches, though I will change my search interface if I get enough feedback that it’s warranted. Compare the two and let me know which one you prefer. Seattle Home Search.
My feelings, after using both, is that the interactive maps are toys, gimmicks to please the techies. But I find them less effective for serious buyers.
Just a quick bit of data to help reinforce the interactive map search gimmick…
- This Microsoft Virtual Earth driven map displays 30 times more MLS property data than the previous Bain map search.
- Real estate is the perfect venue for geo-spacial searching. We use them daily in outdoor recreation to locate geographic locations; why not to locate real estate?
- Serious buyers have never had this powerful a tool for locating, saving and re-using active and sold search data.
These tools are biult based on market demand and the competitive business strategies of brokers. What has been missing is a fluid user interface that allows users to search for houses in many different ways, quickly and with little effort. These new cutting edge maps like CBBain and John L. Scott have, are the most effective property search tools anywhere. Nothing else comes close.
Not as much gimmick as ‘next generation is here today’.
~ Cheers