If you don’t know the MLS Area, you have to look it up. Same with the zip code. But with TREND’s Map Search all you have to do is open the map, draw a shape and you’re away to the races! Maps can even help you gain a competitive advantage and land those all important potential clients.
TREND’s Map Search is available on the Listing, Hotsheet and Broker Tour/Open House search. With it, you can easily search for listings in any particular geographic area by drawing a rectangle, circle or polygon on a map.
Use Shapes to Define Your Own Subdivision or Neighborhood
Let’s say your clients want to look at houses this weekend, and you know they want to live in a specific part of downtown Philadelphia, say somewhere between Rittenhouse Square and the Kimmel Center. Exact neighborhoods in Philly are hard to define and vary from person to person. Instead of guessing, ask your clients for their definition of the neighborhood. Then all you have to do is pop open the map, select the Polygon shape and start drawing.
Don’t Just Search for Listings to Include…Exclude Them As Well
What if you have clients who know where they don’t want to live? This could be a challenge, but not if you are familiar with Map Search. These clients know they want to live in the Skippack area, but they want to avoid the area between Skippack Pike and Palmer Park, and between Route 113 and Collegeville Road. May sound complicated, but not for you.
Pop open the map and center it on Skippack, PA. Select the square shape and get to drawing. Then click the Exclude Area box. And voila! You’ve just given you clients exactly what they want in a flash.
Use it for Listing Presentations to Help Sway Potential Clients
How, you say?...
Maybe you’re going to visit a potential client and they’ve told you that you’re one of two real estate professionals they’re considering, and they want you to convince them that you’re the best pro for the job. If you’ve sold a lot of properties in the area and have had success, why not give them a visual representation of that? Do a regular
Inventory search for your active and sold listings, open the map and show them all of the properties you’ve sold in their area. It’s a great way to visually show you are their local real estate expert!
But I can’t find the Map Search feature?
While it may not be immediately visible on your screen, it’s always there. Located at the very top of the Area section on the Listing, Hotsheet and Broker Tour/Open House search pages, you can quickly and easy open the map to search. Just click the Show Map link and it will appear.
So, have you used the map to search for listings in the MLS? Have you tried any of the ideas you’ve either read in this story or any one of the examples Kurt showed in the video? Or maybe you’ve found some different ways to use the map that we haven’t thought of? Let us know your ideas in the comments section below!