Search Engine Optimization

Google is making a larger entrance into real estate, with Google Maps. Now if you search city name + real estate on Google maps, you will see an offer for an expanded search in your area:

If you do not click on the link, Google will show regular results of real estate brokers and brokerage firms in the area. If however you do click, Google will load a map with all real estate listings it is aware of in the area, as well as a filter mechanism to help you pinpoint properties.

Expanded results for “Tampa Real Estate” search on Google maps.

Search box with more options

Options include price range, number of bedrooms, bathroom, and square footage. Additional filters allow visitors to view “foreclosure” and “non-foreclosure” home, as a sign of bad economic times in America.

You can also send the results to your email, cell phone, car or GPS unit.

Where do Results Come From?

Google is pulling information directly from brokerage firms and real estate agents who upload their listings to Google base as part of their marketing. Google is also getting info from real estate web sites which feature home listings, such as Homes & Land, The Real Estate Book and others.

Is Google Competing With Big Real Estate Boys?

Is Google looking to get a chunk of advertising dollars spend at MLS, Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Craigslist and others? Yes and No. I doubt that Google will go directly head to head with the big names in online real estate search.

The big names in online real estate search have called Google a “scraper” and showed their desire to block the crawl bot. Google has a thin line to walk here. It needs real estate search engines as the data provider and it has to build a system which brings the big boys profits in order to get them to share that data. After that it will have to figure out a way to make money itself.

What might happen is Google Real Estate Search may become a traffic source for the big names. If successful, Google will work on monetizing that position, without directly interfering with traditional real estate listing business model.

We might see paid listings on maps, which will charge per click. The listing may be highlighted with some features that make it stand out from the rest (while rest of the listings are free, and are pulled from different databases).

All is my speculation at this point though. Google already has PPC ads on maps, and showcasing real estate PPC ads seems like a natural extension.

Another option is commission, but that is a complex process, so I doubt Google will get into it.

Google Real Estate Search in Canada

The feature only works in US at the moment. Searches for “toronto real estate” or “montreal real estate” do not give the results as Google.com does.