e-valuations.co.uk - Blog

At e-valuations we are always looking for properties for sale. Not to buy, but to use as comparables. We have been doing this for a few years now and and we have seen many quick and easy property search sites launch which incorporate click and drag mapping capabilities. The best examples of this technology include extate.co.uk, nestoria.co.uk, ononemap.com, & zoomf.com.

Notice that I did not even call it a new technology? Google, Microsoft & Yahoo all have developed their own mapping service application and they each have allowed anyone to tap into the mapping capabilities and build applications on top of their basic service. Some of these services have been available for more than 2 years already.

Property, as we have been told, is all about Location, Location, Location (Thanks Kirstie) Placing a property within the context of location is fundamental an it is best to use a map. The websites that I mentioned above have all embraced this and built their services around the ability to place multiple properties on one map.

Why has Rightmove decided not to incorporate this element into their service? They have historically provided a link to a map on the listing page of each property and recently they have even switched from a static streetmap to a dragable Microsoft map, but that does not provide a very useful service because you cannot compare many properties at the same time.

Rightmove is an extremely successful company with many great features and an enormous inventory of properties. They are missing an opportunity and they need to focus on innovation before they start to lose market share.