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Daily Real Estate News | November 25, 2009 | Key Features of Effective Real Estate Sites
With real estate professionals no longer holding a monopoly on property listings, the next move for realty Web sites is to distinguish themselves from the competition. To that end, salespeople, brokerages, multiple listing services, and listing aggregators are adding to their sites any and all data—from school ratings and "walkability" scores to crime statistics and foreclosure filings—that might be of interest to prospective home buyers.

In the race to deliver more information to potential buyers, there is the challenge to provide it in a meaningful way. Overloading househunters with information may drive them to explore more user-friendly outlets. At the same time, the benefits of easy-to-use navigation often are overshadowed by a shallower pool of information provided.

The key is balance, according to Jim Marks of California Web site design firm Virtual Results, who says providers should give consumers as much information as they can, using the simplest interface possible.

It also is important to avoid providing information that may have legal repercussions or that may not be of practical use to consumers. For example, Marks asks: "What happens when you go to a listing presentation, and the [seller] sees your Web site showing that a sex offender lives in the house next door?"

Source: Seattle Times, Matt Carter (11/21/09)

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