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Google Maps fails to make any impact, beyond the hype

23 July 2010
Written by rosalind renshaw

The jury remains out on Google Maps, with property portals around the globe uncertain as to its impact on their businesses.

Seventy international delegates at the Property Portal Watch workshop held in San Francisco said that the emergence of Google Maps – so far in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand – had failed to make any real impression, other than hype and conjecture.

The delegates also agreed that using mapping as a property search tool was not as user-friendly as a list.

However, most of the portals reported seeing Google as a threat, mainly because they did not know what Google’s real intentions are. Some believe that Google may be on the path to disintermediating not just estate agents but property portals too.

Alistair Helm, chief executive of realestate.co.nc in New Zealand, said that Google is now driving 64% of overall traffic to his site, but that Google Maps only drives 5.5%.

The delegates said that until Google integrates Google Maps into its main search engine, it is unlikely to drive significant traffic.

Delegates were split as to whether to engage with Google Maps or avoid it.

In the UK, Zoopla has notably decided to partner Google Maps. Equally notably, Rightmove has given it a wide berth.

Comments

  • icon

    If google maps properties fail to have much of an impact. then that could make google go for a full property listing portal tht could be free to use for private sellers and others, putting further pressure on bricks and mortor agents.

    • 25 July 2010 15:36 PM
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    are you stoopid AceofSpades rightmove are a rip off, a lot of the stuff they bundle with it is crap, take one thing search for a garden flat and any mention of a communal garden also comes up. dummys like you probably love their sneaky tac tics

    • 23 July 2010 22:29 PM
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    If that is "all it would take", you could get cracking yourself??

    Portals are always trying and failing.

    For the end user, Rightmove IS excellent, superior to any other portal, by far.

    It's not half bad for the actual agent either.

    I still don't understand the agents who moan about Rightmove, but still continue...there's no gun to your head.

    Obviously, it is a cost factor, simply not happy that they are not in control of a 'large' fee themselves.

    • 23 July 2010 11:11 AM
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    It goes on postcode as well so customers havent a clue if they are looking at the right property.

    When are we going to get a decent competitor to rightmove? Would only take a good name and a bit of tv advertising.
    It is so annoying watching you independants supporting this corporate machine. The people who you probably inherited your businesses from would be angry lol.

    • 23 July 2010 10:25 AM
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