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NEWS FLASH: Google's free property search launches today

16 June 2010
Written by rosalind renshaw

The long-awaited Google mapping property search launched across the UK today, the internet giant announced this morning. The service is free and will remain so, Google emphasised, and take-up by private sellers is exepected to be very low.

It is the news that the industry has been waiting for and which the likes of Rightmove – whose shares plummeted dramatically when speculation first broke last winter – will be watching with interest. Rightmove, unlike some other portals, has not struck a partneership deal with Google.

Google Maps Property Search will be free to use, and for many agents their properties will be uploaded automatically. The service will also be free to private sellers and landlords, as well as agents, who will be able to submit their details to Google for their properties to be uploaded via Google Maps.

The service, which has already launched in Australia and the US, will also allow property portals to upload their listings directly to Google Maps at no extra cost. This morning, Andrew Foster of Google, said that in Australia, take up by private sellers had been "very low": "If someone wanted to sell private, they would have to have their own website," he said. "By far the most widespread adoption has been by agents and portals. We think it will be the same pattern in the UK."

Among early adopters here who have committed to using the new service are NFoPP’s PropertyLive.

Others include Zoopla, Spicerhaart, Countrywide, SmartNewHomes and Zoomf. While Rightmove is not on the list, Google said it would welcome new partners at any time.

Zoopla chief executive Alex Chesterman described the partnership with Google as “a big win for us” in terms of greater exposure for member agents.

Grenville Turner, group chief executive of Countrywide, said: “We see partnering with Google Maps as an ideal way to further extend our online reach. This will help the growing number of buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants turning to the internet to help make their next move.”

Another launch partner is GMG Property Services, the software group whose brands include Vebra, Core and CFP. Estate agents using these software packages will have their properties automatically uploaded on to the search facility via their software, free of charge.
 
Mark Goddard, group managing director of GMG Property Services, said: “We are delighted that GMG Property Services has been selected by Google as a launch partner for this new feature on Google Maps and we are extremely pleased how beneficial this will be for our clients.

“The aim of this new search facility is to provide an additional, free to advertise platform to increase an agent’s ability to reach a wider audience. All our customers’ properties will automatically be available on Google Maps Property Search – unless they choose to opt out – for no additional cost or effort.”

Andrew Foster, product manager of Google, said this morning: “It’s a simple and free way for property companies to make their listings even more discoverable, and have them seen on an easy-to-navigate map.”

The new feature, which is launching today right across the country, lets potential home buyers enter a city or village and see available listings represented by markers or small circles on the map. They can then refine their search by price, type of property, bedrooms and bathrooms. The map will automatically update with relevant listings when panned or zoomed to another suburb, and when the search criteria are changed. Clicking on a marker or a small circle will provide more information about the listing, as well as the contact details of the listing agent and a link to their website.   

For information on how to add listings see: www.maps.google.co.uk/propertytools

Comments

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    If you want to market your properties in the property portals as well as the search engines you should consider propertyportalfeeder.com. They are well know and recommended by many portals because of their high quality, validated data feeds. They can send your properties to over 50 property portals.

    • 05 April 2011 16:38 PM
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    It's not in Google's nature to stare straight at a commercial opportunity and not act upon it. Expect them to "up the ante" in the future.

    • 22 June 2010 12:50 PM
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    Google's market entry is good news for estate agents and consumers. Their market entry will provide competition for the existing property portals which will benefit estate agents. Consumers will benefit too because unlike the existing property portals Google will not discriminate against alternative house selling models so home sellers should expect to benefit from an emergence of new house selling products and services that will provide an alternative to traditional estate agency

    • 22 June 2010 00:33 AM
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    Aceofspades I would say thats a odd assumption to make, its been live for around a year in other countries and they have changed nothing. Nearly as many people in San Franisco and Perth use Rightmove.co.uk as google's real estate search - think I can do without the 1 search a year at the moment.

    • 21 June 2010 18:52 PM
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    This is just stage one. You have to assume this will develop over the coming months/years. Regardless of how good/easy the Google offering is, people are using it and awareness will grow. Not displaying your properties on there becase the site is not as smooth as you would like, is restricting exposure to all the potential buyers who are using the Google Property search.

    • 18 June 2010 12:49 PM
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    On top of my last comment the pictures from the zoopla feed are shocking quality plus showing the date the property first hit the market is very poor - I will make sure my stock doesnt appear and I can imagine many venders would feel the same

    • 17 June 2010 17:01 PM
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    All I can say is what a big fuss about nothing. Horrible to use and worthless imo. Just seems a add on from google that has been blown up by Agents. It is awkward and annoying to use, click after click after click to get somewhere Looked at 3 properties in my area 1 property sold over 6 months ago, a wanted ad and a private sale from what I can make out

    • 17 June 2010 16:51 PM
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    Brilliant! I'll setup a website allowing users to upload details and pics of their property, charge them £25 and upload it to Google for them! Google are set to be the best FSBO website to date!!!

    Cya Rightmove, cya ESTATE AGENTS!!! muahahahahahah

    • 17 June 2010 11:22 AM
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    Has The World changed?
    Is Google now the new word for property has RightMove made the wrong Move well if Google property listings service in other parts of the world is anything to go by its just another day in the office and Property portal owners can sleep easy tonight.
    I mean how much click on this then that just to get the property displayed on the map before you search for them.
    As for the boasts of partnering and been selected to partner with Google on this any Joe with a house to sell can put a listing on FREE and not only cut out the portal but the agent as well (Maybe Sarah Beeny has found a new Friend for Tepilo)
    Maybe it’s the Agents that google is really going to hurt in the end.
    Remember how way back when a guy from rightmove said we are going to list your property on a big thing called the World Wide Web and it will help you sell property
    The agents blindly promoted free the site and made it the big monster so many agents now refer to it as. Well it’s about to happen all over again and this time its name is Google. Think on before allowing the wooden horse into the grounds of the castle you never know what may be inside waiting to strike.

    • 16 June 2010 23:40 PM
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    Doesnt this smack of desperation for Zoopla to consider adding the property to Google as part of their service? Why would anyone pay Zoopla to add their property to Google? Isnt this another example of them supporting a FSBO site? Do they think we're stupid!

    • 16 June 2010 16:21 PM
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    Excellent news if you are a FSBO site or clued up vendor wishing have a go yourself.

    • 16 June 2010 13:58 PM
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    Roger

    Understood. We, Estate Solutions, also have software which uploads, like Vebra, to the portals etc.Its called estateCRM. But the feed has our clients website as the link back, not another portal. Accepted though that the majority of agents would prefer a link to PL than RM in the long run.

    • 16 June 2010 12:57 PM
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    Stephen

    A lot of agents websites are powered by their software supplier e.g. vebra etc.

    The portal feed normally comes from them rather agents individually. So if their has to be a middleman I would rather have PropertyLive than one of the others.
    If Google are prepared to crawl my website that is a different matter.

    • 16 June 2010 12:21 PM
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    Roger: why should the feed link to propertylive? Why not to the site of the estate agent itself? Why have a middle man at all?

    • 16 June 2010 12:01 PM
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    All NAEA members need to ensure the feed comes via PropertyLive and not one of the other emerging portals. Great opportunity for NAEA to maximise exposure for PropertyLive if we can get our act together.

    • 16 June 2010 11:52 AM
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    GMG Property Services have not been 'selected' as Google partners. What a load of old tosh. Anyone or any company can upload. All that needs to be done is to register.

    • 16 June 2010 10:57 AM
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    Another blatant advert for a softwae company already uploading to Google Portal: EstateSolutions.co.uk

    • 16 June 2010 10:48 AM
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    Found one of my listings on there just now, but not easy. The 'seller agent' is credited as 'PropertyLive' but clicking directs one to our PropertyLive listing of the property - so not a bad start. Hope logos
    and RM style PR will follow soon! Big T

    • 16 June 2010 10:45 AM
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    Readers should also know that all users of thebu2iness.com, including the free service, already have their properties uploading to Google property search automatically. Just FYI!

    • 16 June 2010 10:43 AM
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    Use XML2U.com to create your property datafeed and we will upload your properties to GoogleMaps Property Search at no additional cost.

    • 16 June 2010 10:33 AM
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