…at least not yet.
On Sept 24th when the Google Blog announcement of Google Places was posted, there was no mention of Place Pages for Real Estate:
“A Place Page is a webpage for every place in the world, organizing all the relevant information about it. By every place, we really mean *every* place — there are Place Pages for businesses, points of interest, transit stations, neighborhoods, landmarks and cities all over the world.”
Notice they didn’t say “addresses” or “real estate listings”, but today over on SearchEngineLand, there is a post by Matt Mcgee titled Google Builds out a National Real Estate Search Engine which features a “Real Estate Listing Place Page”, and several other outlets have picked up on it.
The Place Page that Matt uses as an example does indeed show that there are now Place Pages for listings that Google knows about via Google Base.
A closer look reveals that, at least at this point, this isn’t very different from what Google has done up to now.
The content on the example that Matt from SearchEngineLand used consists of photos from PrudentialProperties.com and redundant basic information from that site and two others.
As Real Estate listing pages go, its a hodgepodge with little added value, such as an AVM, or local market info, that you would find on a good IDX site for the same listing. Even Realtor.com’s basic listing page is better. If you want that detailed information Google, as it always has, provides the links back to the original real estate sites.
That makes this an extension of Google organic results, nothing more.
As a stand-alone listing detail page as opposed to the beefed-up search result page that it is, this “Real Estate Listing Place Page” is pretty half-assed by Google’s standards, which may be why Place Pages for real estate are currently hard to find.
I tried entering the address from Matt’s example in Google Maps, without putting the /realestate after the address, and was not offered the “more info” link that leads to the Place Page, even though we know it exists.
Then I tried entering the address on my new Droid (yes it rocks!) and, again, no real estate listing information was provided.
I also tried the address of a listing near me here in Newport RI — same thing, no link to a Place Page.
But when I tried the name of a business that operates on the street level of my building, Infant Interiors in Newport RI, the “more info” link pops right up. I did not have to go to some sub-site of Google Maps, like /business, that no consumer has ever heard of.
And this is where it gets interesting, because Google provides business owners with a procedure for claiming and then editing information about their businesses right on the Place Page.
The “edit this place” link is conspicuously absent on the Real Estate listing Place Page.
Now HERE is the blueprint for how Google could, if they wanted to (and it is not clear that they do), make life miserable for NAR, local MLSes, Realtor.com, Trulia, franchise operated sites and IDX vendors.
Business owners who click on the “edit” link that is offered on Place Pages are taken to the “Local Business Center” — which is where you go if you want to correct information that often appears at the top of Google organic results:
OK, now let’s make this the first step in the Google MLS process:
- This becomes “Edit my Property”
- In addition to the address, this could summarize the asking price, basic details, and perhaps agent info if the property owner chooses to give an agent access to this profile in much the same way you can add users to a Google Analytics account.
- This is the current validation scheme. Snail mail. Really, Google? Clearly, they could come up with something better and faster (SMS to a wireless # whose billing address matches the property perhaps?)
Notice that on the Place Page for Infant Interiors, people can add reviews, like the one I just wrote there. If Google went this route for real estate, I doubt they would allow a homeowner, or agent, to have any control over the content anyone else adds, just like they aren’t giving the owner of Infant Interiors a way to delete bad reviews.
That is quite the opposite of the asinine opt out of 3rd party comments and AVM that NAR just added to IDX policy, isn’t it?
What’s to stop Google from aggregating all the public data that Zillow or RPR use and adding that to the mix? Maybe they would just buy Zillow and be done with it.
Given that option, it’s easy to see how people, who are as distrustful of real estate agents as they have ever been in the wake of housing bubble, might migrate to a real estate information platform that is outside the industry’s control and has the added benefit of the familiar Google user experience.
When Google puts something like this out there, THEN its time to freak out if you are NAR, a local MLS, Move Inc, an IDX vendor, etc..
Until then, enjoy the borrowed time.
Matt McGee says:
Good stuff, John — love the “borrowed time” line at the end, and that’s exactly how I feel. You’re right that it’s not YET a national real estate search engine, but to me there’s no doubt this is what Google is building out (thus my headline). They’ve been taking small step after small step in recent months and they usually don’t enter an industry unless they have big plans to disrupt things in their own favor.
And I love your idea of modifying the local biz center to become a listings center for agents/brokers. I’d be surprised if Google hasn’t already thought of something like that — and if they haven’t, they should (and probably will) steal your idea immediately.
November 20, 2009 — 5:39 pm
Ken brand says:
Thoughtful stuff. The kettle boils sweaty. Interesting Times.
November 20, 2009 — 8:06 pm
margaret says:
Very Interesting stuff created here John. I loved the way it looked. I agree with the first comment. Google will have lots of plans and ideas before entering an industry. So hopefully waiting for more from Google. Your idea was a fantastic example explained.
Nice sharing and keep posting.
November 21, 2009 — 12:39 am
Susie Blackmon says:
Woo hoo. It’s getting so darn interesting in the world of real estate. Geez, why did I just pay the MLS too much money to have my own brokerage account?
“Until then, enjoy the borrowed time.” Classic!
November 21, 2009 — 4:17 am
Mike Bowler Sr. says:
Matt, you have some great points that NAR needs to take under consideration. My understanding of RPR is a complete database that will be utilized by all to assure accurate information. (Garbage in, garbage out) is still a concern. Most Portals are nowhere near accurate and missing much detail of the properties. I look at Google, Trulia, Zillow and many of the other sites as marketing tools. I would visualize RPR a major Hub that would replace MLS’s, provide detailed property history, data, and stats for not only Realtors, but other ancillary businesses as well.
Unless those in our industry collaborate to build RPR, and allow it to function with other medias, it could fail.
November 21, 2009 — 7:59 am
John Rowles says:
@Matt: From your comment to Google’s ears…Thanks for the comment and the pingback.
@Ken: Indeed!
@Susie: Good question. Most people see RPR as a net plus for working brokers and agents and I didn’t include them in the list of the disrupted if/when Google takes the gloves off but there would certainly be an impact.
If Google offered a way for homeowners to list their properties at the click of a box, similar to Zillow’s “Make me Move” deal, I could see where that might cause an uptick in FSBO activity.
By creating an efficient marketplace (as opposed to the joke of a market that the balkanized MLS “system” creates), Google could put downward pressure on commissions and fees, but if it made NAR, MLS, Realtor.com (and franchise?) fees redundant there would be savings, as well. Probably not enough to balance the ledger, but do we really need 1m+ real estate agents?
November 21, 2009 — 8:21 am
Cheryl Johnson says:
John I had an idea. I just tweeted a link to this post to my two favorite Google people @twephanie and @doctorwave. OK, they’re Google Wave people, but I imagine they can pass it on to the right crew members.
November 21, 2009 — 8:30 am
John Rowles says:
@ Cheryl: Thanks for that. It would be a treat to hear from someone from Google about this, but I won’t hold my breath.
I wonder if your friends at Wave have thought about adding the ability for people to drag a listing onto a Wave…
November 21, 2009 — 3:44 pm
Richard Stabile says:
I agree with you. It is only a matter of time that there is a non NAR related national mls info base to deal with. I believe that the mls’s should have join together into a large state or regional mls’s system and group the whole country together and kept the info handling to the members.
The industry’s inability to control it own destiny is the problem created by power hording participants.
November 21, 2009 — 5:07 pm
Wayne Long says:
I think it is at the very least a warning shot. It is going to be interesting to see how this develops over the next couple of years. Not sure we will like the outcome.
November 21, 2009 — 6:47 pm
Louis Cammarosano says:
With one digital stroke Google probably and taken down google free riders trulia and zillow a few notches in the natural search results.
For years Trulia has ranked high on google for presenting recycled third party listings data. Trulia it seems has never returned the favor and bought andy key words in the google sponsored links section. Didn’t have to-google gave them free placement.
Now it looks as if google can present the same third party listings data as trulia,draw visits to their real estate section and still get advertisers to buy key words.
Perhaps trulia is setting up their Google ad sense account now…..
November 22, 2009 — 9:51 am
John Rowles says:
@Louis: They would be wise to do so.
Knowing that Google’s stated philosophy is to put the best interests of their users first while keeping in mind that they have shareholders to consider is the most interesting thing about Google watching.
Surely, they have followed the traffic/money around real estate as you just did. While Google also has a stated policy of “hands of the algorithm” that might stop them from blatantly wielding the “digital pen” and killing Trulia’s organic traffic, they also have a history of favoring links to their own stuff when they add a category (and why shouldn’t they?), which would accomplish the same thing.
So IF they have come to the conclusion that the interests of their users and the interests of their shareholders are aligned when it comes to real estate — that is to say, if they think they can give people the Real Estate information they want in a way that is better than what is available AND by doing so will be able to sell more advertising, then a robust “Google Real Estate” is all but inevitable.
November 22, 2009 — 10:43 am
Louis Cammarosano says:
@John
Thanks for the precise analysis of google’s behavior
They are often in the happy circumstance where doing the right thing by consumers, their advertisers and shareholders are in allignment.
If trulia is harmed and becomes less relevant on google, only trulia is harmed if google can provide the same or better consumer experience.
To googles advertisers whether trulia or google is in the top spot means nothing to them as long as consumers come and click on their ads.
For shareholders as long as google maintains dominance in search and can sell ads, shareholders are happy.
Perhaps only trulia would be unhappy with this move but they will adapt and perhaps switch some of their VC money from SEO personell to SEM ones so they can buy real estate traffic attracted to google by google real estate!
November 22, 2009 — 10:57 am
Ashlee says:
Very interesting stuff. MLS is going to be a thing of the past before too much longer!
November 22, 2009 — 6:54 pm
Mike Taylor says:
If/when G puts something out like this and gains significant mind share among consumers, this is time to freak out for agent too. I have no idea how this is going to play out and what consumer’s reactions are going to be, but it could be a game changer for the entire RE industry.
November 22, 2009 — 7:57 pm
Anonymous says:
but i don’t see the value add, what is the bid deal. someone gets to edit their listing on google. and…?
let’s look at it from the correct point of view: what does the buyer want to know ? it’s about the buyer…not the IDX, the realtor or owner. google is a long way off providing the level of details or user experience the buyers require for a property.
visitor reviews won’t cut it because it’s like asking your friends or your mum’s opinion on the house you are planning to buy…it might be interesting but it’s not your opinion..and in the end you don’t care unless you they are an expert on:
that area
that type, condition of property
or a combo of the above
so where have we come back to ….guess….
selling advertising to realtors…
November 27, 2009 — 4:46 pm
James DeGori says:
Funny how we pay our MLS for information we provide them!
November 29, 2009 — 9:43 am