Remax.com Launches Google™ Street View and Microsoft® Virtual Earth to Take Users on a Neighborhood Tour
July 25, 2008 // Franchising.com // (Denver, CO) - RE/MAX International, Inc., one of the most recognized real estate brands in the world, announced today that it has launched new mapping and virtual imaging features on its popular web site, www.remax.com. The powerful site now features both Google™ Street View and Microsoft® Virtual Earth™ to enhance the user's view of properties, streets and neighborhoods — the first major real estate brokerage brand web site to do so.
"We know consumers are relying on the Internet, more than ever, to search and view property listings," said Kristi Graning, Senior Vice President of IT and eBusiness at RE/MAX International. "These advanced technologies give our users a better perspective of the properties and even neighborhoods in which they're searching, which is key to finding the perfect home."
Visitors to remax.com can search for a property using the standard combination of city and state or zip code, but once a user selects a property, Balloon View and Street View options will be available from an extended menu. A separate window provides either a bird's eye view of the neighborhood – and a pushpin indicating the property's location – or a view of the property from the street.
The Street View takes a user curbside with the ability to turn 360 degrees and move through the streets to get a panoramic view of the surrounding neighborhood. Google Street View won Laptop Magazine's Mobile Innovation Award in 2007. Google Street View and Microsoft Virtual Earth already cover most major U.S. markets and are expanding throughout the world.
RE/MAX International is also in the process of a Web site redesign. The new site, expected to launch later this year, will have a new look and feel and other new consumer-friendly features.
Remax.com currently averages more than 2.8 million unique visitors a month and continues to rank in the top five most visited real estate Web site by Hitwise. The site is hosted and managed by RE/MAX technology partner eNeighborhoods, a Dominion Enterprises company.
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