Did you know that the Top 3 Real Estate Websites, Zillow, Realtor.com and Trulia.com, all depend on Maponics data to boost their revenue? Learn more about what Maponics can do for your real estate business here.

One trend that directories – which have a fairly traditional business model – are obviously struggling with is how to incorporate discovery (i.e., mobile search, social media, and deals/coupons) into their model.  As Darrin says in the interview, many are simply bolting on features, when it might be more prudent to rebuild platforms from the ground up.  This reluctance to revamp is allowing newer players to claim more of the business.  In fact, the leaders in mobile search, social media, and coupons/deals are using Maponics data to do just that as they master the delivery of non-search based geo-relevant content.

Geofence data from Maponics includes predefined boundaries that represent the way real consumers think about the world. With them,  the entire search and discovery paradigm can reflect the on-the-ground geography familiar to consumers.  In addition to struggling with the discovery-side of the equation – many second tier directories are also flagging because they skip the geo step altogether, or rely on lower quality “free” geo data that is simply inadequate for professional grade applications.

You can read the BIA/Kelsey post here.

Access the full episode here (Darrin starts at 32:12):

This Week In Location Based Marketing – Episode #59

If you haven’t tuned in to this podcast before, we highly recommend it. Rob Woodbridge and Asif Kahn excel at keeping those of us in location based marketing on top of the latest industry developments in a fun, casual way.

This month you’ll also hear a fair amount about Maponics – we’re sponsoring all January episodes. Listen to learn more about how targeting ads using predefined geofences (neighborhoods, shopping malls, college campuses, more) helps local mobile advertisers deliver more relevant ads.

Don’t have time to listen, but interested in predefined geofences for mobile marketing? Take advantage of the free 3 month API or data trial we’re offering LBMA listeners!

Details:

Panel: The Future of Real Estate Search: What’s Next?
Date: Thursday, January 12th
Time: 3:25 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location:  New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York, New York 10036

Maponics is a leader in spatial technology application for the real estate industry. The top three real estate websites, and the National Association of Realtors’ RPR (Realtors’ Property Resource), all rely on Maponics map data to improve their search functions.

Want to meet with someone from Maponics at Real Estate Connect New York City?

Contact us today!

But how do we actually do this?  And why is it important to you?  Below, we’ve outlined the key steps in our quality assurance model.  The importance of each step is illustrated using our neighborhood boundaries product.

Including quality in the design - Before we build a dataset, we spend a significant amount of time “designing it”. This means discovering and capturing the features that will be most useful to our customers. It also means preparing to provide the data in a format that is easy to implement. Close collaboration between the Product Development and Quality Teams ensures that quality measures are developed around each and every proposed database feature, from the ground up.

In order to allow different levels of neighborhood granularity in map displays, Maponics created the neighborhood hierarchy system. The Maponics Quality Team played an integral role, by drawing up the blueprint for a complex validation system. This plan outlined how to verify that neighborhoods were given the proper labels (macro-neighborhood, neighborhood or sub-neighborhood), thus ensuring the hierarchy’s accuracy.

Resource validation and standardization - Once we’ve got the design perfected, we define exactly how we’ll source and create each attribute.  Strict qualification of the multitude of resources going into each feature is key. Consistency and repeatability is also essential.  Both ensure accuracy and uniformity across the entire US, as we use this methodology to build the database.

Maponics Neighborhood Boundaries features authentic neighborhoods. To create this dataset, the Maponics Quality Team validates: resources supplied by local/city municipalities and other local sources, client feedback, and input from real estate agents. This breadth of original source data makes Maponics Neighborhood Boundaries a true representation of how locals view their neighborhood.

Stringent product review – After a dataset has been created, another major initiative is launched.  A whole new team is brought in to “poke holes” in the data.  Some of the things they cross-check (through automated, statistical and visual inspection) are:

• Boundary/ attribute accuracy – Is each polygon the appropriate shape and size? Have all polygons and features been given the correct name(s)?
• Topologic/geometric integrity –Are all features located in the correct spot lat/long wise? Are there any boundary overlaps?

Because of our Quality Team’s dedication to boundary accuracy and integrity, we’re able to offer the only commercial-grade neighborhood data with clear, single-line boundaries between neighborhoods. This allows search results to be associated with one distinct neighborhood (not two or more, as seen when neighborhoods overlap). The result: simplified implementation (fewer rules to write on the back end) and clearer/more actionable user search results.

The Quality Assurance steps outlined above are central to everything that Maponics does to bring you the best boundary data. But most importantly, our QA never stops. Each existing Maponics product is updated and expanded every quarter, using these same criteria.  And as a customer, you have the option to receive a quarterly change files, keeping you in the loop.

Finally, the Maponics QA process itself is continually reviewed – we’re always looking for ways to bring you more value!

Jeff Howe, Maponics Quality Manager, has been involved with GIS and GIS-related quality control for almost twenty years.

This is the second member-oriented tool that the NAR has licensed Maponics data to power.  Last year, the organization selected Maponics for its new Realtors Property Resource ^TM (RPR), an online library compiling valuable data for every property in the US. This extensive database leverages Maponics School District and School Attendance Zone Boundaries, as well as our Neighborhood and  ZIP Code Boundaries, to enable REALTORS® to search for property information by key geographic areas.

Session specifics:

Date: Thursday, November 10th
Time: 4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Location: Dumbo Spot, Brooklyn, New York

Doors for the summit open at 3:00 PM and close at 10:00 PM.  The event will include three panel sessions, Local Mapping, Location Intelligence and Augmented Reality. It also includes two breaks for networking.  Learn more and register here.

• exposing vital community characteristics using neighborhood boundaries
• decoding which nearby schools children can attend with school attendance zones
• informing buyers of resources, regulations and taxes associated with cities and counties by utilizing their boundaries
• capturing the attention of on-the-go real estate shoppers with mobile geofences

Learn more about this session and vote now.  Not sure whether or not you’ll be at the conference? Give us your vote, and let us know – we’ll send you the key points immediately following the session.

Subdivision boundaries are a key component of geography-enabled web or mobile applications. They are also essential for internal analysis focused on residential areas.  Maponics Subdivision Boundaries are sourced from multiple local community resources and built using our patent-pending boundary creation process. Want to evaluate the latest release?  Request a sample today!

• Maponics Neighborhood Boundaries – North America ™
• Maponics Neighborhood Boundaries – Europe ™
• Maponics Neighborhood Boundaries – Rest of World ™
• Maponics School Boundaries ™
• Maponics ZIP Code Boundaries ™