Google Street View

Google Street View is going to change the real estate market for the better.  It allows you to browse streets virtually, as if you were actually standing on the sidewalk. 

You might ask yourself, why would this be of interest to me, a eral estate agent?  Many reasons, the first being the fact that when I go on listing appointments, if I am not familiar with the area that I have to travel to, I can google street view the address, and go up and down the street(s), seeing neighboring properties and landmarks.  That way, when I'm actually driving it, it's almost as if I've already done it. 

Another great thing about Google Street View for my profession, is that it allows buyers to view the area that a listed property they might be interested in is located.  Again, all you have to do is type in the civic address, and you can go up and down the street.  It gives buyers who are too far away to do a "drive-by" before booking a showing the chance to virtually do just that!  Many families buying in subdivisions want to know how close they'll be to a park, mailboxes, the end of the street, etc., etc., and google street view allows you to do that.

Buyers from out-of-town can use to it as a great way to see what businesses are around, what the town layout is, what the schools, hosptials, malls, etc., etc., look like in the area they're looking to buy in.

The only down fall to street view, is that there is no data for "rural/ off-the-beaten-path" areas.  Some users however have submitted pictures.  Also, navigating around is a bit tricky when you first begin. 

To start your own browsing on street view, click the title of this post.  Type in an address, and when the A balloon appears on your map, double-click, and there should be a photo of the desired location.  Below the photo it should read "Street View", click, and viola!  Enjoy and happy browsing!

Any questions on how to use Google Street View, please don't hesistate to leave a comment on this post or email me, leah@minasrealties.ca.  Thanks for reading!