Method and system for MRIS platinum database

• US 20030055747A1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bright IP Holder LLC
• Original Assignee: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Incorporated (Bright MLS)
• Inventors: OʼSullivan, Margaret, Delgaudio, Michael, Carr, Rick, Moon, Elizabeth, Davis, Elizabeth, Halladay, Patrick, Petch, Gregg, Mcavey, Heather
• Granted Patent: US 7,346,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

A method and system for providing real estate information to users, tailored to requirements and fields relating to the location of the property. A single repository, such as a database or database farm, is used with middle tier software on servers on a network, such as the Internet, to provide information to users via user terminals coupled to the network, for particular properties, and to receive information for properties for addition to the database. Information and fields specific to locations are input to the system via a system operator. User terminals utilize either downloaded software to interact with the middle tier, or a network browser. In one variation, the middle tier software is based upon an open standard, such as an open Application Program Interface standard, so as to allow access for a variety of terminal types and software.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically providing a user with location specific information relating to real estate property from a single database schema via a network, the method comprising:

receiving identification information for a property;

determining location specific fields and data for the property; and

providing to the user the location specific data formatted for the location specific fields for the property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes a property location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is received at a server on the network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein software at the server determines the location specific fields and data for the property.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the server determines the location specific fields and data for the property via a repository.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the repository comprises a database.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the server comprises one selected from a group consisting of a mainframe computer, a minicomputer, a microcomputer, and a personal computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the repository is located on the server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the location specific fields include at least one selected from a group consisting of property description, number of bedrooms, number of baths, yearly taxes, roof construction, seller information, and selling price.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining if the property is included in a real estate database accessible by the server, the database including a plurality of database properties and associated location specific fields and data for each of the plurality of database properties.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if the property is not in the database, identifying data in public databases for the property.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining location specific fields and data for the property includes:

automatically populating the location specific fields with the identified data from the public databases.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein identification information for a selected property is received from a user terminal coupled to the network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user terminal is selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a minicomputer, a microcomputer, a main frame computer, a telephone device, and a hand-held device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the user terminal includes user terminal software.

17. The method of claim 4, wherein identification information for a selected property is received from a user terminal coupled to the network;

and wherein the user terminal software comprises software downloaded from the server.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the user terminal software comprises a browser.

19. The method of claim 4, wherein the user terminal includes user terminal software, wherein the user terminal software comprises a browser, the method further comprising:

software at the server interfacing with the user terminal software and the repository.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the software at the server is based upon an open Application Program Interface standard.

21. The method of claim 4, wherein the user terminal includes user terminal software, wherein the user terminal software comprises a browser, the method further comprising:

software at the server performing load leveling.

22. The method of claim 4, wherein the user terminal includes user terminal software, wherein the user terminal software comprises a browser, the method further comprising:

software at the server controlling processing and data flow.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the location specific information for the property includes geographical location information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the geographical location information includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a location country, a location state, a location county, a location city, and Global Positioning System coordinates for the property.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving new data input from the user.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

performing quality control on the new data input.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving user identification information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the user identification information includes a password.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the user identification information has an associated user level.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

limiting user options based on the user level.

31. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with an option to obtain statistical information relating to the real estate property.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein performing quality control on the new data input includes assigning a flag to the new data input.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the flag is selected from a group consisting of a red flag, a yellow flag, and a green flag.

34. A system for dynamically providing a user with location specific information relating to real property from a single database schema, the system comprising:

a server coupled to a network;

a repository accessible by the server; and

a user terminal coupled to the network;

wherein identification information for a property is received by the server from the user terminal;

wherein the server determines location specific fields and data for the property; and

wherein the server provides the location specific data formatted for the location specific fields to the user terminal for the property.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the server determines the data for the property from data received from the repository.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the network is the Internet.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the server comprises one selected from a group consisting of a personal computer, a minicomputer, a microcomputer, and a main frame computer.

38. A system for dynamically providing a user with location specific information relating to real estate property from a single database schema via a network, the system comprising:

means for receiving identification information for a property;

means for determining location specific fields and data for the property; and

means for providing to the user the location specific data formatted for the location specific fields for the property.