Real estate transaction system

• US 9,875,492 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2007
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mobile Maven LLC (Dennis J. Dupray)
• Original Assignee: Mobile Maven LLC (Dennis J. Dupray)
• Inventors: Dupray, Dennis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US11/936,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,730 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1, 705 11-912
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A network based real estate transaction system is disclosed for assisting real estate agents and their clients with determining properties for purchase.

Claims

1. A method for assisting in a real estate transaction, the method comprising of (A) through (C) hereinbelow:

(A) first obtaining, by a computational equipment, from each of at least first and second users, user input respectively for first and second user real estate preference information for one or more real estate properties;

wherein each of the first and second user real estate preference information includes data for a respective one of first and second one or more geolocation conditions for a respective one of the first and second users, each of said first and second one or more geolocation conditions for determining, from a plurality of real estate property presentations, one or more of the presentations to be presented at a respective one of first and second mobile communication devices when accessed by the first or second user respectively;

wherein each of the first one or more geolocation conditions and the second one or more geolocation conditions is satisfied, for a corresponding presentation (P) of the one or more presentations, by determining that;

(i) for some estimated location, or location along an expected future route (L_CD) of the respective one of the first and second mobile communication devices, and

(ii) for a property location (D_P), for at least one of the real estate properties associated with the corresponding presentation P,

the property location D_P satisfies one or more of (a1), (a2), and (a3) following;

(a1) within one of;

a specified user travel distance of the location L_CD, or a specified geographically identified area of the location L_CD;

(a2) within a specified expected elapsed time of travel from the location L_CD; and

(a3) nearer to the location L_CD than at least one other destination for accessing of the at least one real estate property;

(B) obtaining, by the computational equipment, (b1) and (b2) following;

(b1) a location estimate (L_EST) of an actual or expected future geographic location of the first mobile communication device, wherein the location estimate is dependent upon a first computation of a wireless location of the first mobile communication device, the first computation using first wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals indicative of a geolocation of the first mobile communication device, wherein the first wireless signal propagation indicative information is wirelessly communicated between;

(i) the first mobile communication device, and (ii) a communications network; and

(b2) a second location estimate of an actual or expected future geographic location (L₂) of the second mobile communication device at a time (T), wherein the second location estimate is dependent upon a second computation of a wireless location of the second mobile communication device, the second computation using second wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals indicative of a geolocation of the second mobile communication device, wherein the second wireless signal propagation indicative information is wirelessly communicated between;

(i) the second mobile communication device, and (ii) a communications network;

(C) each of (c1) and (c2) following, wherein for a first and a second real estate properties of the real estate properties, there are respectively first and second presentations of the plurality of real estate property presentations providing information, respectively, related to the first and second real estate properties, and the first presentation having associated therewith information used for identifying a corresponding property location (D_P1) for the first real estate property, and the second presentation having associated therewith information used for identifying a corresponding property location for the second real estate property;

(c1) for the first real estate property such that the first one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied for the first presentation wherein the location estimate L_EST is used to obtain a corresponding instance of the location L_CD for the first mobile communication device, obtaining route data for a first route, the route data for use in navigating the first mobile communication device to substantially the corresponding property location D_P1, and each of (c1-1) and (c1-2) following are performed;

(c1-1) for information (INF_m) associated with another of the plurality of presentations (P_m) of one of the real estate properties (REP), selecting the information INF_m when INF_m includes data for a corresponding destination D_Pm associated with the presentation P_m, wherein for at least one location along the first route to the corresponding destination D_Pm at least the first one or more geolocation conditions of the first user real estate preference information is satisfied; and

(c1-2) providing information for computing, by the computational equipment, data for a second route (R_m) from the location estimate L_EST to substantially the corresponding property location D_P1, wherein the second route R_m goes substantially to the corresponding destination D_Pm as well as continuing on to the corresponding property location D_P1;

wherein information indicative of one or more of;

the second route R_m, the first presentation, and the presentation P_m are transmitted to the first mobile communication device via a communications network; and

(c2) (c2-1) through (c2-5) following are performed, and determining that the second one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied, wherein in addition to the second one or more geolocation conditions, there is additionally associated with the second user real estate preference information additional preference information (AP), said additional preference information AP also used for determining whether the second presentation for the second real estate property is to be presented at the second mobile communication device;

wherein, from the additional preference information AP, a plurality of additional conditions are obtained;

(c2-1) evaluating one or more of the additional conditions using the computational equipment, the evaluation of each of the one or more additional conditions is dependent upon a corresponding real estate property characteristic that does not vary with locations of the second mobile communication device;

wherein prior to at least one performance of the evaluating, prioritizing or weighting at least some of the additional conditions, or results obtained from the additional conditions, is performed for affecting the evaluation of at least one of the additional conditions;

(c2-2) determining, by the computational equipment, that for the second presentation at least one of the additional conditions is not sufficiently satisfied, when evaluated, in the evaluating (c2-1), for presenting the second presentation to the user;

(c2-3) obtaining, by the computational equipment, an additional location estimate of an actual or expected future geographic location of the second mobile communication device at a different geographic location from the location L₂ or at a substantially different subsequent time from the time T, such that the additional location estimate is dependent upon an additional computation of a wireless location of the second mobile communication device, the additional computation using corresponding wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals indicative of a geolocation of the second mobile communication device, wherein the corresponding wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals are communicated wirelessly between;

(i) the second mobile communication device, and (ii) a communications network;

(c2-4) second accessing the additional preference information AP, and determining, by the computational equipment, that for the additional location estimate, and another of the real estate properties, both the second one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied, and the additional conditions are sufficiently satisfied for presenting a corresponding third presentation of the plurality of presentations that is for the another real estate property;

(c2-5) providing, by the computational equipment, information for computing data for a route (R₁);

wherein the route R₁ includes at least one direction for use in navigating from substantially the additional location estimate to substantially the another real estate property; and

transmitting information indicative of one or more of;

the route R₁, and the third presentation to the second mobile communication device via a communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

determining a first collection of real estate properties that sold in a specified time frame, at least one of the properties of the first collection is determined to have real estate property characteristics similar to one or more user desired real estate property characteristics, wherein the at least one property is identified by combining data indicative of a user supplied measurement of importance for each of the user desired real estate property characteristics.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied when the corresponding property location D_P and the location L_CD satisfy (a1).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied when the corresponding property location D_P and the location L_CD satisfy (a2).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the location estimate L_EST is an actual location estimate of the first mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the location estimate L_EST is an expected future geographic location of the first mobile communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing or weighting in (c2-1) includes identifying one of the additional conditions as being required to be satisfied when evaluated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing or weighting in (c2-1) includes assigning a relative importance to one or more of the additional conditions;

and

the evaluating includes computing a weighted combination of user importance values of real estate property related characteristics for determining a result from the prioritizing or weighting.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing or weighting in (c2-1) includes ordering at least some of the additional conditions for changing a population of the real estate properties used in determining one of the plurality of real estate property presentations.

10. The method of claim 1, further including determining, by the computational equipment, a suggested initial offer for purchasing one of the real estate properties, wherein the suggested initial offer is dependent upon an outcome from a performance of determining a plurality of previously sold real estate properties that are similar, according to the additional conditions, to the one of real estate property;

wherein for the previously sold real estate properties, a difference between their asking prices and their sales prices is used in determining the suggested initial offer.

11. The method of claim 1, further including ranking, by the computational equipment, at least some of the real estate properties according to how well the at least some real estate properties satisfy the additional conditions.

12. The method of claim 1 further including, for a user (U) of at least one of the first and second users, searching, by the computational equipment, a data storage media having data for the real estate properties, wherein identified geographical locations are provided by the user U for identifying at least one of the real estate properties in the data storage media, wherein input for the searching includes data indicative of distances or times of travel between the at least one real estate property and the geographical locations.

13. The method of claim 1 further including by the computational equipment:

generating a profile for the second user, wherein the generating of the profile is dependent on profiles of other users, and real estate properties sold to the other users;

wherein

the generating includes combining;

(i) data indicative of previous real estate property potential buyers having a similarity to the second user, and (ii) data indicative of at least one of the additional conditions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the combining is dependent upon proprietary real estate property information provided by a real estate agent for the second user, wherein a change to the proprietary real estate property information changes the profile generated.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising computing, using the profile, data for predicting whether or not a purchase of a real estate property by the second user is likely.

16. An apparatus for assisting in a real estate transaction, comprising:

(A) a network site configured for obtaining, from each of at least first and second users, user input respectively for first and second user real estate preference information for one or more real estate properties;

wherein each of the first and second user real estate preference information includes data for a respective one of first and second one or more geolocation conditions for a respective one of the first and second users, each of said first and second one or more geolocation conditions for determining, from a plurality of real estate property presentations, one or more of the presentations to be presented at a respective one of first and second mobile communication devices when accessed by the first or second user respectively;

wherein, each of the first one or more geolocation conditions and the second one or more geolocation conditions is satisfied, for a corresponding presentation (P) of the one or more presentations, by determining that;

(i) for some estimated location, or location along an expected future route (L_CD) of the respective one of the first and second mobile communication devices, and

(ii) for a property location (D_P), for at least one of the real estate properties associated with the corresponding presentation P,

the property location D_P satisfies one or more of (a1), (a2), and (a3) following;

(a1) within one of;

a specified user travel distance of the location L_CD, or a specified geographically identified area of the location L_CD;

(a2) within a specified expected elapsed time of travel from the location L_CD; and

(a3) nearer to the location L_CD than at least one other destination for accessing of the at least one real estate property;

(B) wherein a location estimator is available for providing the network site with wireless location estimates, the location estimator configured for obtaining (b 1) and (b2) following;

(b1) a location estimate (L_EST) of an actual or expected future geographic location of the first mobile communication device, wherein the location estimate is dependent upon a first computation of a wireless location of the first mobile communication device, the first computation using first wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals indicative of a geolocation of the first mobile communication device, wherein the first wireless signal propagation indicative information is wirelessly communicated between;

(i) the first mobile communication device, and (ii) a communications network; and

(b2) a second location estimate (L₂) of an actual or expected future geographic location of the second mobile communication device at a time (T), wherein the second location estimate is dependent upon a second computation of a wireless location of the second mobile communication device, the second computation using second wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals indicative of a geolocation of the second mobile communication device, wherein the second wireless signal propagation indicative information is wirelessly communicated between;

(i) the second mobile communication device, and (ii) a communications network;

(C) an evaluator, including one or more computational equipments, configured for performing each of (c1) and (c2) following, wherein for a first and a second real estate properties of the real estate properties, there are respectively first and second presentations of the plurality of real estate property presentations providing information, respectively, related to the first and second real estate properties, and the first presentation having associated therewith information used for identifying a corresponding property location (D_P1) for the first real estate property, and the second presentation having associated therewith information used for identifying a corresponding property location for the second real estate property;

(c1) for the first real estate property such that the first one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied for the first presentation wherein the location estimate L_EST is used to obtain a corresponding instance of the location L_CD, the evaluator configured for obtaining route data for a first route, the route data for use in navigating the first mobile communication device to substantially the corresponding property location D_P1, and the evaluator configured for performed each of (c1-1) and (c1-2) following;

(c1-1) for information (INF_m) associated with another of the plurality of presentations (P_m) of one of the real estate properties (REP), the evaluator configured for selecting the information INF_m when INF_m includes data for a corresponding destination D_Pm associated with the presentation P_m, wherein for at least one location along the first route to the corresponding destination D_Pm, at least the first one or more geolocation conditions of the first user real estate preference information is satisfied; and

(c1-2) the evaluator configured for providing information for computing data for a second route (R_m) from the location estimate L_EST to substantially the corresponding property location D_P1, wherein the second route R_m goes substantially to the corresponding destination D_Pm as well as continuing on to the property location D_P1;

wherein the apparatus further includes a transmitter configured for transmitting information indicative of one or more of;

the second route R_m, a first presentation, and the presentation P_m to the first mobile communication device via a communications network; and

(c2) the evaluator configured for performing each of (c2-1) through (c2-5) following, and the evaluator configured for determining that the second one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied, wherein in addition to the second one or more geolocation conditions, there is additionally associated with the second user real estate preference information additional preference information (AP), said additional preference information AP also used for determining whether a second presentation for the second real estate property is to be presented at the second mobile communication device;

wherein, from the additional preference information AP, a plurality of additional conditions are obtained;

(c2-1) the evaluator configured for evaluating one or more of the additional conditions, the evaluation of each of the one or more additional conditions is dependent upon a corresponding real estate property characteristic that does not vary with locations of the second mobile communication device;

wherein prior to the evaluator performing at least one instance of the evaluating, a prioritizing or weighting of at least some of the additional conditions, or results is obtained for affecting the evaluation of at least one of the additional conditions;

(c2-2) the evaluator configured for determining, for the second presentation, whether at least one of the additional conditions is not sufficiently satisfied when evaluated by the evaluator in the evaluating (c2-1);

(c2-3) the evaluator configured for obtaining an additional location estimate of an actual or expected future geographic location of the second mobile communication device at a different geographic location from the second location estimate L₂ or at a substantially different subsequent time from the time T, such that the additional location estimate is dependent upon a additional computation of a wireless location of the second mobile communication device, the additional computation using wireless signal propagation indicative information of one or more wireless signals indicative of a geolocation of the second mobile communication device;

(c2-4) the evaluator configured for second accessing the additional preference information AP, and determining that for the additional location estimate, and another of the real estate properties, both the second one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied, and the additional, are sufficiently satisfied for presenting a corresponding third presentation of the plurality of presentations that is for the another real estate property;

(c2-5) the evaluator configured for providing information for computing data for a route (R₁);

wherein the route R₁ includes at least one direction for use in navigating from substantially the additional location estimate to substantially the another real estate property;

wherein the transmitter is further configured for transmitting information indicative of one or more of;

the route R₁, and the third presentation to the second mobile communication device via a communications network.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein

at least one of the properties of the first collection is determined to have real estate property characteristics similar to one or more user desired real estate property characteristics, and

the at least one property is identified by combining data indicative of a user supplied measurement of importance for each of the user desired real estate property characteristics.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied when the corresponding property location D_P and the location L_CD satisfy (a1).

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second one or more geolocation conditions are satisfied when the corresponding property location D_P and the location L_CD satisfy (a2).

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the location estimate L_EST is an actual location estimate of the first mobile communication device.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the location estimate L_EST is an expected future geographic location of the first mobile communication device.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the prioritizing or weighting in (c2-1) includes identifying one of the additional conditions as being required to be satisfied when evaluated.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the prioritizing or weighting in (c2-1) includes assigning a relative importance to one or more of the additional conditions;

and

the evaluating includes computing a weighted combination of user importance values of real estate property related characteristics for determining a result from the prioritizing or weighting.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the prioritizing or weighting in (c2-1) includes ordering at least some of the additional conditions for changing a population of the real estate properties used in determining one of the plurality of real estate property presentations.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a suggested initial offer for purchasing one of the real estate properties is determined, and

the suggested initial offer is dependent upon an outcome from a performance of determining a plurality of previously sold real estate properties that are similar, according to the additional conditions, to the one of real estate property;

wherein for the previously sold real estate properties, a difference between their asking prices and their sales prices is used in determining the suggested initial offer.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least some of the real estate properties are ranked according to how well the at least some real estate properties satisfy the additional conditions.

27. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein for a user (U) of at least one of the first and second users, a data storage media having data for the real estate properties is searched, wherein identified geographical locations are provided by the user U for identifying at least one of the real estate properties in the data storage media, wherein input for the searching includes data indicative of distances or times of travel between the at least one real estate property and the geographical locations.

28. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a profile is generated for the second user dependent on profiles of other users, and real estate properties sold to the other users;

wherein the profile is generated by combining;

(i) data indicative of previous real estate property potential buyers having a similarity to the second user, and (ii) data indicative of at least one of the additional conditions.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the combining is dependent upon proprietary real estate property information provided by a real estate agent for the second user, wherein a change to the proprietary real estate property information changes the profile generated.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the profile is used to predict whether or not a purchase of a real estate property by the second user is likely.