Web-based real estate mapping system

• US 20050288957A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redfin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Redfin Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Edward M., Dougherty, Adam Michael, Eraker, David, Eraker, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,213,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/630
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/16 Real estate

Abstract

An innovative web-based tool displays visual information about real estate. In one embodiment, an aerial image is overlaid with various data layers to visually present real estate data. Data associated with various embodiments of the tool can include tax parcel information, historical sales information, Multiple Listing Service information, school information, neighborhood information, and park information.

Claims

1. A method, embodied in a computer system, of visually presenting real estate information to a computer user, the method comprising:

displaying a satellite image of a geographic region on a computer display;

overlaying a tax parcel overlay on the satellite image; and

displaying MLS information on the computer display, the MLS information neighboring the satellite image and corresponding to a real estate property for sale in the geographic region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each overlay is displayed at or below a predetermined elevation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed geographic region has an associated latitude, longitude, and elevation.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying prior sales data associated with the real estate property, the prior sales data derived from tax assessor records.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the tax parcel overlay includes boundary information for a plurality of real estate properties located within the displayed geographic region.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the tax parcel overlay comprises vector information defining the bounds of each of the plurality of real estate properties.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the real estate properties are currently offered for sale.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying a park overlay on the satellite image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the park overlay comprises a vector-based geometric representation of each park within the displayed geographic region.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying a school overlay on the satellite image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the school overlay comprises an iconic representation of each school within the displayed geographic region.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying a street overlay on the satellite image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the street overlay comprises a vector-based representation of a plurality of streets in the displayed geographic region.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the MLS information includes images of the real estate property.

15. A method, embodied in a computer system, of presenting real estate information to a user, the method comprising:

displaying a satellite image of a geographic region on a computer display;

receiving a request from a client application to identify a set of predetermined real estate properties correlating to the displayed geographic region;

searching a central database to determine the real estate properties that belong to the set;

displaying the set of real estate properties as an overlay on the satellite image;

wherein the overlay superimposes boundaries of at least one real estate property on the satellite image.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the predetermined set is determined according to at least one selected from the group of price, house size, property size, number of bedrooms, number of bathrooms, school district, tax district, city, and county.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising transmitting a vector message to the client application, the vector message having vector information defining a real estate boundary.

18. The method of claim 15 in which the central database is a multiple listing service database.

19. In a computer network, a method of displaying real estate properties to a user of a client computer, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer server, a request from a client computer to display real estate properties for sale within a predetermined geographic region;

populating a data store with real estate information that includes multiple listing service information and at least one selected from the group of tax parcel information, tax assessor information, school district information, neighborhood information, and recreation information;

searching the data store for real estate properties for sale within the predetermined geographic region;

transmitting, to the client computer, real estate information from the data store for real estate properties for sale within the predetermined geographic region; and

displaying, on a display associated with the client computer, at least a portion of the real estate information as an overlay on a satellite image.

20. The medium of claim 19 wherein recreation information comprises information about at least one of parks, attractions, natural features, restaurants, and sports facilities.