Web-based real estate mapping system

• US 9,213,461 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Redfin Corporation
• Original Assignee: Redfin Corporation
• Inventors: Eraker, David, Dougherty, Adam Michael, Smith, Edward M., Eraker, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Sittner, Matthew T
• Application Number:
  US11/154,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20050288957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,834 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/313
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 of providing a mapped display of real estate information to a computer user across a network, comprising:

updating a database of information related to a plurality of real estate properties, the database updated from selectively downloading and aggregating new data from multiple sources, including at least one database of satellite map images of the plurality of real estate properties and at least one database of tax information for the plurality of real estate properties;

associating, within the database, portions of the selectively downloaded and aggregated new data to other data stored within the database based at least on geographical location information associated with the portions of the selectively downloaded and aggregated new data and associated with the other data stored within the database;

providing data displayable as a client interface to a client computer across a network;

receiving data from the client interface indicating a request for a mapped display of real estate information for at least one of the plurality of real estate properties at a particular geographical location;

creating mapped display data by visually defining the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties on one of the satellite map images and layering of at least some of the portions of the selectively downloaded and aggregated new data that are associated with the particular geographical location over the visually defined real estate properties;

sending the mapped display data to the client interface that requested the mapped display; and

visually communicating sales trend data by overlaying one or more layers over the mapped display data such that different colors overlaid over the mapped display data indicates different sales trends within a geographical area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the database of information to store annotations received from the client interface and associated with the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying prior sales data associated with the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped display data further includes visually defined boundary information for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties located within a displayed geographical region of the one of the satellite map images.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped display data includes a tax parcel overlay on the visually defined real estate property with vector information defining the bounds of the real estate property.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mapped display data further includes data indicating that the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties is currently offered for sale.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing data in the se database to predict a sales price for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data received from the client indicate a search for one or more of the plurality of the real estate properties, the search including one or more of a minimum price and a maximum price, the method further comprising including sales price data for other real estate properties within a certain price range of the one or more of the minimum price and the maximum price.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually overlaying school information on the satellite map image within the mapped display data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually overlaying street overlay on the one of the satellite map images within the mapped display data.

11. A system for providing a mapped display of real estate information to a client computer user across a network, comprising:

at least one computing system that includes;

a data set of information related to a plurality of real estate properties, the data set created from selectively aggregating information from multiple sources, including at least satellite map images of the real estate properties and tax information for the real estate properties;

an update engine that selectively updates the data set as new data is added to each of the multiple sources;

an analytical engine that associates portions of the new data to the information in the data set based at least on matching physical address information associated with the portions of the new data to physical address information associated with the information in the data set; and

a geographical information system that creates mapped display data by visually defining at least one of the plurality of real estate properties at a particular geographical location on one of the satellite map images and layering at least some of the portions of the aggregated information that are associated with the particular geographical location over the visually defined at least one of the plurality of real estate properties,

a sales trend information system that visually communicates sales trend data by overlaying one or more layers over the mapped display data such that different colors overlaid over the mapped display data indicates different sales trends within a geographical area,

wherein the computer system further provides data displayable on a client interface of the client computer across a network, and upon receiving data from the client interface indicating that a request for a mapped display of real estate information for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties, the geographical information system creates the mapped display data for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties and the computer system sends the mapped display data to the client computer requesting the mapped display.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a user management system that identifies users and manages the interaction of the users with the computer system.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the update engine further updates the data set upon the computer system receiving annotations data from the client interface regarding the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the mapped display data further includes prior sales data associated with the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the geographical information system further visually defines boundary information for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties located within a displayed geographical region of the one of the satellite map images.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the geographical information system further layers a tax parcel overlay on the visually defined real estate property, wherein vector information defines the bounds of the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the geographical information system further includes within the mapped display data further data indicating that the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties is currently offered for sale.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the analytical engine further analyzes the data set to predict at least one of:

a derivative calculation, association, comparison, or prediction regarding the at least one of the plurality of real estate properities.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the data received from the client interface includes an indication to show similar sales, the geographical information system further providing to the client interface recent sales prices for similar real estate properties sold within a similar geographical region as the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties.

20. A system for providing a mapped display of real estate information to a client computer user across a network, comprising:

at least one computing system that includes;

means for storing a data set of information related to a plurality of real estate properties, the data set storing aggregated information from multiple sources, including at least satellite map images of the plurality of real estate properties and tax information for the plurality of real estate properties;

means for selectively updating the data set with new data from each of the multiple sources;

means for associating portions of the new data to the stored aggregated information based on a match of geographical location information associated with the portions of the new data with geographical location information associated with stored aggregated information;

means for creating mapped display data by visually defining at least one of the plurality of real estate properties at a particular geographical location on one of the satellite map images and layering at least some of the portions of the aggregated information that are associated with the particular geographical location, including the tax information, over the at least one visually defined real estate property;

means for visually communicating sales trend data by overlaying one or more layers over the mapped display data such that different colors overlaid over the mapped display data indicates different sales trends within a geographical area;

means for providing data displayable as a client interface to the client computer across a network;

means for receiving data from the client interface indicating a request for a mapped display of real estate information for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties; and

means for sending the mapped display data to the client computer requesting the mapped display upon the means for creating mapped display data for the at least one of the plurality of real estate properties creating the mapped display data therefor.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for identifying users and managing the interaction of the users with the computer system.