Reader Question: What is The Ideal Real Estate Search Engine?

No search engine or software is perfect. But, I believe two things:

1. With a little digging, you can find most any information you need on search engines. Usually.
2. Software makes your life easier. And if you can dream it, there’s software for it. Usually.

A recent article on the inability by search engines to resolve simple keyword queries, ( Just Answer My Question ) reminded me of my futile efforts to answer the following reader's question: what is the ideal real estate search engine.

I searched for two days straight and could not find relevant information in search engines. Worst yet, I couldn't find any software that could help. And after speaking with a friend who works in research at a real estate development company, there is definetly a market for this software.

So over the past few months I've been keeping track of any software developers or internet resources that could help answer the readers question. Below you will find Bill's question and tomorrow you'll find my response.


Bill writes:

Natasha:

I just stumbled into your blog and I’m glad I did. I’m a real estate developer in NM, very formerly a Managing Director at Jones Lang Wootten (now JLL); back then I had access to a tremendous library, my astute peers down the hall, and a proprietary database with the works. Now, I can get most current finance, industry and property market data I need either online or from my contacts and partners. But what I need help with is topical research, often quite technical (construction techniques, legal/contracts, codes/standards).

I’ll describe my current needs, just to give you an idea where I’m headed with this request. We are bidding on a property to develop, subject to a ground lease. I’ve negotiated these transactions before and have in my own library the basic texts and completed transaction files. (I’m not on the ‘ground floor’.) I went online to probe for articles, opinions and case studies dealing with “leasehold mortgage”, “unsubordinated ground lease” and, more generally, the financial issues regarding selling residential condominiums on leased land. Through ProQuest (via a college), the usual search sites and some back door links (via law firms), I found a lot of what I was looking for, but the task was extremely time consuming, and yet, I know, not thorough.

I’m going back to your blog to review - again - your directories vs. search engines piece. But my question to you remains – for the type of queries I’ve described -WHAT IS THE IDEAL REAL ESTATE SEARCH ENGINE?

Thank you for getting this far with my request, and, of course, I’d appreciate a reply.

Bill

Thanks Bill, for letting me publish your question. And if any of the readers out there know of any resources to help Bill, please send them to me, and I'll publish them tomorrow as well.

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