Google Maps Moves Into New UK Property

So the rumours turned out to be accurate. Yes it's here, Google have flug open the doors to property searching on Google Maps UK.

We talked about it at the start of the year – Google Property was already available on the Australian version of Google Maps, so we had a sneak peek at what was probably in-the-post for the UK system. Too be honest it looks almost identical: the properties are displayed as dots over the normal Google Maps interface and the left hand panel allows the user to setup a number of filters:

• For Sale / For Rent
• Type of property: Detached / Semi / Townhouse
• Number of Bedrooms
• Number of Bathrooms

Click for Full Image

The left hand panel also displays details for the 'highlighted' properties from the main window alongside some sponsored links from what looks like AdWords adverts.

The post on Google's LatLong blog announcing this makes for some interesting reading. It seems that Google has already teamed up with a number of UK property partners such as PropertyLive, Zoopla, Eztlet, Vebra, Spicer Haart, SmartNewHomes, Property Pal, Zoomf and Countrywide. You could say that one notable big-name player missing from that list is Rightmove. Quite what Google's (admittedly well-signalled) move into this market means for this well established company remains to be seen.

For users this looks like a great development, not only can you use the normal Google Maps tools like satellite based mapping to survey the land near your prospective new property, but there is even a handy link on the property page to Street View the location.

Google makes waves whenever it enters any new market (its mobile phone business looks stronger every day) but no more so than when it offers an easily accessible service for free. Its position for many as the search engine, means they can, it seems, pick and choose whichever market they want to be a major player in, almost on a whim.

More information can be found on the Google Lat Long Blog.

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

About Adam

• Search The Human Body With Google Body Browser - December 21, 2010
• Has This Site Been Hacked? - December 20, 2010
• How Do Twitter & Facebook’s 2010 Trends Compare With Google’s? - December 14, 2010
• Google Zeitgeist 2010: What Have You Been Searching For Planet Earth? - December 10, 2010
• Google Chrome Gets Store And Talks Chrome OS - December 8, 2010
• Google Issues Security Email For Website Optimiser - December 7, 2010
• Google Launches AdWords Global Market Finder - December 7, 2010
• New Android Phone Promises A Pure Experience - December 7, 2010
• Google AdWords Wants Your Products! - December 3, 2010
• Know How Mobile Internet Affects Your Website? Google Analytics does… - December 2, 2010

You may also be interested in:

1. Google Property – Coming To A Street Near You? A extensive insight into the potential of a British Google Property service. A similar application has already been employed in...
2. Ad Extensions Moves Into AdWords Google incorporates Ad Extensions into AdWords....
3. Google Maps Its Earth Google includes its Earth software in Google Maps!...
4. Google, Bing and Yahoo Online Maps – Reviewed We review online map offerings from Google, Yahoo and Bing to see which is the best! ...
5. Adobe Moves Xmas to April 12th Adobe has announced a new version of its unbelievably popular Creative Suite. So with baited breath we paw over Adobe's...