Gabby

What do Web 2.0 and real estate have in common? Well, at the moment, you might say that commonality includes the various mashups of Google maps, where little colored balloons may indicate homes for sale or rent. Or, those balloons could point to rotten neighbors or even to homes you can rent for a month in an exotic location. But, that’s just the tip of the real estate Web 2.0 revolution.

Ever since Dion Hinchcliffe tried to visualize Web 2.0 through mere words in 2005, the user experience has blossomed to include blogs, shared photos, video, social networking and more. A person who wants to purchase a home today can describe his or her desires in a few written words and have that home appear as if by magic through a widget that is tuned to keywords and locations. The buyer can view photos, floorplans, videos, three-dimensional tours, learn about the neighborhood, talk with residents who live in the area, and contact the seller directly. Almost every detail that goes into a home sale or purchase can be initialized and even finalized online by the buyer or seller.

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