Real estate Web sites have been getting more and more advanced of late.
First there was Zillow.com, which came along with a Google Maps interface that allows U.S. buyers to scan through most of the properties in the United States and pull up a plethora of information for each one.
Then along came Seattle-based Redfin.com, which took things one step further, listing properties for sale on a similar satellite-map interface.
But it took a Finnish company, Igglo, to take things to the next level. Though I can’t understand a word of what the site says, I know it’s got bloggers all over the place really excited.
Here’s a quote from the site for all of our Finnish readers:
“Joissa haluaisit asua. Kun etsimäsi koti ilmoitetaan Iggloon, saat heti tiedon sekä etuoikeuden tutustua.”
As far as I can make out, what the company has done is to take pictures of all the properties in Helsinki, Finland’s capital, and has posted them on the site along with all sorts of information about the property, from satellite maps to sales histories.
According to the Inman News Service the site allows potential buyers to make offers on properties, even if they aren’t for sale. Interesting.
Could this be the future of real estate, coming from the country that has more cell phones per capita than anywhere else in the world?