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There are Two Kinds of Maps with Home Listings
1.) “Spatial Match” Interactive Map. Works for Desktop Only.
[spatialmatch_map id=27 show_title=true width=100% height=650]
Finding a Property Listing Using the Maps
Spatial Match” maps (above) can be very useful for finding listings in a particular neighborhood or subdivision.
To start a search , set the map screen to focus in more on an area that may hold interest for you. As far as zooming and panning goes, the map works pretty much like most.
Click the “For Sale” icon and select the kind of property you have interest in seeing. For example, detached and townhouses. Below that are other choices, such as new construction and recent sales.
There is a “Select Areas” button. You can use this or not. If you do not, what you have on your screen will determine what you see. However, if you have a neighborhood or subdivision in mind, you can choose from a drop-down list. The area will be outlined in blue on the map, and the listings shown there.
There is a purple icon on the right side called “Areas.” Click on it and then on “Neighborhoods”, for example, and it will outline in blue all the neighborhoods that are in the area on your screen. Touch the blue line with your cursor and it will show the neighborhood name. You can refine this to a subdivision level the same way. These areas have been preset on the maps throughout the web site. You can still use these maps as you would this one. It will return to preset areas after you are finished with the site unless saved.
The Neighborhoods are areas determined by the map vendor based on demographics, etc., and do not necessarily coincide with areas the Triangle MLS service uses. They seem to keep searches based on common criteria to a reasonable size. You can easily narrow it further. I take the subdivisions to be based on legal records, but I have not confirmed that, and I would not use them for more than a search aid.
Limit your search further by choosing from the remaining controls such as bedroom number, price, etc. A couple of comments here:
I have preset the “Active Only” switch to “On”. This eliminates homes under contract but not closed. If you want to see those, turn it off.
There is an “Advanced” switch that gives the ability to further narrow your search based on other criteria, such as garage bays, etc. Give those a try, if you like. My thought is, the more detailed the attributes you select, the more you may be relying on each listing agent to be uniform in how they list those attributes. To avoid missing things, I suggest narrowing the list on the major parameters, such as location, price, number of bedrooms, etc. and see if the resultant list is short enough to review the listings for other attributes. The responsive map and listings discussed below may also help review those listings.
Click on the icons on the screen to see the details of the listing. There are some differences in icons based on property types. There is a setting on the left side of the screen that enables you to look at a satellite view, which can be useful for finding things like highways, power lines, etc.
But wait…there’s more
Interested in schools?
Tap the “Lifestyle” then the “Schools” icon. Choose public or private, then elementary, middle or high schools. Pick a radius from the school and the schools meeting the criteria selected will show centered in a circle sized based on the radius. The radius will give you an idea of walk or drive time based in where you set it. Move the map around or expand it and these will appear in the new areas.
Click on the school, and information will appear giving school type, address, grades taught, student numbers, demographic information, etc.
Wake County and Raleigh schools are consolidated and due to growth in the area, school availabilities are not that straight forward. Please look at our section “Raleigh Schools”
Other “Lifestyle” Information
After you have clicked “Lifestyles” there are a number of choices of things you can have displayed: shopping, restaurants and coffee, churches, golf and fitness, hospitals, etc. Click on these various buttons to further refine your search. For example, you can choose restaurants and refine that by type, such as breakfast, mexican, etc.
2.) Responsive IDX Maps
If you are a mobile user the Spatial Match map may not show up. The “Responsive IDX Map” is the one that works for mobile and desk-top visitors along with pages of cards showing all the listings in the area we have chosen. These are usually located at the end of the page you are on so the pages of listing cards do not make it difficult to read the other content.
