PropertyMaps Corporate Blog

Bug reporting through the PropertyMaps website is easy, if you can find it. On the rightmost area of the top navigation, there is a little bug (highlighted on the left below) which, once clicked, opens a popup window (highlighted on the right). This window provides you with the option of leaving your email address so we can notify you once the bug has been resolved - its always very satisfying to report a squashed bug. The “Bug Details” textbox allows you to describe the details of the bug. I won’t go into how to properly report bugs, this has been written about way too much, but please be sure to document the steps leading up to the bug, the expected result of your action, and the actual result of your action (the bug). The form has all kinds of voodoo on the back end so we can see your browser/OS combo and some other things about your session.

We would love any and all feedback as well. If there is anything you want to report, or you have a suggestion, or you would like to say how great we are, you can use this form to quickly pop off a message to the tech team.

Reporting Bugs Through the Website.

I just wanted to draw our user’s attention to the speed of development on the PropertyMaps website. If you notice in the lower right corner of each page, you will see the build date and number. As you can see below, the build states that the site was last updated on July 18, 2007 with build number 1517. By the time you read this, the actual numbers will have most likely changed. The beauty of web-based applications is we can seamlessly update the system without redistributing the application to our users and without disrupting the overall website experience. These build numbers also allow us to more accurately debug any problems with the site. This is just one of many aspects of our backend infrastructure that enables us to bring you new features in a more timely matter.

PropertyMaps Versioning.

As the online real estate space is heating up, there have been quite a few mashup-type sites popping up. We are different from the rest in a major way, which the below graphic summarizes nicely. The basic idea is that if you are researching something as important as a property purchase, you want the most comprehensive information available to make that decision. We strongly believe in working with the MLS’s, not circumventing them, allowing us to provide our users the largest number of listings with the most information (not only breadth, but depth). If you want more information, please take a look at Why PropertyMaps.com is #1.

The PropertyMaps Difference.

We have updated the property details pages to make them more intuitive, allowing our users to more easily understand there is additional property information hidden below each of the tabs. The update will also allow us more flexibility in adding features to this page as you will see in the coming weeks. We have some big plans, but I won’t spill the beans on that just yet - just keep checking this blog for updates.

Updated PropertyMaps Details Page.

As we continue to add MLS data to the map, we are sometimes faced with the dreaded RETS format for retrieving said MLS data. The problem with RETS is that there are so many version standards and so many different interpretations of those standards. A script that works on one MLS system does not necessarily work on another system, even if both are using the same RETS specification.

With that said, our team faced a challenge in tackling an antiquated RETS/1.0 system that not only had a flakey implementation, but was often times returning corrupt XML due to the DB server hanging during the SQL query. We were finally able to get the data we wanted, but it wasn’t until two of us trial and errored out a script in five hours.

For anyone that wants to deal with a flakey RETS/1.0 implementation, you can have at our script. We had to bypass the usual nonce, cnonce, opaque, response rigamarole because the RETS server was not replying with the correct HTTP headers. Instead we initiated the RETS login, grabbed a plain cookie and used that to keep the session alive. The script is based on the fine work done over at http://www.thompsonbd.com/RETS/rets_example.php.

Here is the RETS PHP Script.

We are happy to announce the .Net version of the PropertyMaps mapping engine, available for use on Windows Mobile 5 and 6. You can find more information by visiting the PropertyMaps Mobile page.

Read more about PMM for Windows Mobile.

We’ve upgraded MS VE to version 5. The most noticeable differences in this version are the support for Firefox, improved 3D imagery, optimized tile loading, and a more difficult to deal with API. Pushpins, Polyline, etc. seem to have been deprecated to make way for Shapes. Google really needs to get its act together when it comes to tilting (bird’s eye views). Also, they need to crack open their 3D warehouse for Maps (not Earth).

Microsoft Virtual Earth Version 5

This blog has been pretty quiet lately because we’ve all been concentrating on the new PropertyMaps site design. Hopefully everyone likes it.

PropertyMaps.com’s New Look

Google recently announced Mapplets on their Lat Long Blog allowing for people to easily mix and match different map mashups. This seems to be a very powerful application as it allows you to view temperature mashups with crime mashups with real estate mashups with whatever else is available as a Mapplet.

To join in on the fun, PropertyMaps released its own Mapplet so you can see all our MLS listings mixed in with whatever other content you can find.

We have submitted our Mapplet to Google, but they are yet to put it on their content page. In the meantime, if you want to check out the PM Mapplet, go to http://maps.google.com/preview, click “Add Content”, click on the small “Add by URL” next to the search box, and enter this URL: http://www.propertymaps.com/mapplet/mapplet.xml.

If you like our Mapplet, please send an email to Google suggesting they add it to their content page.

PropertyMaps.com’s Google Mapplet

WASHINGTON – May 1, 2007 – David Lereah, senior vice president and chief economist of the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) for the past seven years, is joining Move Inc. as executive vice president, effective in mid-May.

Move Inc. operates NAR’s official Web site, Realtor.com, and Move.com. A large stakeholder in Move, Inc. is Cendant Real Estate Services (which is really composed of four large national franchises).

Lereah will also act as chairman and partner of a new business entity under Move Inc. that will launch in the third quarter of 2007. He will serve with Allan Dalton, who will be president and CEO of the new business entity.

“David is an expert on real estate and the economy, and his stature and expertise enhanced NAR’s position as the most credible source on economic and policy issues affecting the housing industry in the United States and abroad,” says Dale Stinton, NAR executive vice president and CEO. “We wish him the greatest success in his new endeavor.”

At NAR, Lereah directed the research division, the regulatory and industry relations division, the real estate services group and strategic planning activities for the association. During his tenure, NAR launched the monthly Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on ratified contracts that have not yet closed. Coupled with existing-homes data, the PHSI established NAR as the dominant voice in real estate providing financial and housing writers a clearer picture of the state of the real estate industry.

“After serving as the spokesperson for NAR for the past seven years, David brings vast real estate savvy and knowledge to the company that will help guide us in our next phase of growth and expansion with new ventures,” says Mike Long, chief executive officer of Move Inc.

Lereah received his B.A. in economics & marketing from American University, Washington, D.C., and his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va.