How to ‘Batch Map’ Properties (So Cool, So Easy)
As a real estate investor, you know that there are hot neighborhoods, and there are up-and-coming neighborhoods that could prove to be extremely lucrative for you. The problem is where in the world do you find such places? And how?
A few of the ways that have worked in the past might be to:
- Drive the neighborhoods looking, looking, looking
- Knock on a few doors and talk to the people who live in the area
- Check out the local school districts
- Corner your favorite Realtor and ask question about what’s selling right now
- Contact the police department and find out the crime levels in the area
Who are you going to believe?
Any one or all of these might work (no doubt you’ve tried them all), but my oh my – how time consuming!
Add to that the fact that some of this information could be skewed by personal opinion… You might talk to one realtor who feels a certain area is a dud; talk to another realtor who is literally tearing it up in the very same neighborhood. Who are you going to believe?
What (rather than who) you can believe is data.
All you have to do is take a look at a big spreadsheet of properties that have sold, and you can quickly tell which neighborhoods are hot.
While spreadsheets can be used for this type of information, I think you’ll agree that sometimes spreadsheets can be overwhelming. Of course you can see certain towns around a city that are selling well; or certain zip codes that have more crime, but that still doesn’t give you the true picture.
What you need is to be able to see data displayed on a map, because, as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
A better way
Surely there has to be a better way to compile needed information. And there is. I want to tell you about a new tool that I’ve started using in our real estate business that has made it extremely easy to get a bird’s-eye view on a Google map using any type of lead or data source.
It’s called BatchGeo.
BatchGeo makes it ridiculously simple to geo-map your leads. You’re going to love this, because it’s super user-friendly. This online tool will geo-code a list of addresses, then it will group the property information on a Google map. And in less than 60 seconds, you’ll have a customized map that will notate information such as price, square footage, cash buyers, and so on.
How BatchGeo can help your business
There are many different ways that BatchGeo can help you in your business. Let’s say you’ve put together a cash buyers list from the MLS or RealSource. Now you upload that list to the box shown on BatchGeo and voila! You have a visual map that shows you these hot zones and its parameters. How easy is that?
If you’re into flipping properties, you may want to see what areas have more retail buyers and the selling prices in that neighborhood.
For those who are buy-and-hold landlords, wouldn’t it be great to compile data on properties within a certain range of rent prices in the area. Additionally, landlords can map their vacant rentals by embedding a link to add a map of those properties on their website or within an email. Information such as square footage and rental price can be displayed when the potential renter hovers over each property.
Then there are those who are wholesaling. Wouldn’t it be great to know where the cash buyers are buying? Wow! Now that would be a treasure map for sure.
Easy to use
When you have your map like you want it on BatchGeo, just click “save.” You’ll be asked to name the file, give a brief description and fill in your email address. Then, BatchGeo will email you
- A link to the map
- A link to edit the map
- The code to embed the map on your website
- A link to their support if you have questions
It’s also possible to copy a spreadsheet taken from any website and paste it into BatchGeo. Let’s say your real estate investing club hosts a website that offers a listing of properties that other investors have available. In just a few seconds you have a visual map of those properties.
Pro version
BatchGeo offers a “Pro” version that features extra perks such as faster geocoding, password protected maps and PDF support. However, unless you’re running a really large business, the free version will serve you just as well. And what’s better than FREE?
Limitless possibilities
I’ve found in my own business that the possibilities with BatchGeo are limitless. We just keep coming up with new ways to map the information we need at the moment.
You can create any map of leads following these simple steps:
- Download a list from Hotlist or RealSource.
- Copy your data in a spreadsheet program or table.
- Paste your data into BatchGeo.
- Click “Map Now” and you’re done!
Could it be any easier?
I’ve just given you a quick overview here, but if you want to know more about BatchGeo, here’s a helpful video.
Your thoughts…
Is BatchGeo new to you? Maybe you got the jump on us and have used this before. If so, leave a comment and tell us your experience. We’d love to hear about it!
Category: Cool Stuff, Tips and Tricks
Thanks Patrick, vary cool info, and thanks for sharing,