Mash What?

Another interesting use of terminology that was recently unleashed into the world of Web 2.0 is the Mashup. A "Mashup" uses content from one or more sources on the web to create a completely new service. It may come from an RSS feed, or it could be supplied through a programming interface provided by another developer. The most popular mashup uses the Google Map programming interface. It hasn't been lost on the Real Estate industry. Trulia.Com, Propsmart, Redfin and numerous other related ventures are taking advantage of the Google API as an important part of their interface and search efforts. There's a mashup of properties listed in the E-Bay site. A new mashup has launched that has added the social networking ingredient to the idea. Platial.Com allows folks to add spots to their mapping system. Create your own "hey I've been here" spot or even a complete tour. There have been several posts across the blogging world today about Bill Wendel's real estate bubble map built in the Platial.Com site. I have to say it's great use of the system and if it's viral enough, it could be an awesome snapshot of the real estate industry that is fed real time, with "feet on the street" commentary. Try getting that from an expensive research white paper that has old data. If you have a second, go to Platial.Com and set up an account, add a couple of your listings to it and get a feel for how it works. We tested it by adding a client listing today. It's still in Beta, so hiccups can be expected, but it has promise. Platial is an excellent example of Web 2.0 tools that can be put to work on your listings today.
Inman News Mashup of The Day Post