The key to sales is location, location, location! Well, what if no one can see the location? Location is vital for real estate professionals whether it is the location of your office or the location of a house listing. This holds true for Realtors, mortgage agents, real estate lawyers and anyone in the real estate industry.

Location is even more vital when you are dealing with web users they may be from outside of your city and not know the street locations. Maybe the User wants to visit your office or see what kind of neighborhood your listing is in. This is where online maps work best.

The Benefits to You and Your Users
The advantages of maps on your real estate site are numerous. Because you can use a map to indicate any number of things including your office location or the location of listings, maps help you sell your services and products because:

1. They allow users to zero in on actual directions to a listing
2. They allow users to find your office location
3. The internet-based maps let the user zoom in or out to get better directions
4. Users can print them out for easy reference
5. Maps are accessible throughout the day when you aren't there to help with directions
6. Maps are more precise than verbal directions

Adding maps to your listings is very easy to do and will allow you to upgrade your service to your visitors. You simply have to specify the correct address and postal code and Mapquest allows you to design a very detailed map of the area you need. You can then create a link to that exact URL (your webmaster can help you with the link) so that when the user clicks on it they will see a customized map of the area surrounding your listing.

Adding the Maps
The first step to adding these links is to sign up for Mapquest's free service. Once you have signed up MapQuest allows you to create your custom maps online by specifying the directions to the address in the URL. Adding an address is a relatively easy process:

1. In the Map Link URL field, type "http://www.mapquest.com/cgi-bin/ia_free?"
2. Behind that text, type "width=600&height=600" This sets a size for the map in pixels. You can change this to make the map bigger or smaller
3. Add your address by typing:
   "&address=listing's-address&city=listing's-city&state=listing's-state&zip=listings's-zip"
4. Replace "listing's-address" with the real details. Do not use spaces. If there is a space in the address, use a "+"
5. Replace "listing's-city" with the city name. Remember to replace spaces with a "+" (eg. los+angeles)
6. Replace "listing's-state" with the state name. Remember to replace spaces with a "+" (eg. new+mexico)
7. Replace "listing's-zip" with the right zip code.
8. If you are in a country other than the United States simply add a new code "&country=listing country" and put in your country name where the "listing country" words are

Play around with it a little bit and see which works best for you. Once you have things set up the way you want then add that link beside or below your listing as a "Click for directions" link!

Sample Maps for Reference
We've included some samples for you to look at so that you can get an idea of how useful these maps are. See if you can guess what's located there. Check the bottom of the page for the answers.

http://www.mapquest.com/cgi-bin/ia_free?width=500&height=500&address=1600+Pennsylvania+Avenue&city=
Washington&state=DC&zip=20500

Answer - The White House

http://www.mapquest.com/cgi-bin/ia_free?width=500&height=500&address=405+Lexington+Avenue&New+York&State=NY
&zip=10174

Answer - The Empire State Building

http://www.mapquest.com/cgi-bin/ia_free?width=500&height=500&address=1+Avenue+46+Street&city=New+York
&state=New+York&zip=10017

Answer - The United Nations

http://www.mapquest.com/cgi-bin/ia_free?width=500&height=500&address=19+North+Square&city=Boston
&state=Massechusetts&zip=02113

Answer - Paul Revere's House

Maps are really one of the most important add ons that you can deliver on your Web Site. Your Users will really appreciate the convenience of the service you are offering. This leads to more sales and a greater level of customer satisfaction that will make life difficult for your competitors.

Ron Thibeault is a retired real estate lawyer and contributing Editor to ThinkRelo.com. His extensive experience in real estate law gives him valuable insight into the needs of clients, realtors and all other players in real estate transactions.