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econsultancy_xml

This business model of making money from ads rather than listing fees has allowed the News International-backed site to rapidly expand the number of property listings on the site, to the point where Globrix has almost one million homes listed. Homepage The homepage is a clean and simple interface. Simply select buy or rent, then enter a postcode or location and you're off. Its simplicity contrasts with the homepages of rival property sites like Rightmove and primelocation.com, and should have the effect of focusing users' attention on the search box to get them started. Search results As the search box is so stripped down, you will require some way to narrow down the results of your search, and the results page doesn't disappoint. <img alt="Globrix search results" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2862685092_eaf2be81ae_o.jpg" /> Properties related to your search are displayed in a list, and Globrix has provided some very good filtering tools on the page to help you find the right house. A slider bar at the top allows you to specify the price range you want to search within, while you can also order results by price, number of bedrooms, and so on: <img alt="Globrix - adjust price range" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/2861854823_1532f62c27_o.jpg" /> Down the left side of the page, further filters are provided so that, depending on whether you rent or buy, you can narrow the results by number of bedrooms, property type, proximity to schools and stations, and the freshness of the results. You can also be very specific on a number of features; whether a house has a garage or on street parking, garden or terrace and, for the more expensive properties, you can even search for things like tennis courts, swimming pools and wine cellars. <img alt="Globrix filtering options" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/2862685424_9cb7644d47_o.jpg" /> The range of options are impressive, and allow you to be very specific in your search, but just as importantly, the filters can be removed easily if you have too few results, or changed around. As soon as you have selected a filtering option, the page updates almost instantly, with no need to press an update button, or wait too long. The default view for search results is as a list, though you can have the results plotted on Google Maps, which can be a useful way to search if you're keen on a specific area. <img alt="Globrix search by map" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2861855955_30ff337956_o.jpg" /> You can also plot individual search results on a map, which opens up on the same page, saving the bother of loading the whole map page or having to open it in another window: <img alt="Globrix " src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2862685848_865149dd7c_o.jpg" /> The one criticism here is that, while plenty of search and filtering options are provided, you cannot get much information about the house or view photos until you click on the result and visit the estate agent's website. Also, it lacks more on local facilities, schools, and other potentially useful information for property hunters. This is something that <a href="http://www.trulia.com/property/1067874189-2618-Sutter-St-San-Francisco-CA-94115">Trulia</a> does so well, providing ratings for local schools, comparing the price to the average for the area and more. My Globrix Finding a house online is going to take more than one visit to a search engine, so Globrix has provided ways to save your search results. <img alt="My Globrix" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2862686808_35b283f13c_o.jpg" /> After a fairly simple registration process, you can save any searches you make, and shortlist properties you are considering buying. Having saved searches for a particular town or postcode, you can set up email alerts to advise you when new properties become available in that area, within the parameters of your search. Conclusion While it lacks some of the useful background information that is provided on local amenities on sites like Trulia in the US, and Nestoria in this country, Globrix is a very good property search site. The quantity of properties listed on the site mean that few searches return no results, which can be a source of frustration on some smaller property websites. The simplicity of the search, the speed with which results are displayed and updated, as well as the range of options to narrow searches make this a very usable website. With the backing of News International, a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the site, as well as the fact that estate agents needn't pay fees to have their lisitings included, this site could become a serious rival for Rightmove. Related articles: <a href="/blog/1330-nestoria-used-as-an-example-of-google-maps-api">Nestoria used as an example of Google Maps API</a> <a href="/blog/600-interview-trulia-co-founder-pete-flint">Interview: Trulia co-founder Pete Flint </a> <a href="/blog/1959-rightmove-revamps-site-as-competition-increases">Rightmove revamps site as competition increases</a>

<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph>This business model of <Emphasis>making money from ads rather than listing fees</Emphasis> has allowed the News International-backed site to rapidly expand the number of property listings on the site, to the point where Globrix has almost one million homes listed.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Homepage</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The homepage is a clean and simple interface. Simply select buy or rent, then enter a postcode or location and you're off.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Its simplicity contrasts with the homepages of rival property sites like Rightmove and primelocation.com, and should have the effect of focusing users' attention on the search box to get them started.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Search results</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>As the search box is so stripped down, you will require some way to narrow down the results of your search, and the results page doesn't disappoint.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="Globrix search results" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3060/2862685092_eaf2be81ae_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Properties related to your search are displayed in a list, and Globrix has provided some very good filtering tools on the page to help you find the right house.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>A slider bar at the top allows you to specify the price range you want to search within, while you can also order results by price, number of bedrooms, and so on:</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="Globrix - adjust price range" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/2861854823_1532f62c27_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Down the left side of the page, further filters are provided so that, depending on whether you rent or buy, you can narrow the results by number of bedrooms, property type, proximity to schools and stations, and the freshness of the results.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>You can also be very specific on a number of features; whether a house has a garage or on street parking, garden or terrace and, for the more expensive properties, you can even search for things like tennis courts, swimming pools and wine cellars.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="Globrix filtering options" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/2862685424_9cb7644d47_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The range of options are impressive, and allow you to be very specific in your search, but just as importantly, the filters can be removed easily if you have too few results, or changed around.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>As soon as you have selected a filtering option, the page updates almost instantly, with no need to press an update button, or wait too long.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>The default view for search results is as a list, though you can have the results plotted on Google Maps, which can be a useful way to search if you're keen on a specific area.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Image AlternateText="Globrix search by map" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3069/2861855955_30ff337956_o.jpg"> </Image> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>You can also plot individual search results on a map, which opens up on the same page, saving the bother of loading the whole map page or having to open it in another window:</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis> <Image AlternateText="Globrix " Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2862685848_865149dd7c_o.jpg"> </Image> </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The one criticism here is that, while plenty of search and filtering options are provided, you cannot get much information about the house or view photos until you click on the result and visit the estate agent's website.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Also, it lacks more on local facilities, schools, and other potentially useful information for property hunters. This is something that <Link URL="http://www.trulia.com/property/1067874189-2618-Sutter-St-San-Francisco-CA-94115" Window="Self">Trulia</Link> does so well, providing ratings for local schools, comparing the price to the average for the area and more.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>My Globrix</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Finding a house online is going to take more than one visit to a search engine, so Globrix has provided ways to save your search results.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis> <Image AlternateText="My Globrix" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2862686808_35b283f13c_o.jpg"> </Image> </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>After a fairly simple registration process, you can save any searches you make, and shortlist properties you are considering buying.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Having saved searches for a particular town or postcode, you can set up email alerts to advise you when new properties become available in that area, within the parameters of your search.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Conclusion</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>While it lacks some of the useful background information that is provided on local amenities on sites like Trulia in the US, and Nestoria in this country, Globrix is a very good property search site.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>The quantity of properties listed on the site mean that few searches return no results, which can be a source of frustration on some smaller property websites.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>The simplicity of the search, the speed with which results are displayed and updated, as well as the range of options to narrow searches make this <Emphasis>a very usable website</Emphasis>.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>With the backing of News International, a marketing campaign to raise awareness of the site, as well as the fact that estate agents needn't pay fees to have their lisitings included, this site could become a serious rival for Rightmove.</Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Related articles:<LineBreak /></Emphasis> <Link URL="/blog/1330-nestoria-used-as-an-example-of-google-maps-api" Window="Self">Nestoria used as an example of Google Maps API</Link> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/600-interview-trulia-co-founder-pete-flint" Window="Self">Interview: Trulia co-founder Pete Flint </Link> <LineBreak /> <Link URL="/blog/1959-rightmove-revamps-site-as-competition-increases" Window="Self">Rightmove revamps site as competition increases</Link> </Paragraph> </FormattedContent>

2008-09-16T11:31:00+01:00

econsultancy_xml

Launched earlier this year, Globrix is a property search engine which claims to have nearly every property on the market in the UK listed on its site. <img alt="Globrix" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/2862546500_9cc295d177_o.jpg" /> Rather than charging estate agents a fee, as sites like Rightmove do, <a href="http://www.globrix.com/">Globrix</a> scrapes listings from estate agents' websites, hoping to make the site more comprehensive than its rivals.

<FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>Launched earlier this year, Globrix is a property search engine which claims to have nearly every property on the market in the UK listed on its site. </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph> <Emphasis> <Image AlternateText="Globrix" Source="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/2862546500_9cc295d177_o.jpg"> </Image> </Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>Rather than charging estate agents a fee, as sites like Rightmove do, <Link URL="http://www.globrix.com/" Window="Self">Globrix</Link> scrapes listings from estate agents' websites, hoping to make the site more comprehensive than its rivals.</Paragraph> </FormattedContent>

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Econsultancy has a wide range of documents to help you with designing websites from start to finish. Check out our <a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/effective-web-design-best-practice-guide">Effective Web Design Guide</a> and our <a href="http://econsultancy.com/reports/template-files-for-web-projects">Web Project Management Template Files</a> for more information.

366350

Site review: property search engine Globrix false

2008-09-18T11:09:00+01:00

site-review-property-search-engine-globrix

2009-04-29T20:24:19+01:00

2009-10-13T09:47:43+01:00

1539