Prudential Preferred Properties boasts being the leader for Real Estate in the Chicagoland Area. According to their website, their agents are Real Estate Board certified and are continuously trained on the latest innovations for property marketing and client satisfaction. One clear example of this penchant for innovation is the fact that they are first in the world at publishing their listings in Google Earth.



Click on the attachment above to have Prudential's active listings presented in detail within your own Google Earth. The attachment is a KML Network Link that will cause your copy of Google Earth to query their server for the latest in Chicago-area real estate information. Just save it to your "My Places" folder, enable it, and enjoy.

Our congratulations to PPP's Chris McKeever and Camden Daily for this example of Prudential Preferred's innovation in creating the KML interface server that powers this dynamic real estate data layer.

P.S. Don't live in Chicago? Call your real estate professional and ask them why they have not published their listings as innovatively as Chicago's Prudential Preferred Properties.

Want to build a service like this for the millions of Google Earth users? Check the KML Discussion forum and code.google.com for easy to follow instructions and source code.

Wow- I don't live in Chicago and I'm not looking for a house, but I think this is an incredible way to look at property. I expect it will be commonplace if I ever move. It's an awesome moment when you realize that you a looking at first use of an technology that will change lives. Congrats to Keyhole and Prudential!

That is a lot of information all at once it is overwhelming to me. but good job to whoever put this together

Many residential and commercial real estate companies use Keyhole for this activity internally and with prospects. They use other tools as well: web pages from MLS services, MLS books, brochures, HOMES(R) Magazine, flyers, and the like. That was before last week.

What is new is a free, widely used earth browser where house-shoppers explore the earth to see what detailed listings have been published by real-estate companies. It is great that Prudential was quick to embrace this new opportunity--authoring KML for widespread use by the public in Google Earth.

It is a terrific use of GE. Brings a bit more "truth in advertising" as well.

They got google earth pro so its all good

So what? Most users don't. And I doubt they use GEPro to author, or serve it.

Businesses use Pro, personal users use Free or Plus.

KML data authors use a variety of tools (Pro, Plus, Free, database converters) and languages (awk, perl, python, C, C++) to generate data.

The not-for-commercial-use license of Free/Plus does not inhibit those who want to use the service to find goods and services, only those who would use the program and data in a business context.