Map Tools in Matrix

The maps in Matrix are powerful tools, not only do they provide an excellent means for searching for properties but also provides great insight into areas based on the information that can be displayed on them as well.

To zoom in and out use the plus and minus buttons at the top right of the map or use the scroll on your mouse or trackpad.

Moving around on the map is done by clicking and dragging directly on the map.

The drop down at the left allows you to switch between the road map, satellite imagery, or toggle the terrain onto the road map. The "Map" view is the quickest view to load and is the default. Because it’s the quickest I’d suggest only turning on the Satellite view when it’s needed, especially if your internet connection is not ideal.

The Terrain function allows you to see any terrain features like hills or mountains on the map, represented as shading.

The Satellite view allows you to see more detail about properties on the map. This makes it easy to see where things like vacant lots, parks, open space, and other property types are located.

The map should include parcel lines by default. These show the lot lines for a property and when you click on a parcel it should show information about that property. 

Once you click on a parcel a pop-up appears with information about the property. If a property has been listed through the MLS the pop-up will include the primary listing photo, bedroom, bathroom, and sales information.

On all parcels there is a Lot Dimensions link that displays the estimated lot dimensions for the property.

Parcel data should also be connected to the tax records which you can access with the Tax button. For properties that have had listings in the MLS there will be a Listing button to allow you to jump to the last listing for that property.

At the top of the map are more tools, but the selection will change based on where you accessed the map.

When viewing the map for one property:

When viewing the map during any property search:

The Layers button will be present on all maps. It provides you boundaries for Zip codes, Cities, Counties, and Unified School Districts. Each layer will be color-coded to allow you to recognize the name of the area and the outline, with the corresponding color, indicates the boundaries.

You can also add the Flood Zones, which adds the FEMA designations.

NOTE: This increases the amount of information on the map and could affect the performance of the map. It's suggested not to leave the Flood Zones layer active unless needed.

The Flood Zones layer can't be added above a certain zoom level, if the option is red and won’t let you select it simply zoom in until it can be checked.

You can also add Parcel Characteristics, Trends, and Points of Interest, but I’d suggest exploring those additional layer options to see if they add information you’d like to see on your map.

The reticle button, labelled Recenter, allows you to zoom back in on the subject property.

When performing a map search you'll see drawing tools. These tools that allow you to add shapes which can be used to limit your search results to the area defined by the shapes or to exclude properties with the shapes. Ten shapes can be added to the map at the same time. To add a shape to the map click the drawing tool matching the shape you'd like to use.

The Radius tool works by clicking and dragging from the center.

The Rectangle tool works by clicking and dragging diagonally.

The Polygon tool allows you to manually draw a freeform shape. The first click puts a starting point on the map, moving your cursor shows a faint blue line indicating the edge of the shape. The next click adds a corner and the edge becomes a darker blue. Each click after that continues to add corners to the shape. A double click will close the shape or you can manually close it by clicking on the starting point.

The freehand Polygon works by clicking and dragging, drawing a line while you move around the map. When you stop dragging and let go the shape will close the shape with a straight line to the starting point.

To clear any shapes you've added to the map click the Clear All Shapes button.

Hold your cursor over the red dot for a shape for additional options.

Exclude this Shape option which removes listings. This is a great option for clients who have a certain area they do not wish to see results from that aren't confined to a specific traditional area restriction. These can be used at the same time as other shapes. Here we see two shapes, the blue restricts results to the area, the red excludes listings in the area. You can have a shape that excludes listings without any other shapes, for clients who want more nuance than subdivisions/zip codes/cities/etc might provide.

If you’ve moved the map away from the shapes you’ve drawn you can hit that Recenter button, the reticle icon at the top of the map, to move the center of the map back to the shape(s) that have been added.

From a practical perspective adding shapes allows you to customize the area you’re searching. When conducting any kind of property search, whether for listings or in the Public Record search, you can define the area on the map in advance of adding any other criteria by clicking the Map Search button. This goes directly to the map where you can use one of the drawing tools to limit your area without any traditional boundaries, like subdivisions, zip codes, or cities. Once the shape(s) are added you can return to the criteria and next to the Map Search there will be red text that says Map Area Selected. 

The map can be incredibly useful for searching, but this still relies on the information for the listing to be entered correctly by the listing agent. Please make sure all your listings are mapped correctly, on every listing. For more help with that please visit this article: LINK