Real estate search site HotPads has launched a map-search feature comparing property price points on its website, the company announced Monday.
Called "HotSpots," the feature allows users to compare listings on a cost-per-bedroom basis. Users plug in a location to search, see results on a map, and click on the HotSpots icon. Colored dots ranging from blue to red indicate how expensive a property is compared to the other listings on the map.
The dots recalibrate as the user zooms in and out or moves the map. Each dot is a listing that users can click on to see photos, property details, and contact information.
"The ability to see hundreds of properties on one screen, categorized by price and location … reduces the time it takes to spot and send an inquiry to a hot property," the company said.
Light blue dots indicate the least expensive properties (based on cost per bedroom), while dark red dots indicate the most expensive properties. Users can hide a listing on the map or mark a listing as a "favorite," which changes its appearance from a dot to a star.
Dots for listings the user has already clicked on shrink to differentiate them from listings the user hasn’t previewed yet.
The site has more than 500,000 rental listings and 4 million for-sale listings, including foreclosure properties.
Screenshot: HotPads.com.