Realtors: if you give something away for free, make sure it has value. Try this.

There is no more powerful word in marketing than the word “free.”

And if you are going to market yourself online, you had better be prepared to offer something to consumers for free. They expect it.

Today’s web users are used to free downloads, free widgets, free white papers, etc.

One traditional item that successful real estate agents and brokers have given away for years was a map.

Why not? Someone is moving to the area, they’re going to need a guide show them around.

But printed maps are so 15^th century. You’ve got to buy them, mail them, stock them. There’s only a certain window during the day when you can provide them. You might as well be giving away an eight-track tape, or a typewriter or a rotary telephone.

How cool (and effective) would it be to give away a souped-up, interactive map chock-full of real-time data about homes listings, existing homes in the area, schools, businesses, places of worship, parks, golf courses and billions of bits of neighborhood data that consumers could search, save and share?

With all of this information displayed colorfully on an easy-to-navigate digital screen right out of the Jetsons?

That’s is where SpatialMatch comes in. Sure, we provide a map, but it’s a live map embedded directly into your site powered by an enormous database that provides all the current MLS listings and lifestyle search information a consumer will ever need to help them find the right home.

It’s not a static map, but a dynamic map. A map where buyers can search, choose and save their preferences in homes, businesses and other lifestyle amenities. A map they can email or send to their friends on Facebook.

Now imagine how you would market your real estate business. Say on Google or Facebook for example:

Free Peoria Map

Find the best home with free

online MLS and lifestyle map

Unlike the old days, when you hoped a home buyer would maybe see your sign and pull up to your office for a free map, today’s consumers, are actively searching for homes online at all times, 11 p.m.  at night or 5 a.m. in the morning.

Your free map will always be there for them immediately, any time of the day, any day of the week.

But of course, they will have to fill out a lead form to get it. Ka-ching!

So it boils down to this. Are you not going to give away something? Are you going to give away something that is archaic and costs you time and money?

Or are you going to give away an interactive, dynamic, user-friendly geo-based search tool filled with an encyclopedic amount of hyper-local property and neighborhood information? Available on demand at any time.

And the beauty of it is, your supply of these turbo-charged maps is unlimited.

Now’s that’s something of value to offer free to home buyers.

Invite your friends and colleagues to try out the SpatialMatch map here and see what they think.